Sixth Annual Tour de TART Bike Ride to Benefit Local Trails

Sun, Jun  25, 2006 - By Missy Luyk

Celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Leelanau Trail by joining us for the 6th Annual Tour de TART event on Friday, July 28. A leisurely, one-way bike ride on the TART and Leelanau Trails from Traverse City to Suttons Bay, the Tour de TART is a great way to spend a summer evening on the trail with family and friends. Riders will enjoy snacks along the 19-mile ride, a bayside meal at the Suttons Bay Marina, and can relax on a bus ride back home.

Pre-registration is encouraged and can be done online at www.traversetrails.org/tourdetart, or pick up a registration form at the TART office (232 E. Front St. in downtown Traverse City) or at local bike shops. Early registration fees are $25/individual and $10/child (under 18) before July 21. After July 21, registration is $30/individual and $10/child.

Day of ride registration ($35) and check-in occurs between 4:00 - 7:00 pm. All riders must start by 7:00 p.m.

This event occurs rain or shine! 100% of event proceeds benefit TART Trails.

COURSE: Check-in will be located in the parking lot between Brick Wheels (736 E. 8th) and McLain Cycle (750 E. 8th). Cyclists will ride on the TART and Leelanau trails for 19 miles to the Suttons Bay Marina. Ten miles are paved and nine miles of the course are unpaved (hard-packed, two-track). The flat, easy course is suitable for cyclists of all abilities and ages.

A road ride option is available for riders who prefer pavement (route to follow Center Highway). Again this year, we will be offering special transportation for Suttons Bay area participants. A bus (and truck for bikes) will leave the Suttons Bay Marina promptly at 4:00 p.m. and drop you off at event check-in in Traverse City. Enjoy the ride and end with dinner back at the Suttons Bay marina. (Please note on your application that you would like the "Suttons Bay shuttle” option).

Bus service back to Traverse City begins at 8:00 p.m. and the last bus departs at 10:00 p.m.

Please join us for a great evening on the trails!

TART Trails, Inc. is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization formed in 1998 and located in Traverse City, Michigan. TART works to enrich the Traverse area by providing an interconnected network of trails, bikeways and pedestrian ways; and encouraging their use. The TART Trails are a network of four trail systems located in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties and include the Boardman Lake Trail, Leelanau Trail, TART Trail, and Vasa Pathway. These trails combine to form over 50 miles of recreation and transportation pathways spanning from Suttons Bay to Acme Township. It is estimated that the trails serve over 200,000 users annually while preserving valuable community greenspace. TART is working to integrate these trails into the community by advocating for interconnected bike lanes, bike routes and sidewalks, and is also working to extend these trails to connect with a developing regional trails system.