On Saturday, bicyclists from as far away as South Africa and Staten Island, New York, participated in the sixth annual Cycle Martha’s Vineyard ride around the Island in either a 50- or 100-kilometer ride. They were joined by many Vineyard riders.
Some cyclists treated this as a race, pushing themselves to the test, while others took their time. And there were volunteers like Bill Brown of Vineyard Haven, one of the “sweepers” that drove around the Island, providing supplies for the cyclists, like bandages, a tire pump, or tire tubes. There were a total of four flat tires.
Wet weather makes bike tires more apt to become flat because all the sand and grit sticks to the tires, creating holes and getting in between the rim and the rubber. There was some concern about how the weather would hold up, but at 9:45 am, the ride began.
Both rides started at the Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs, but the 50K started about an hour later so that all the cyclists would finish at roughly the same time. There were 178 riders, the most people Cycle Martha’s Vineyard has seen so far. These amazing people cycled through traffic on roads from Oak Bluffs, through Edgartown, West Tisbury, Chilmark and up to the Gay Head Cliffs.
One woman from the Boston area in the 100K, said, “The whole ride became worthwhile when I hit Middle Road, and then the cliffs. This Island is the most beautiful place I’ve seen in a long time.”
Once back at the Portuguese American Club they were greeted by the band Good Night Louise, and a pig roast which awaited them. John Rankow was the man in charge of organizing the roast. The pig weighed in at about 170 pounds, just enough to feed the ravenous cyclists.
The Rotary Club of Martha’s Vineyard has sponsored Cycle Martha’s Vineyard for the past six years. This year, Rotary raised more than $16,000, a new record. The proceeds will benefit the Save The Gay Head Lighthouse campaign and Rotary charities. Many Rotarians, including sweepers Bill Brown, Jim Chirgwin, and Jim Joyce helped organize the ride. Rotarians also manned rest stops that supplied water and healthy snacks. The efforts of all these wonderful people are what made this year’s Cycle MV an immense success.
Jade Correll, 14, of Edgartown attends the eighth grade at the Oak Bluffs School.