Bikers cruise 'n' booze for a cause
Hundreds of riders participated in the sixth annual Mid-Missouri Bike Ride to Rocheport.
Published Nov. 6, 2007
A gang of cowboys saddle up, a band of pirates gather their swords and a few grown men in Teletubby costumes slip on their antennae-topped heads. It's 9 a.m. on Saturday and more than 200 cyclists are getting ready for the sixth annual Mid-Missouri Bike Ride to Rocheport in benefit of the MU's Children's Hospital pediatric diabetes program.
For some riders, this was no ordinary charity bike ride. It was an all-out party.
Registration started at 9 a.m. at Flat Branch Park, and some riders had already had a few Bud Lights. The event included a 34-mile bike ride (for many, though, it was actually only 17 miles with a car ride back), a catered lunch by the Rocheport General Store, a scavenger hunt, a costume contest and a post-ride party at Mojo's.
"My costume is I'm pretending I'm a bike rider," participant Ellen Herndon said.
Herndon, with a large cup of steaming coffee in one hand and a bagel donated by B & B Bagel Company in the other, said she was looking forward to the event but it was the after-party that she thought most people were really excited about.
"Work hard, play hard," fellow rider Kristin McDermott said.
Both Herndon and McDermott admitted to not being avid bikers. Both had little to no training for the strenuous ride in front of them.
They weren't the only participants in Saturday's event who weren't well-trained bikers.
Twelve-year-old Cameron Grahl, along with her family and friends, were among the crowd Saturday morning.
"We're really excited," Teki Grahl, her mother, said. "This is the first year she's been old enough and big enough."
The Grahl family said the cold weather was to blame for their lack of spirited costumes.
It was below 40 degrees when the first batch of riders departed, but others said they wouldn't be deterred.
Meg Gray and Harriot Yellon said this was their second year to bike in the event but their first year to ride as a "flock." Gray and Yellon dressed up as flamingo lawn ornaments with a group of women.
"These are fun people, and it's for a good cause," Gray said.
All proceeds from Saturday's event were donated to the Children's Hospital. About $2,000 was raised from the $45 registration fee, donations, and the sale of Nalgene bottles and biking attire.
"Each year, thousands of children in the United States are diagnosed with diabetes," Bert Bachrach, director of the pediatric diabetes program at the Children's Hospital, said in a news release. "So raising awareness and funding for a program such as ours is a very worthy cause."
Party Ride
"Can you refer to me as Flavor Flav?" event director Steve Taylor said. Taylor sported an array of "bling," including a huge clock around his neck with the event's logo on it.
The concept of the party ride, which was born in Iowa, made its way to Columbia thanks to Taylor. The original "BRR," or Bike Ride to Rippey, is a 23-mile event held during bitter Iowa winters.
Taylor said he came up with the idea to bring a BRR to Mid-Missouri after he was unable to finish the ride in Iowa seven years ago due to exhaustion from alcohol.
He said the Iowa event was such a great time so it would only be fair to bring his experience to Missouri.
Along the 34-mile trail, music by Guns N' Roses and Aerosmith blared from portable speakers, and a trailer housed a cooler of beer for thirsty riders — those of age at least.
Dozens of riders took rested and took an alcohol break outside of Katfish Katy's Recreation Center, a small store slightly past the halfway point of the ride on the Katy Trail.
Once in Rocheport, everyone who made the trip sprawled out on picnic tables placed in front of the General Store on Second Street to take a well-deserved break from the challenging ride.
Taylor emerged from the crowd, and he announced that Flavor Flav was in the house and ready to rap.
After a dance and some improvised rhymes, Taylor announced it was time for the concluding event ("the largest bike parade this town has ever seen") in Rocheport.
With a population of 208 according to the 2000 Census, that was not a difficult
proposition.
"Hey, Steve, don't parades usually have spectators?" one of the riders asked.
Although few residents turned out for the bike parade, the event went well.
"This has become quite popular," Taylor said. "It's a smashing success."
