Nineteen miles of beauty on a bicycle followed by a few hours of food, music and camaraderie pretty much sums up the Tour de TART.
The seventh annual bike ride from Traverse City to Suttons Bay drew 400 riders Friday who pedaled at their own pace along a portion of the TART Trail and the Leelanau Trail. Tour de TART also offered a route along M-22 for interested road bikers to follow.
More of a 'friendraiser' than a fundraiser, proceeds from event help defray expenses of paving a seven-mile portion of the Leelanau Trail. Two miles of this former rail corridor have been paved since last year's Tour de TART, improving a hard-packed two-track into a ten-foot wide asphalt trail.
After completing the Tour de TART ride, cyclists could enjoy activities afterward in Suttons Bay and then get a lift home for themselves and their bikes that night. Riders who lived out towards Suttons Bay could catch a ride beforehand into Traverse City to cycle homeward.
"We do this every year and it's just a great ride,” said Eileen Purkiss of Traverse City at the starting point, who was riding with her husband, Bruce.
First time participant Ken Frazier has wanted to ride in the event for a few years but just managed join in this time. A Bingham Township resident, he lives 100 yards from part of the Leelanau Trail and has probably ridden the Tour route 30 times.
"I had the time, it's tax deductible and for a good cause,” Frazier summed up his motivations.
The day was a great outreach event for TART Trails as clumps of bikers ebbed and flowed at the starting line just east of the Traverse Area District Library. The riders could refresh themselves at one of four stops along the way, although this year's cooler weather made the ride more pleasant that last year's blazing temps.
"We had wonderful weather, wonderful food stops and a beautiful set up in Suttons Bay, we had the band and it was just a lot of fun,” said Missy Luyk, a trail programs specialist for TART Trails, Inc. "I think everybody who did it will probably be back next year.”
"It was, overall, a great Tour de TART event,” she added.
A fan of the low-key event and participant for a number of years, Howard Seaver of Rapid City enjoys the socializing along the way. Before starting out, Seaver estimated that his riding time would be between two and two and a half hours, while a racing pace would cut that to an hour to an hour and a half. The more leisurely pace, however, lets him enjoy the beauty of nature along the way
"I like the change of scenery and the people,” he said. "We've developed some of the most beautiful rides in the nation here, this is rolling hills, beautiful scenes and lake.”
Envisioning a network of biking trails spanning the state within ten years, covering hundreds if not thousands of miles, Seaver noted that money spent on these trails is an investment in the state's future and recreation.
"Traverse City, for it's size, has some of the best biking support in the state,” he added, praising the local bike shops and riding organizations.
For more information about the TART trails, see their web site at www.traversetrails.org or call 941-4300.