High temps merged with high spirits as more than 500 bicyclists rode in the Sixth Annual Tour de TART Friday that took them from Traverse City to Suttons Bay.
Launching from the TART trail in Traverse City just east of the Traverse Area District Library, riders followed paved trails through town and out to the Leelanau County. Water and snack stations offered a boost before riders finished the ride on the Leelanau Trail. The trail route was clocked at 19 miles from start to finish and snaked through some of the area's notable scenery. Road bikers had the option to follow M-22 to Suttons Bay if they preferred, also a visual treat if noisier.
The goal of the event was both fun and function: provide bike enthusiasts a great ride while raising funds to improve future trips. The money from the event has not yet been counted, but organizers are fairly certain it will show a profit.
The event also celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Leelanau Trail, which follows a former railroad grade and is partially paved.
"The money is going to the Leelanau Trail improvement plan, which includes paving the trail," noted Missy Luyk, the trail programs specialist for TART Trails, Inc.
Suttons Bay resident Kim Eike is a veteran of the winding, scenic trail route between Suttons Bay and
Traverse City. He completed the Tour de TART last year and also occasionally commutes from his Suttons Bay home to a job in town. A runner who began biking more than 12 years ago after his knees rebelled, he completed the jaunt Friday at a leisurely pace with his wife, Betsy, and their friend Kris Send of Suttons Bay.
"I work at the hospital and I ride in from Suttons Bay once a month - riding home, too," noted Eike. "It takes me about an hour and a half."
Jim Schramski and his wife, Heidi, started their first Tour de TART together but the veteran bikers were unfazed by the distance or route. Dinner with fellow bikers in Suttons Bay's North Park at the end of the ride was just icing on the cake.
"We ride the Leelanau Trail a lot and I ride the VASA a lot," said Jim Schramski, who is a member of TART Trails.
After dinner, Traverse City area residents could catch a shuttle bus back to town, where their bikes had already been transported ahead of them.
Once on the Leelanau Trail, the ride through the pastoral countryside was relatively flat thanks to the former railroad use. This allowed participants to pedal at a touring pace and enjoy their surroundings.
"We did it last year for the first time and liked it enough to do it again this year," said Mike Schaeffer of Traverse City, riding with Debby Page. "It's very scenic and the traffic isn't bad, either."
"We don't use the trails as much as we should," he added.
Sporting matching spandex outfits and equipment, the couple also participates in the Ride Around Torch annual event and regularly rides with members of the Cherry Capital Cycling Club.
"We ride once a week, every Thursday at the [VASA] single track and have a picnic afterward, which is why we go," said Schaeffer, who is a member of the cycling club and TART Trails.