Tandem-riding bicyclists from across the state here
~by Chuck Offenburger
Members of the tandem bicycle riding group “PIGS” — the “Paired Iowans Going Somewhere” — had such a good time last year when they had their annual summertime rally in Jefferson on the Raccoon River Valley Trail, they’re returning this weekend for their 20th yearly gathering.
They come from across the state, and about 25 tandem teams are expected. They will begin arriving in Jefferson on Friday, Aug. 8, with rides and other activities scheduled that evening, all day Saturday, Aug. 9, and Sunday morning, Aug. 10.
Hosting the group in Jefferson are members of the Cyclists Of Greene local bike club and All Ability Cycles bike shop. Many will be camping at the RRVT’s Trailhead Campground in Jefferson, or at the adjacent Greene County Fairgrounds. Their unofficial headquarters will be at the Jefferson depot at the RRVT trailhead.
Other cyclists are invited to join the tandem riders for all activities except their Saturday night banquet, which will be private.
On Friday evening, the PIGS and others will be given a bicycling tour of Jefferson, led by Greene Countians Chuck and Carla Offenburger. That ride will start at 7 pm at All Ability Cycles, on the southeast corner of the courthouse square, and return about 45 minutes later for an ice cream reception at the Rotary Pavilion in the new Thomas Jefferson Gardens of Greene County, which are also at the southeast corner of the square. Ice cream will be from Homestead bakery and coffeehouse, across the street.
Saturday morning’s rides are going to start at 8:30 am at the depot. Riders will have their choices of how far they want to go on the RRVT, ranging up to a full loop of the RRVT (a 96-mile round-trip), or shorter rides to Panora or Redfield, then returning. The Saturday night banquet will feature the culinary work of gourmet chefs Tony Pille and Chris Place, with serving planned for the outdoor plaza at the depot. PIGS members Ruth and David Christ are scheduled to do a program on their tandem bicycling in Norway.
On Sunday morning, the tandem riders and others will gather on the plaza on the south side of the courthouse, next to the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. At 9 am, they will begin a ride to Scranton for a community breakfast scheduled at the Scranton Community Building. Again, that ride is open to all who are interested in pedaling with the group, and the full breakfast is Dutch treat.
Since the major construction was completed on the RRVT and its reputation has grown, increasing numbers of groups have used the trail system for outings much like the PIGS are doing. Numbers of people in the groups have ranged from a couple dozen in church and school groups, up to the 2,200 runners who participated in the “Market to Market Relay/Iowa” in early May and the 3,000 registered bicyclists who took part in the “BACooN RIDE” in late June.
