Seattle Bicycle Club Staging Ride At Lake Chelan This Weekend
The Lake Chelan Tour Lite bike ride is being staged this weekend by the Seattle based nonprofit Cascade Bicycle Club.
There are 127 cyclists registered for the three-day tour (Friday through Sunday), which includes rides on state and county roads on the lake's north side.
Paul Tolme with Cascade Bicycle says the Lake Chelan Tour is one of 16 annual community rides they put on between February and October.
"We really like bringing bike tours to communities around the state, so that communities like Chelan benefit from the extra tourism dollars," said Tolme. "And it helps Washington residents see more beautiful locations across Washington."
Chelan County Public Works is reminding drivers to be on the lookout for cyclists they'll be sharing the road with this weekend at Lake Chelan. Cascade Bicycle also puts up signs along the roadways advising drivers of the cyclists’ presence.
Each day is a different course. Multiple route distances will be offered, ranging from 37 miles with an elevation gain of 2,800 feet to 56 miles with 5,000 feet of climbing. The rides include scheduled food stops.
They cover much of the route used for the Lake Chelan Century Challenge held in late summer, including the signature climb up McNeil Canyon, according to Cascade Bicycle.
Day 1 is a Manson Loop; day 2 is in Chelan/McNeil Canyon area; and day 3 is a Knapp Hill/Navarre Coulee/25 Mile Creek Loop.
The nonprofit has support vehicles that can transport riders and most models of bikes if there's a mechanical or minor medical event.
Cascade Bicycle arranged for Campbell's Resort to be its official host for the ride, which starts each day at the close by Don Morse Memorial Park.
Gatherings will be held during the evening hours at restaurants, bars and tasting rooms in downtown Chelan.
The nonprofit also organizes six community rides in the state as well as its signature (STP) Seattle to Portland ride, which draws 6,000 cyclists for a 200-mile tour.
This year’s event in July is known as the Kaiser Permanente Seattle to Portland Presented by Alaska Airlines.
Tolme says the proceeds generated from the rides after expenses go toward Cascade Bicycle Club's advocacy work.
"That includes programs that teach adults and kids how to ride bikes, and also our efforts to work with policy makers to make more bike lanes, get more funding for safe routes to schools and things like that."
Find out more about Cascade Bicycle Club and this weekend’s ride in Lake Chelan here.