Wheels of Fortune

Invented circa 1816 as a mode of transportation, the bicycle has been transformed into a tool of inspiration. Lance Armstrong, that superhuman cyclist who won the Tour de France seven times—six after a diagnosis of testicular cancer—best embodies the ideal of cyclist-as-changemaker. His Livestrong Global Cancer Campaign gets the word out and raises millions to fight the dreaded disease.

While we mere mortals can only dream to make as much impact as Armstrong has, there are plenty of opportunities locally to do your share. Non-cycling fundraisers include walks, duck races, high-falutin’ dinners or 5K runs. Making a hard charge recently, however, involves two feet pushing two pedals to power two wheels over distances ranging from 10 to 180 miles, while staying within a municipal boundary or venturing along the area’s eminently bikeable roadways.

There’s no doubt these bikes are part of a growing trend.

“It’s the new thing, I think,” notes Trish Dugan, marketing director at Syracuse Bicycle and organizer for scores of the rides’ training events. “At one time there was a 5K for everything. Now there’s a bike ride for everything.”

This time of year, cycling events fill most weekends as a way to raise funds for local nonprofits (see accompanying story on page 21). “I do more of them every year,” says Mark Perrin, manager at The Bikery, 7556 Van Buren Road, Baldwinsville. “I’ve been doing them for lots of years now. The rides are always with great people, they’re very giving, and they like to help out the community. Cycling in general is becoming bigger, too, especially for health reasons. The people who cycle tend to be the type of people that give back to the community.”

These rides also run the gamut from down home—Wanderers’ Ride—to policeescorted—the Ride for Missing Children. They support animal welfare organizations, diabetes research, homeless initiatives and programs for people with a range of disabilities. Glenn Ivers just finished with the second annual Wanderers’ Ride June 25 and 26, which benefits Wanders’ Rest, a humane association in Canastota. Actually three rides over two days, the premier attraction is the Madison Meander, traveling along country roads, climbing challenging hills and visiting historic places.

Then there’s the Tour de Cure, held the first Sunday in June to benefit the American Diabetes Association and entering its second decade. The 2011 ride saw 516 cyclists raise $6,500 more than in 2010. WSTM-Channel 3 meteorologist Mike Brookins participated in the 62-mile ride and, by virtue of his position, was able to chat it up during his weathercasts.

“CNY Central {the four-headed media monster spawned from the 2009 union of Channel 3 and WTVH-5’s news departments} being a media sponsor helped with fundraising,” Brookins notes. “I raised money for the cause, and {CNY Central president and CEO} Chris Geiger matched my contribution, but more importantly I was very vocal in promoting the event.”

In between the newer rides and the more established ones stand a handful of events that raise money but also offer a quality, organized, safely run ride to its participants; after all, they are devoting hours to help out. “As there are more events,” says Sylvia Hough, who has organized the Tour de Cure since its beginning, “we try to keep ours exciting. There’s always the possibility that there’s another event out there that has a little more sizzle to it that will draw the bikers that are true riders. A lot of them just do those events anyway, while some of your other riders do it because of the charity.”

Safety First

Cycling isn’t like walking 3 miles to support a cause, however. It does take a certain amount of cardiovascular fitness. Further, cycling in a group is a skill built by, well, cycling in a group. Group dynamics will make the ride more fun, certainly, but it’s also a safer way to travel.

“We are very specific about training people to ride in a group,” says Dick Scheutzow, of the Ride for Missing Children. “We ride in formation, two-by-two, the entire ride. Everybody has to ride together and everyone has to cooperate regardless of individual abilities.”

This ride, which covers 100 miles on Friday, Sept. 23, is meant to raise awareness about missing and exploited children. It evolved out of the Aug. 18, 1993, abduction of Sara Anne Wood in rural Oneida County.

“The first ride was in Utica in response to Sara Anne Wood going missing,” explains Scheutzow. “A number of people rode with {her father} Bob Wood to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about the issue, and it created an energy around the issue. Meanwhile, John Walsh’s son Adam was murdered in Auburn {in 1981} and John became quite involved on a national level and was able to found the national center.”

Utica’s ride, while the first, is also the largest of the five that benefits the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. This year’s Utica ride attracted 450 riders, while Rochester’s had 318. “Last year we had about 60,” Scheutzow says. Syracuse’s ride actually was born in the Finger Lakes, and it operated there nine years until organizers decided to move it east.

“We recognized that the message that we have was being repeated in the same number of relatively small school districts and the Syracuse market was being underserved,” Scheutzow says. “So we made a big break, and Chris Arnold stepped in as the director.”

Arnold is the founder, organizer and race director of Paige’s Butterfly Run, three road races that benefit Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital. “My first thought was we should move the ride from Auburn toward Syracuse to bring it to a larger population area,” Arnold says, “with a larger population of students. We felt we’d be able to get more riders, too. So far, we have more people registered now than at the same time last year; we’re at 30.”

