Cyclists started at Ingersoll Rand on Beaty Street in Davidson and turned here onto North Main Street. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Updated Sunday, 8 p.m.
About 425 cyclists – young and old, men and women, on road bikes and recumbent bikes – braved freezing temperatures Saturday morning at the 2012 Polar Bear Ride. The annual event is organized by the Rocky River Road Club and includes 100-kilometer and 50-kilometer rides through the countryside of Mecklenburg, Iredell, Rowan and Cabarrus counties.

The ride raised about $5,500 for the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson, a regional community services center with free health and dental clinics, a food pantry, an after-school program and other social services.

Both rides started and finished at Ingersoll-Rand, off Beaty Street in Davidson.

“It was perfect weather for it, at this time of year,” said organizer Jim Mead, of the Rocky River Road Club. He said 58 members of the club volunteered for the day, providing support along the route and helping out at the start/finish.

Riders came from as far away as Illinois, West Virginia, Virginia and Texas. They included elite riders tuning up before the start of the racing season in a few weeks, Mr. Mead said.

While most riders enjoyed a nice ride in the countryside Saturday, those elite riders were riding hard. They average 23 mph over the 60 miles, he said.

More information about the ride or the club is at www.RockyRiverRoadClub.org.
GALLERY

See a gallery of photos from the ride by Ron Donson, http://www.donsonphoto.com/

This wasn't the only recumbent bike in the ride. Is that Davidson's Bill Giduz? (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Hot chocolate before the ride. Click image to see a slideshow of Ron's photos. (Ron Donson photo)

Hundreds of cyclists are expected for Lake Norman’s 14th annual Polar Bear Ride on Saturday, Jan. 14, in Davidson. The Rocky River Road Club sponsors the half and full metric century bicycle rides through the North Mecklenburg/Lake Norman area, as a fundraiser for Davidson’s Ada Jenkins Center. Read the full story and find out how to register in HEALTH & FITNESS»

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

The N.C. Department of Transportation says repaving could begin soon on major roads across Mecklenburg County, including Grey and Davidson-Concord roads in Davidson and several back roads in Huntersville. Meanwhile, state engineers also are planning a resurfacing of N.C. 115 in north Mecklenburg, and Davidson officials and cycling advocates are lobbying for a road design that accommodates bicycles. Read the full story

Map shows the general route of the proposed extension of the Kincaid Greenway. Click to download a PDF.

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Davidson and Mooresville are among 13 area counties and towns receiving grants this week to continue planning and building the Carolina Thread Trail, a 15-county network of trails, greenways and conservation corridors in North and South Carolina. The grants, totaling $689,240 and covering 38 miles of trails, were announced Monday by the Carolina Thread Trail Governing Board.

Davidson applied for and received $27,640 to acquire land or rights-of-way to extend the Kincaid Greenway about one-half mile. The extension would cross South Street near Davidson Elementary School, run west of McEver Fields and north to Spring Street, along an existing utility right of way and local streets. Read the full story

Cyclists pedaled on Concord Road toward the Green near the end of the Ride for Hope & Housing (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

More than 200 bicyclists hit the roads around Mecklenburg, Iredell and Rowan counties Saturday morning for 50-kilometer and 100-kilometer rides to raise money for the affordable housing efforts of Davidson Housing Coalition.  The annual ride, and accompanying Festival for Hope & Housing on the Village Green, brought in more than $26,000 for the DHC, organizers said.

The ridership and income were up this year from a year ago, according to event director Emily Lytle. “I think it was an incredible year for us, especially after the economy of last year. Our sponsors really supported us this year,” she said. Read the full story

The Spirited Cyclist has opened at 129 N. Main, next to Cats on Main. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

After a reception Friday night with friends and family, The Spirited Cyclist opened its downtown Davidson shop on Saturday morning. The new shop is at 129 N. Main St., next to Cats on Main.

The shop is the third for Spirited Cyclist owners Ty Burns and Cathy Green Burns, of the River Run neighborhood, joining shops in Huntersville and Mooresville. Mr. Burns says the shop will aim for a wide market, selling everything from $100 children’s bikes to $12,000 Pinarello road bikes that you might see in the Tour de France. Read the full story

The triathlon begins at 7 a.m. Saturday and will affect traffic in Davidson and Cornelius. Click image to download a map.

Hundreds of athletes from around the country will be in town this weekend for the annual Lake Norman YMCA Triathlon. The Saturday morning event will include a swim in Lake Cornelius, and biking and running on routes through the Davidson and Cornelius area.

The triathlon is the Lake Norman YMCA’s biggest annual fund-raiser, benefiting the Community Support Campaign.
Read the full story

Mountain bikers were out in big numbers Wednesday at Davidson’s Fisher Farm Park for the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series, hosted in part by Tarheel Trailblazers. Photos and more info in Health & Fitness, CLICK HERE »