RRVT News
The “Hiawatha Classic Bike Ride” was challenged by thunderstorms, but 50 cyclists rode into and through the storms on Saturday, June 18. Here are a brief story and four photos from the event.
PERRY, Iowa, June 19, 2011 — The weather was tough, but about 50 bicyclists gamely rode the 13th annual Hiawatha Classic Bike Ride held on Saturday, June 18, starting and finishing in this community.
For the first time, the ride’s organizers offered participants three different routes to choose from — of 35, 44 or 60 miles. “I talked to a bunch of riders, and they were excited about having the three options,” said Greg Nath, the City of Perry parks & rec director who is also the ride’s director. “I think about half of them were planning on the shorter route, about 20 percent were taking the long route and 30 percent the 44-mile route.”
But just after the riders had gathered in Perry’s Pattee Park, the weather got ugly.
“Right when the ride started, we were hit by a thunderstorm, but all the riders rode right through the storm,” Nath said. “Once the riders got over to Dawson, the rain and lightning started again and most of the riders headed for shelter. We were trapped indoors for around 45 minutes with around 15 to 20 riders there. We sent the sag vehicle up to Rippey during the storm to check on riders up there. He reported back that a few riders had just left Rippey and were heading home in the rain.”
Eventually a break in the weather allowed the riders who were sheltered in the Dawson Depot to ride back to Perry on the new portion of the Raccoon River Valley Trail between the two communities.
Nath said volunteer radio operators provided valuable assistance in letting the rider organizers and sag vehicle know where cyclists were gathered when the conditions were challenging.
Most of the riders gathered for a post-ride party at the Hotel Pattee in Perry.
Below here you can see some photos from the ride by Perry photographer Jon Jamison.
