Greetings fellow Oak Lawnians!
Bike Psychos Cycling Club, a non-profit group based in Oak Lawn, hosted its Century XXXIII bike ride on Aug. 20.
It is a great group. I should know. I have been a member for three years. But I didn’t participate in this year’s main ride.
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The recent annual Century ride, which kicked off from Coal City High School, 655 W. Division St. in Coal City, is now in its 33rd year.
They don’t hold the ride in Oak Lawn because there is too much traffic. Coal City is safer for bike riders.
Bike Psychos President Deanna Sandei said about 100 people had preregistered for the ride but participants also could register on event day.
Riders chose from The Century five different rides: 30, 50, 64, 100 and 124 miles. The rides kicked off between 6:30-10:30 a.m. and were open to everyone, including non-club members.
There were a few changes and tweaks for this year’s Century event, but the route generally stayed the same as in past years.
The ride has always taken place the third Sunday in August, but this year’s ride took place on a Saturday.
“Quite a few people asked to have it on a Saturday, so we’re excited to see everybody out there,” Sandei said.
Over their 33 years hosting the Century, the Club has had anywhere from 350 to 800 attendees.
“We also have new road mapping with arrows,” Sandei said. “The arrows are yellow, green, orange and pink and they’re biodegradable. There is some construction, so we had to slightly reroute.”
The Century route is very scenic with rolling hills so riders can enjoy a great ride while enjoying nature at the same time.
All five distance rides are popular and the number of participants in each ride varies.
“It does vary for everybody and it depends on the condition people are in,” Sandei said. “The Boy Scouts do it to earn their Merit badges. A couple years ago, we had a gentlemen in his 70s who did 100 miles.”
The weather also is a big factor in turnout and having a successful event.
“It just varies depending on the weather,” Sandei said. “Last year, it was very hot and there were people who still did 100 miles, but some people decided not to.”
The ride proceeds rain or shine, so there’s always people who wait to find out what the weather will be and then sign up the day of the ride.
Although this year’s ride took place on a rainy day, even the heavy rains didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.
There was still a good turnout for the event and quite a few riders came prepared and wore ponchos.
“It rained on and off all day and we had our downpours,” Sandei said. “We’d get wet, then dry and then get wet again.”
As you can imagine, hosting a successful ride requires a lot of teamwork and lots of volunteers.
“We need lots of volunteers — a minimum of 25,” Sandei said.
Volunteers are needed to organize the ride for Support and Gear (“SAG”) stops, which are stationed throughout the route and to assist riders with medical or mechanical issues, as well as to provide beverages, food and snacks and assistance at designated rest stops. After 4:30, there’s no support staff, so it was important that all the riders are finished by then.
Safety is the number one priority in the Century ride, so participants had to wear helmets.
“Safety in rural areas is very important and we always follow the rules of the road,” Sandei said.
The ride has become a tradition for many attendees. It has remained popular for not only bike enthusiasts, but also for families and people who just enjoy a nice bike ride.
“We always get great reviews on our rides,” Sandei said. “Everybody loves the ride. Everybody loves the Century.”
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For Bike Psychos membership information, visit www.bikepsychos.net or call (708) 220-2769. Club members meet at 7:00 p.m. on the first Monday of the months of March through November.
Here’s this week’s celebrity announcements: Happy birthday to Teddy LoScuito, who’s turning 2, from his parents, Frank and Carolyn, and their family. Happy 11th birthday to Sarah Kelly, from her parents, Esperanza and Bruce. Dylan Zwartz’s family wish him a happy 15th birthday. Happy 16th birthday to Jacob Ellis, from his parents, Cori and Ian. Birthday wishes also go out to Ian Ellis.
Birthday wishes go out to John Neubauer, who’s turning 19, from his parents, John and Sharon. Happy birthday to Barry Biondic, who’s turning 19, from his parents, Mary and Matt, and family. Happy 19th birthday to Peter Michael Ruane, from his parents and Katie, Kellie and Kimmie. Happy birthday to Raymond Vaselenko, who’s turning 19, from his parents, Grace and Ray, and family. Birthday wishes go out to Dominic Dellorto from his family. Happy 20th birthday to Paul Harris, from his family. Carol and Lou Opitz send their grandson, Jonathan Metelski, a happy birthday as he turns 20. Pam and Ken Hansen wish their daughter, Mandy a happy birthday as she turns 32.
Birthday wishes go out to John Ruzich, who’s turning 34. Linda Weigand’s family wish her a happy birthday. Birthday wishes go out to Sharon Peterson from her family and Ella. Happy birthday to Barb Ziemba, from her family. Happy birthday to Mary Joanne Ruane and John Ruane from their family. Happy birthday to Bill Leise, who’s turning 66, from his wife, Janice, and daughters Karen and Rachel.
Anniversary wishes go out to Erik and Carla Martin, as they celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary.
Keep your fellow Oak Lawnians informed about birthdays, special events or special “stuff” going on with your family or within the community. Call me at (708) 899-9544 or e-mail me at the address above.
Until next time…