Pedal for the Parks draws 500 cyclists

Pedal for the Parks was a 508 rider victory lap to celebrate State Parks Centennial.

The ride, from Beaver Island, included an easy Grand Island-only loop as well as a 34 and 64 mile loops.

Riders rode the West River Parkway bike trail to the south north Grand Island Bridge which gave the easy access to LaSalle Waterfront Park and the shoreline path past the old Hooker docks and through the main part of the park.

I did the 34-mile ride trying to minimize battery use and including two brief stops finished in 2:30 meaning I maintained about 15 mph while riding.

Before the ride took off, coffee and snacks were offered from Starbucks served by Mary Nadeau of Niagara Falls.

I had a nice chat with Brian Archie as well who seems to be the voice of reason on the Niagara Falls council these days.

The biking community I know from Clarence market rides we started several years ago to Slow Roll and Slow Spokes was there in force for the ride.

State Parks Spokesperson Angela Berti said she hoped for at least 500 riders and was happy to get it. As for whether this could be an annual thing, Berti would only say “we’ll see.”

I rode in mid-gear with the power assist on the lowest of 3 settings through the first half of the ride to the turnaround a mile past the aquarium. Outside Great Lakes 360, Dani Goldthwait was set up with educational materials for anyone interested.

Sponsors included State Parks, Fashion Outlets, The Thruway Authority, Wegmans, Starbucks, Tom’s Pro Bike, SASI and Hard Rock Niagara Falls.