Several hundred bicyclists are expected to stream out of Riverbank High School on Sunday, Oct. 9 for rides through the farmlands and grasslands to the Sierra Nevada foothills as part of the Riverbank Cheese & Wine Exposition.
By late September, sign ups were already under way and expected to top 350 by the day of the event, said organizer Dr. John Field of the Stanislaus County Bicycle Club. The website is stancobike.org.
The three routes of the Cheese & Wine Century Ride vary in length between 25 miles, 100 kilometers and 106 miles and offer rides for every skill level with maps issued at the start and the roads well marked along the way.
On the day of the event, registration starts at 6:15 a.m. at RHS and the riders leave between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., depending on the distance they plan to ride. The courses will close at 4:30 p.m.
Costs range from $40 to $60 when registration is within five days of the event.
The event is a fundraiser. Proceeds from the 2010 event went to benefit the Inter Faith Ministries, Triumph Fitness Program, Helmets for Kids and the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Riders can register online at action.org or by mail to Stanislaus County Bike Club, c/o John Field D.D.S., 817 Coffee Road, Suite A-2, Modesto, CA 95355. All the routes have multiple rest stops supplied with fruit, snacks and homemade cookies. The 106 mile and 100 kilometer riders will be treated to a full lunch stop midway through the day. All riders will enjoy a barbecued chicken and pasta meal when they finish the course at RHS.
Riders will also be supported by a radio-dispatched group provided by Stanislaus Amateur Radio Association so nobody gets lost or left behind.