Press-Republican

Local News

Related Photos

  • Staff Photo/Michael Betts

    images_sizedimage_257001524

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
comments powered by Disqus
September 13, 2008

Second-annual Century Ride takes place Sunday

'We'd like to get to the point where there's 1,000 people riding'

By MICHELLE BESAW

PLATTSBURGH -- Amid the bang of muskets and the sounds of music, people will don brightly colored jerseys and mount their bicycles Sunday for the second-annual Century Ride.

As part of the Battle of Plattsburgh festivities, the scenic bike ride will again pull people from all over the state, country and Canada to pedal through the North Country's towering mountains and sparkling lakes.

SCENERY A DRAW

Founders and organizers Tom Gerner and Tracy Gryger, who also head the area's Adirondack Cycling Team, say the road conditions entice people to take part in rides through the North Country.

The diverse scenery is also an attraction to riders, Gerner added.

But it's not just the cosmetic appeal bringing people together. While the mountain and lake views are perks, Gerner and Gryger agree that the ride attracts tourists and provides healthy activity and social opportunities, all right here.

Since Gryger started biking again four years ago, she has found she has more energy and is enjoying the outdoors.

And Gerner said many of his closest friends have developed from riding.

"People who ride bikes are generally just nice folks," he said.

With help from additional organizers, Gerner and Gryger will actually get to take part in the ride this year, one of the only differences from last year's event.

The route is essentially the same, Gerner said. The only real change is that century riders and half-century riders (56 miles) will start at the same time, instead of the hour delay they had last year.

"It's more exciting to see a bigger crowd start off," Gryger said.

RANGE OF AGES

The ride begins at 8 a.m. at U.S. Oval and continues through Plattsburgh, Rouses Point, Ellenburg, along Chazy Lake Road and back around the Old Base to Plattsburgh.

Gerner says the slowest point will be up Plank Road.

But "the toughest part is getting back on the bike after the rest stop," he joked.

As of Thursday, 64 people, ages 12 to their 70s, had registered, about 30 more than this time last year.

Many people, Gerner said, wait until the day before to sign up, often to have a better idea of the weather. Last year, 113 people ended up riding.

"We're able to pick a route where people aren't encountered with a lot of cars," Gerner said. "Our theory is, we have this wonderful infrastructure of roads that aren't used as much."

Interested participants can register up to an hour before the ride commences. The cost is $35.

"We'd like to get to the point where there's 1,000 people riding," Gerner said.

SUPPORT

Gryger said she has had phone calls from people in Montreal, Saranac Lake, Massachusetts and even a man from Georgia.

"The awareness is out there from the club."

And Tom agrees. "Rides are routinely twice as well attended as last year," he said, adding that even more women are picking up the sport.

"We've got a credibility this year that we didn't have last year," Gerner said. But "it (the century ride) wouldn't be possible without volunteers and sponsors."

Both Gryger and Gerner said they're happy with the local support, especially from Patrick Achey from Microtel Inns & Suites, who sees great potential in the Century Ride.

"The real reason we do it is to ride," Gryger said, smiling.

"We don't want to ignore the selfish component," Tom joked.

mbesaw@pressrepublican.com

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Local News

Recent Article Comments
Albany Round-up

Photo of the Day
Strange News
Videos: Editor Picks
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48 Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48 Maine GOP Chairman Says Romney Wins Caucuses Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion' 5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La. Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal $25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses