Tour the Montour fundraiser goes virtual, but you still can ride it
Like so many other events, the Tour the Montour bicycle ride and fundraiser for the Montour Trail is going virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 18th annual group ride on the popular rail trail, which had 500 participants last year, was scheduled for September.
There still is a real-life bicycling component: Through August and September, bicyclists are encouraged to ride the mileage that they would have ridden — 6 miles (the family fun ride), 12 miles, 15-24 miles, 44 miles and 62 miles (a metric century).
“Any mileage. Any time,” Tour the Montour director Patricia
Friedsam says in a news release. “As many stages as you want or all in one bike ride.”
You can do it on the Montour Trail (montourtrail.org) or anywhere else, alone or with friends, as long as you stay 6 feet apart.
“Use a stationary bike if you choose,” says Ms. Friedsam. “Just celebrate the fact that in the midst of a pandemic we can still be outdoors.”
Registered participants will receive a commemorative T-shirt and a chance to win prizes, including a two-night stay at Seven Springs Mountain Resort and a cycling kit from Aero Tech Designs.
The cost to register is $25, $15 for children up to age 12, at www.bikereg.com/tour-the -montour-trail-ride.
There are now more than 60 miles of completed trail west and south of Pittsburgh, from Coraopolis to Clairton, including a 46mile contiguous section. Named Pennsylvania’s Trail of the Year in 2017, it is to eventually become part of the coast-to-coast Great American Rail-Trail.
On Sept. 13-19, signs will be posted along the trail to mark official tour out-and-back distances.
Riders are encouraged to post photos and descriptions of their rides on the Montour Trail Enthusiasts Facebook group.