500 ride Up the Creek

Cyclists in the annual bike ride range from pre-teens to 82.

Close to 500 riders participated in the 28th annual Up the Creek bike rides that started from the Town Green in Rome on Saturday.

Julie Smith, president of Trails for Recreation and Economic Development, which spon- sored the event, said she was a little disappointed that the ride day registrations weren’t better than they were, but said she was very happy overall with the turnout.

Christopher Sosebee who operates a bike park in White, north of Cartersville, said he has been riding bikes his whole life but this was his first opportunity to ride in the Up the Creek event. He took the 32-mile route.

“When you’re on a bike and your blood is flowing and your brain is clicking and you know you don’t have anything else to do so your mind is kind of clear,” he said, “You start thinking about life and what’s really important, it’s just real good clarity to do this. If you do this every week you get to reflect on everything that is going on in your life and you make little alterations.”

Melissa Millen from Atlanta also rode the 32-miler and said she enjoyed the scenery and fellowship with other riders from all over the country.

“The roads were great,” Millen said.

Randy Parker and Brad Currens, both from Atlanta, completed to 104-mile

route in about five hours. He praised the event and how it was organized.

“These were the best roads, the best organized event I’ve been to,” Parker said. “Last year I regretted not being prepared to explore the city a little. I’m going to get a shower and explore the city a little bit,” Parker said.

Currens said he has done century rides all over the state and said the roads in the Up the Creek ride were among the best on which he’s ridden.

Daniel Kelly from Conyers convinced his grandson Hayden Hayes, 12, also from Conyers, to ride the 53-mile route with him this year.

“It was fun,” Hayes said. I got an awful lot of sun though.” His grandfather said he didn’t think the last 10 miles were the easiest for the youngster. “He held up better than I thought he would,” Kelly said.

People came from as far away as Wisconsin, New York and Colorado for the event.

One person actually registered from Mexico but was a no-show.

Smith said riders told her things that set Up the Creek apart from many other events and keeps them coming back to Rome include the setting in the foothills of Northwest Georgia and the number of support and gear stops, including the strawberry farm on Old Dalton Road.

Steven Eckhoff / RN-T A pack of riders head back on Old Dalton Road on Saturday during this year’s Up the Creek without a Pedal cycling event.

Doug Walker / RN-T Randy Parker (left) and Brad Currens completed the 104-mile Up the Creek route in about five hours Saturday. Parker said he couldn’t wait to get showered and check out downtown Rome.

Julie Smith

Steven Eckhoff / RN-T Riders make their way down Broad Street at the start of this year’s Up the Creek event early Saturday morning. From downtown, riders would make their way out on Old Dalton Road and split off onto various courses before returning back to the Town Green.

Doug Walker / RN-T Daniel Kelly (left) and his grandson Hayden Hayes, 12, both from Conyers, dig into lunch Saturday after completing the 53-mile Up the Creek cycling route from Rome.