Photo by Flickr user Tania Cataldo.
Whether you're a pro or a weekend pedaler, this is a shaping up to be a banner weekend for cycling in the Catskills.
On Saturday, riders of all levels can enjoy the Catskills Ride-N-Peak, a leisurely (and charity-oriented) pedal through anywhere from 10 to 100 miles of gorgeous Delaware and Ulster County scenery in the company of fellow cyclists.
If you're more of a competitive type, you can tackle the Great Catskill Divide Road Race on Sunday: a 33-mile, USA Cycling-sanctioned race that traverses just about every kind of terrain the Catskills have to offer, including flat-paved stretches, gnarly dirt-road climbs, and descents through remote stretches of Catskill Park.
Just to sweeten the deal for both rides, a long stretch of Route 28 got a bike-friendly repaving last year, transforming it from a crumbling roadway of terror to a biker's dream with wide, lusciously smooth shoulders.
This year, for the first time, both events will be combined in a single weekend. To get the scoop on the coming bike-stravaganza, we spoke to Mike Wentland, the organizer of the Great Catskill Divide race. Mike also runs the Catskills Cycling blog, and is a big advocate for cycling in the central Catskills. (He's currently the force behind a drive to get the state Department of Transportation to paint bicycle symbols on the newly-restored Route 28, to increase the safety and visibility of bikers on the road.)
Watershed Post: So tell us about the weekend. This is the first year the two events are being held back-to-back, right?
Mike Wentland: Yes. The whole philosophy of it is that if somebody's racing, their whole family isn't necessarily racing with them. But with the whole weekend, there's something for everybody. This is a great way for families to suport each other while enjoying the wild world of cycling.
WP: Think the weather will hold up?
MW: The good thing about racers is that a lot of them are pretty die-hard. But Saturday, for the Ride-N-Peak, the weather's looking pretty good.
WP: What does it take to organize a race like this?
MW: It is a big undertaking to put something like this together. It requires a lot of volunteer effort, it requires a lot of coordination from [USA Cycling]. We sat down and formed a club with the MARK Project, the Catskill Mountain Velo Club. In order to apply for a USAC-sanctioned event, you have to be a club. I don't get paid to do this at all, I have a real job. This is a labor of love for me.
WP: You've got some pretty hardcore dirt roads on the course, right?
MW: [Laughs.] What do you mean, hardcore?
WP: Well -- hey, you're the expert. You tell us about the dirt factor.
MW: Anyone can ride Route 28. It's our back roads that are special. And dirt is not a bad thing. Road bikes were made for dirt -- most people forget that. Before paved roads, we only had dirt roads. Yes, bikes have evolved into amazing machines, but some of those design standards that make bikes strong enough to ride dirt roads, they haven't been thrown out the window. They're probably even better on dirt than the bikes they had back then.
WP: People talk about cycling having a positive impact on the local economy. What do you think?
MW: Let's just make this clear. Any advocate of anything -- cycling, racing, antique car shows, corner picnics -- thye're going to bring to the table the benefits of what it can do for the community. After awhile, we get a little numb to that, because we see these things come and go. It's hard to quantify it. I don't want to delude anyone by saying we're all going to become stupid rich because of a road race.
But let me tell you. From the Catskills Cycling blog, I get emails from tourists, people with panniers, constantly asking about "where's a good place to eat, where's a good place to stay?"
We spend so much time and energy in the Catskills on the arts. And I love that. We also spend a lot of time and energy on an older tourist population. But we spend very little time marketing true recreation. When it comes down to events, it becomes a little sparse. And that's unfortunate, because we have some really great assets, we just have to work together to make it happen.
WP: You'll be busy officiating on Sunday, right? It must be a bummer not to be able to compete in your own race.
MW: It really is. I have to tell you, it's the absolute worst part. But at the same time, it's really exciting to hear the joy that everybody else is getting out of it.
Catskills Ride-n-Peak, Saturday, August 20. Starting at 8am at the Margaretville Pavilion Park, Margaretville. Registration $35. For more information, see our event page, or call 845-586-3300.
Great Catskill Divide Road Race, Sunday, August 21. Big Indian. For more information, see the event signup page on bikereg.com.