This year’s ride takes place the Friday after the Ironman 70.3 Syracuse triathlon with the goal of attracting some of those cyclists.

“Last year it was the Friday before the race, and we lost people because of that,” Scheutzow says.

Jersey corps: Like road races, charity bike rides often supply a distinctive top, like the Ride for the Rescue’s bright yellow version or the Ride for Missing Children’s spiffy pink number. Fancy top is not required, however (bottom, right), and neither is a pricey road bike. It’s all about raising funds for the cause.

The ride itself will cover 100 miles in one day; in cyclist parlance, that’s called a century ride. The route—a delicate dance between the needs of the cyclists and those of law enforcement—stops at five schools where cyclists will impart the message of Internet and stranger danger, take a break and grab a bite to eat. “Selecting the schools and creating the course go hand-in-hand,” says Arnold. The start/finish point was the first consideration—it’s the CNY Family Sports Centre near Radisson—and then the ride hits schools it hasn’t visited before.

The group, paced at no faster than 15 mph, will also ride by several schools. “It’s pretty dramatic,” says Ed Suk, executive director of the New York regional office, based in Rochester. “In addition to the schools we stop at, we add on seven others for ride-bys. We don’t actually stop, but we engage the kids and have them outside cheering the riders as they come through. The schools’ stops, when we pull in all the children are outside, cheering the riders, holding signs of support, and we reinforce the safety messages right there. We follow up the ride with some programs afterward.”

Ride for Missing Children organizers realize that biking 100 miles can feel a bit intimidating. That’s where the professionals come in.

Syracuse Bicycle is holding an event July 7 to inform potential riders about the ride and, more practically, how to prepare to bike 100 miles.

“Chris Arnold approached us to help with trying to recruit riders,” says Dugan, “realizing that many of them have not attempted to ride 100 miles. Well, if they start in July, they should be able to complete it pretty easily. Anybody who can currently ride 20 to 25 miles at a time can do this. There are a lot of stops along the way, and it’s a unique event that could convince some first-timers into giving it a try.”

Syracuse Bicycle’s training program requires participants to raise $300 for the cause and ride in at least two training rides, the series of which begin July 9. If you’re interested in participating, call Dugan at 446-6816.

“We are very specific about training people to ride in a group,” explains Arnold. “We ride in formation the entire ride, and everybody has to ride together.”

Adds Suk: “Riding two-by-two is symbolic of one of our messages, that children should be buddied up with each other at all times.”

The training rides take place out of the north end of Onondaga Lake Park; riders meet twice a week in the northern parking lot that’s just before the one-lane bridge on Longbranch Road, and there are informal weeknight rides as well. “Riders will be evaluated and essentially qualified to be able to ride,” Arnold says.

“We expect proper use of hand signals and calling out obstacles to fellow riders.”

Some of those obstacles result in flat tires or worse damage. That’s where The Bikery comes in. “Our main purpose is the mechanical end of it; that’s what we’re there for,” says Perrin. “If the bike breaks I can keep them rolling.”

Pedal Pushers

With more rides supporting different causes, sometimes it’s tough to know where to sign up. We can’t be everywhere and raise money for everything, and not everyone can ride 100 miles even with training rides. So instead of seeing all these rides as overwhelming, choose a cause for a specific reason. That’s what Brookins did when selecting the Tour de Cure.

“I have some immediate family members who have diabetes—a sister, brother-in-law and grandmother,” he says. “A lot of people get into benefit rides for something that touches them personally. For me, that hasn’t been cancer or AIDS issues, so this is something that has a direct impact on people I love.”

Brookins, a triathlete and former BMX biker, also appreciates that participating in the Tour de Cure helps combat diabetes, unlike other diseases. “The other reason I do this is it’s an event where you can actually help fight the cause directly,” he notes. “Going out and running at 10K is not going to stop you from getting AIDS or cancer. With diabetes, exercise is what is needed. You’re helping yourself keep healthy to prevent you from becoming diabetic.”

Hough agrees. “For people with diabetes, exercise is very important. I think that more people are riding bikes than before, and as our ridership has increased so has our income. You can be any level and still come out and participate.”

For dedicated volunteer Lis Conarton, her ride of choice is the Wanderers’ Ride, and she has participated in both of them. “I had never done a bike ride before,” says Conarton, a physical rehabilitation practitioner for pets. “Last year I borrowed a bike from a friend and trained a few weeks before the ride. I’m a runner, so I had already been in shape, but cycling is a whole different avenue. Still, it’s a lot easier than people think it is. Riding a bike, sure you push yourself up the hills, but you also have a lot of time to relax between the hills. And it’s mentally cleansing.”

