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Cyclists hit road for YMCA
Regan Hill photo
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Published: June 14, 2009
Steve Byrd didn't expect to make it back from the 34-mile bicycle ride quickly.
As he departed on the YMCA's "Y-not for Kids Ride," he expected other riders to pass him.
"I'm a lollygagger," he said. "I get out there and do 13 miles an hour."
The annual ride, which raises around $3,500 the YMCA of Iredell County's Open Doors program, attracted more than 80 cyclists on Saturday. The financial assistance program allows the Y to offer membership fees based on a sliding scale, which makes the nonprofit's facilities and services accessible to everyone.
The money raised on Saturday will go toward the summer programs, said Nat Auten, the Y's sports director.
"Every little bit helps," Auten said.
The Y provides more than $250,000 in financial assistance annually, Auten said.
The ride not only promoted the Open Doors program, but one of the YMCA's core values: wellness.
Riders had a choice of three different routes: a 10-mile fun ride, 34-mile ride and a 67-mile ride, with an optional Brushy Mountain climb.
"It fit well with my training program," Statesville resident Chris Brown said after completing the 34-mile ride. "It was a good ride. It's pretty hilly in spots."
Brown, who rides his bike three to four times a week, said people of all shapes and sizes were a part of the ride, and everyone seemed to have fun.
Statesville resident Phil Gonwa was riding a recumbent, which set him apart from the crowd on the 34-mile tour.
"There aren't too many of them around," he said.
The seat of the bike is reclined backward slightly, but don't let that fool you into thinking operating the bike is easy, Gonwa said. A rider has to start off with power strokes and get the bike up to 6 mph in order to remain steady.
Gonwa said he got a pretty good workout climbing the hills Saturday. When it was time to go back down, on the other hand, he was asking his fellow bikers to get out of the way — and quickly.
"It's pretty fast on the hills," he said. "I like to get out and ride. Half of the route is what I do anyway."
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