The Brushy Mountain Cyclists Club's eleventh annual Rides Around Wilkes (RAW) road cycling event Saturday, May 8th was a rousing success, organizers say.

2004 RAW Riders

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"The 2004 RAW was the best ever, thanks to the hard work of ride director Steve Britton, the great weather and all our wonderful participants," said BMCC president Dwight Levi.

RAW ridership hit an all-time high in 2004, up more than 50 percent from the 2003 event, the next most popular RAW. This year's event drew a record 178 riders to the back roads of the Brushy Mountains, ride director Steve Britton reported.

Bright sunshine and temperatures topping out in the mid-80s helped lure cyclists from across the region to the ride. Riders came from as far away as Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Britton said.

Over three quarters of the riders chose the 70-mile route, and all but four of them finished without assistance, Britton said.

Wilkes County native Charlie Pendry was the fastest rider on the 70-mile route, finishing in 3:07 for an average speed of nearly 23 m.p.h. over the hilly course. The last riders to master the 4,300 feet of hills came in over three hours later. "They were a married couple who didn't want their names publicized," Britton said. "They said it was the longest bike ride they'd ever attempted."

The ride finished with no major mishaps, event organizers report. Boone biker Gary Dowd received some minor abrasions when he slid on a sharp curve, but finished the event in good form, Britton said.

The RAW's youngest rider didn't break a sweat. Young Cedric Clyburn enjoyed the view from his bike trailer as his parents Kip Clyburn and Anne Bringuier did all the work, pulling him over 70 miles with their tandem bicycle. The fit couple from Taylorsville didn't look winded as they topped the steep climb at Windy Gap, Cedric in tow.

"We're thankful for the many great cyclists who came out to ride in the RAW this year," Britton said. "I am also grateful for the support provided by our many volunteers."

The RAW gave a boost to the Wilkes Friends of the Library organization, as $400 of the proceeds from the event went to benefit the Friends and their efforts to support the Wilkes County Public Library. Friends of the Library volunteers staffed the RAW's four rest stops. Members of the Basic Skills Department of Wilkes Community College handled registration for the event as part of their "Race for Literacy" campaign.

A dozen BMCC members assisted Britton in taking care of cyclists at the start/finish site and in patrolling the event's three routes.

The RAW will return in May 2005, but area cyclists won't have to wait a year for an excuse to return to Wilkes. The Brushy Mountain Cyclists Club has three more cycling events coming up in the next four months, Levi said.

Memorial Day weekend, BMCC will host the Burn 24-Hour Challenge, a round-the-clock mountain bike race at Kerr Scott Lake's Dark Mountain Trails. BMCC spearheaded the development of six miles of biking trails at Dark Mountain.

In August, the club will stage the first annual Hurt, Pain and Agony ride, a metric century road ride originating in Traphill. Matt Daye is heading up this ride, which will be an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event. Details will be posted at the BMCC website soon.

And in September, BMCC will sponsor the third annual Rollin' Round the River Ride, a benefit for the Wilkes Special Olympics cycling team.

The peloton takes off from Cornerstone Church	Sweet relief: The descent off Brushy Mountain
Look out, Goliath! Giant slingshot in Iredell County	Stand and deliver: Powering up the mountain
Passing a peaceful pond in Alexander County	The Rocky River riders near Mountain View Church
A paceline powers along	All smiles at the top of Windy Gap