All of the local charity rides recognize that not everyone who wants to help out is an athlete. That’s why many offer less-intense, shorter-distance spins. The Tour de Cure has rides of 15, 25, 40, 62 and 100 miles beginning and ending at Verona Beach State Park. In its sixth year at the Inner Harbor, the Ride for the Rescue likewise offers a family fun ride as well as distances of 10, 20, 40 and 62 miles.

“Ours is not a race,” says organizer Gina Stokes of the July 16 event. “Last year we had 530 riders, in 2009, there were 330 riders. As of June 15, we already have 286 riders registered. Last year we raised $168,000.” Activities take place throughout the day of the ride, including breakfast before and lunch after, children’s events, music and chair massages, “which are very important,” Stokes notes.

Perrin is impressed by the mojo the Ride for the Rescue brings with it. “The Rescue Mission ride draws the most attendance I’ve ever seen,” he says. “It’s well organized, too, with the short family rides and the longer ones. The people at the Rescue Mission are just fantastic anyway.” That money goes to support Rescue Mission initiatives of helping the homeless, while the ride’s relocation from Cazenovia to the Inner Harbor is symbolic as well.

“Locating race day at the Inner Harbor brings us back to our roots,” says Paul LaDolce, public relations director for the Rescue Mission. “We started in 1887 helping people who lived and worked along the Erie Canal.” There is still time to register for this ride too. “We consider the ride our signature fundraising event,” notes LaDolce. “It brings awareness, gets people out getting healthy and having fun for a great cause.”

Another upcoming charity ride is July 8 to 10, Pedal for Medals, which helps raise money for the Special Olympics. It com prises one-day rides of 10, 20 or 63 miles, or a three-day tour of the Finger Lakes of 180 miles. The one-day 63-miler happens to be the second leg of the three-day ride. The entire shebang concludes with a picnic dinner.

“This ride has taken off,” says Laurel Zarnosky, director of development for the Genesee Region of the Special Olympics, which includes Syracuse. “We’re seeing some growth from last year, when we raised $41,000; this year it’s looking like $50,000.” Monies raised go to support 50,000 developmentally disabled New York Special Olympians. “We don’t charge our athletes anything to participate in our programs,” Zarnosky says. “We fund all their needs in terms of training, site rentals, uniforms.”

At the end of the day, any of these rides is only as successful as the riders’ fundraising efforts and participation. It’s typical to feel a bit overwhelmed by both. All of the rides mentioned here provide money-raising advice as well as help with getting in the saddle and grinding out the miles. But it all comes down to each cyclist making a conscious decision to get on the bike and ride.

After all, once he had battled his cancer into submission, that’s exactly what Lance Armstrong did. 

Spokes People

While biking season has gotten into full gear (get it?) with some fundraising races already in the books, there are months to go yet with plenty of opportunities for cyclists to have fun, get some exercise and raise money for the cause of their choice. Following is a list of just a few of them.

While no central Internet location exists as a cleaning house for event information, word of mouth is mighty powerful as are the bulletin boards at local bike shops. Or check the Syracuse New Times calendar of events weekly—we will list the races for which we receive information. And if you are putting on a race and want to get the word out, email the information to: events@syracuse newtimes.com, and we’ll list it for you.

Pedal for Medals. Friday to Sunday, July 8 to 10. Benefiting the Special Olympics, this is two rides, a 180-miler built into three days, or a 10-, 20- or 63-mile ride on Saturday, July 9. The longer Saturday ride is the second leg of the 180-mile tour that starts and ends in Skaneateles. Friday and Saturday nights are spent at the Auburn Holiday Inn, and the rides Saturday and Sunday leave from there. Riders raise a minimum of $750 and the Special Olympics takes care of lodging and meals. For more information, visit 2011kintera/org/pedalformedals.

Ride for the Rescue. Saturday, July 16. This popular event features five rides— family fun, 10-mile, 20-mile, 40-mile and 62-mile—along with a virtual ride. Affordable registration fees of $15 through July 10 and $25 through ride day must accompany $100 minimum in pledges. All events begin and end at the Syracuse Inner Harbor, West Kirkpatrick Street. Visit www.rideforrescue.org for registration information.

Finger Lakes Challenge. Saturday to Sunday, July 30 to 31. Participants raise funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Upstate Chapter, based in Rochester, by riding 25 or 150 miles through the gorgeous western Finger Lakes. Cyclists of all levels will start and end at Keuka College in Penn Yan and will need to raise a minimum of $250 and pay a registration fee of $50. For more information, visit www.fingerlakeschallenge.org.

The Ride for Missing Children. Friday, Sept. 23. A 100-mile trek from Baldwinsville to Phoenix, North Syracuse, Syracuse, Liverpool and back, this ride will stop at five area schools to spread the word to schoolchildren about Internet dangers and remaining vigilant at all times. Beneficiary is the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, based in Rochester. Participants must raise a minimum of $300. www.rideformissingchildren.org.