Sun City Cyclists put the pedal to the metal
With an average age of 70 and between 180 and 200 members at any given time, the Sun City Cyclists are a healthy bunch.
“I put more miles on my bike than I do my car every year,” said Leanne Waldo, who’s the social chair of the Sun City club.
Ms. Waldo became involved with the cyclists club when she moved to Sun City eight years ago. She has since served as club president twice, and is currently serving as secretary while also being in charge of planning social events, including the monthly “Remote Rides.”
Remote Rides take club members onto remote farm to market roads in Williamson County. Cyclists will stop into a restaurant to have a cup of coffee, will bike for three hours and then circle back around for lunch.
“The farm to market roads out here are gorgeous,” Ms. Waldo said. “Right now, all the bluebonnets and the mixture of wildflowers are just fantastic. To me, the connection to nature and people are what’s most important [about the group]. It makes my heart beat.”
Go-to pit stops spots for remote rides include Andice General Store in Weir, Buddies in Florence, Daylight Donuts in Jarrell and Vintage Arts Coffeehouse and Bistro in Granger.
“I love the social aspect and being around healthy people,” Ms. Waldo said. “This is some of the strongest riding I’ve ever done. There’s no way that I could do 120-150 miles a week by myself, but I can [now that I’m a part of the group] because I’m motivated.”
Club members vary in biking level, and some use e-bikes, which provide assistance while peddling. Ms. Waldo said the club is organized into different groups.
The Inside Sun City group meets daily, and does between 15 to 20 miles at a speed of 10 to 12 miles per hour. The A Group meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday to ride 35 to 65 miles at around 17 miles per hour. The B Group meets Monday, Wednesday, Friday for 35- to 55-mile rides at around 14 miles per hour.
Then there’s a social group that meets on Sunday and Tuesday for a ride that is open to bikers of all skill levels. They go between 25 to 45 miles at around 15 miles per hour. Finally, the Saturday Social group does 26 to 30 miles at around 12 miles per hour.
“If you’re just curious about bicycling, there’s always someone in the club who is willing to ride with you and figure out what group you would fall into.” Ms. Waldo explained.
People who are looking to support the Sun City Cyclists are welcome to cheer them on as they take part in the Red Poppy Ride on May 11. The annual spring fundraising bike ride begins at Richarte High School and takes cyclists through eastern Williamson County on 14, 28, 40, 60 and 100-mile routes. The ride supports the SERTOMA scholarship program for Georgetown ISD, the Williamson County Child Advocacy Center and the City of Georgetown Bicycle Patrol Unit.
Important bike safety tips
Ms. Waldo and other members of the Sun City Cyclists make sure to inform new members of bike safety rules.
“If someone isn’t familiar with bike safety, we coach them on how to be safe riding in a group,” she said.
- Cyclists should be given a 3-foot margin by cars.
- Although cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast, they should ride in a single file line to be courteous to motorists.
- Cyclists should wear bright colors and a helmet.
- Motorists should be aware that if a biker is in the roadway, it may be because there is debris on the side of the road that makes it dangerous for them to bike.