Two bike rides in Greene County this weekend are using the Raccoon River Valley Trail — a “Full Moon Ride” Friday night from Cooper to Herndon and back, and Saturday’s second annual “Tour d’ Greene” ride from Jefferson on a 20-mile loop using paved secondary roads and the trail. Both are good ways to add some extra miles of training as you get ready for RAGBRAI!
JEFFERSON, Iowa, July 14, 2011 — The Cyclists Of Greene bicycle club hosts its second annual “Tour d’ Greene” bike ride in the county this Saturday, July 16, offering the event as a good opportunity for those who plan to ride RAGBRAI in another week to have some extra training miles.
Registration will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday at the Jefferson Depot, and the participants can start riding whenever they wish. The club is using a “loop route” this year that will have the cyclists going east from the depot on County Road E53, then south on P30, west on E57 to Cooper, then back to Jefferson on the Raccoon River Valley Trail. Participants are being encouraged to make as many “loops” as they want to during the day.
“We decided to use a loop route like this so that can provide better service for those riders who might need a ‘sag wagon’ and so that we can spread out the refreshment stations at appropriate distances,” said Jefferson Mayor Craig Berry, who is also president of the bicycle club.
One refreshment station is scheduled to be near the intersection of roads P30 and E57. Another will be at Winkleman Switch. And there’ll also be one at the Jefferson Depot, which will also be the lunch spot for the cyclists. The $15 registration fee will enable the club to provide free services on the sag wagon and at the refreshment stations.
Several riders are expected to be camping at the new Jefferson Trailhead Campground this weekend.
Also part of the fun this year will be a Friday night “Full Moon Ride” on the trail, starting at the Cooper Way Station at 8 p.m. Riders will do a 10-mile round-trip cruise from Cooper to Herndon and back, with the first part of the ride in twilight and the return trip to Cooper in darkness – except for the brightness of the full moon occurring that night.
There is no charge for the Full Moon Ride, and the Committee for a Super Cooper will serve free snacks and cold drinks to the riders at the conclusion of the ride.
Some riders in the Jefferson area have said that, to gain some additional miles, they plan to leave for Cooper from the Jefferson Depot at 7 p.m. Friday night, then do the Full Moon Ride, then ride back to Jefferson.
Use of helmets is requested for those participating in both the Tour d’ Greene and the Full Moon Ride.
