Regional bicyclist alliance rides to victory
Bikers throughout the region went the distance as part of a national challenge. From May 1 until Labor Day, members of the South Coast Bikeway Alliance collectively rode 87,000 miles – or the equivalent or circling the globe three and a half times.
The 112 participants in the South Coast Summer Bike Challenge, now in its second year, spent the summer tracking miles in an attempt to compete against each other, against other teams in Massachusetts and against similar groups nationwide. The South Coast Bikeway Alliance accounts for 14 towns in the region, from Swansea to Wareham.
On Sept. 19, during a ceremony held at the Dartmouth YMCA, the results were in. The alliance placed first out of the 32 teams in the Commonwealth. The group also placed 25th out of 1,945 teams nationwide.
This year’s regional champions were both residents of Mattapoisett. Lisa Winsor was the top female finisher with 2,358 miles, and Marc Anderson led the men with 4,335 miles. Had he traveled West, then South, Anderson could have pedaled to Costa Rica.
Nancy Bonell, chief operations officer for YMCA South Coast, was the top female finisher in Wareham. She rode 323 miles during the challenge. Bonell said that once a week, she’ll commute to New Bedford by bike. She begins by driving her car to a bike trail in Mattapoisett and pedals her way to her office.
“It’s about 7 miles one way,” said Bonell. “If I didn’t need my car to travel, I’d love to do it every day. It’s so refreshing to ride in.”
The top male finisher in Wareham was Arch Williams with 914 miles.
Beyond the regional, state and national challenge, alliance members hope their efforts will raise awareness that South Coast residents care about biking.
“We’re trying to promote the construction of more bicycle paths, more signage on roadways and bike lanes to make it safer,” said Bob Espindola, president of the South Coast Bikeway Alliance.
“Doing this challenge helps motivate people to get on their bike. The more people that are on their bikes, the more support we’ll get when we’re trying to advocate for new bike paths,” he said.
