Ann-Marie Benedict & Judy Chatfield use cycling as a way to slow down and enjoy the scenery as they travel around the world.
by Anne Blue, photography by Kelly Heck
Exhilarating exercise, taking in scenic vistas and growing friendships with other riders are among the reasons cyclists give for their love of pedaling, but many also find joy in the rekindling a childhood pleasure.
“Riding a bike makes you feel like you are 10 years old again and you don’t have a care in the world,” said Eldersburg resident Ann-Marie Benedict.
Fellow cycler Judy Chatfield, also of Eldersburg, called cycling “empowering.”
“It is about the freedom and doing something different,” she said.
Benedict and Chatfield have ridden bikes all their lives. They began riding together about 15 years ago when both worked for the federal government at Fort Meade. They were looking for ways to vary their gym workouts, so they began cycling together during their lunch hours.
Since then, the two friends have cycled together in many locales across the United States, including the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming, the coast of Maine and the Monterey Peninsula in California.
They have even used cycling as a way to slow down and enjoy the scenery and culture on several international trips, including the Loire Valley of France and areas around the French Alps.
Many of their rides have been day trips but some have been multi-day trips offered by tour companies that plan the routes, carry luggage and arrange meals and housing along the way.
CYCLING BUCKET LIST
Chatfield’s bucket list includes biking in all 50 states. She brought her total to 30 after biking through eight more states this spring when she completed a 58-day ride across the country with WomanTours. The group of woman cyclers, from all over the United States, started the adventure by dipping their back wheels in the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, California and finished the trip by rolling their front tires into the Atlantic Ocean in St. Augustine, Florida.
While both Benedict and Chatfield like to combine traveling and biking, you can usually find them cycling closer to their homes in Carroll County.
Their typical ride is anywhere from 15 to 40 miles, and now that the women are retired they try to go out when there is less traffic.
“Carroll County drivers are usually very courteous to cyclists,” Chatfield said. “They generally give us a wide berth and they will wave or even stop and ask if we need help if they see us stopped by the side of the road.”
Benedict said that while the two ride close to home in the south Carroll area, their favorite rides are in the New Windsor and Union Bridge areas of the county.
“Our county is really beautiful, if you don’t mind the hills,” she said.
With all of their experience, Benedict and Chatfield have lots of tips for anyone who is thinking of taking up cycling.
Chatfield said that for new riders, visiting a bike shop is the best way to get off to a good start.
“Give them your budget and they will find something appropriate for you that you can afford,” she said. “They can make sure the bike fits you properly and they generally give great customer service – they want you to be happy.”
Benedict noted that local bike shops are also a great resource if you want to know where to ride. They often sponsor group rides and have fliers for other rides in the area.
GROWING POPULARITY
Mark Letsch, a full time bike mechanic at Race Pace Bicycles in downtown Westminster for the past 14 years, has witnessed the cycling boom in Carroll County in recent years.
One of several local bike shops, Race Pace Bicycles moved to a new downtown Westminster store in December of 2012, doubling its space to 6,000 square feet in their current location.
“Our move definitely reflects the growth of cycling in Carroll County and elsewhere,” Letsch said. “It was a very necessary upgrade for us. We have experienced growth in all subsets of biking – road biking, mountain biking and recreational riding.”
Long-time friends and neighbors from Diamond Hills – Mary Pat Lowe, Karen VonSas and Dorina Keffer.
DIAMOND HILLS RIDERS
For long-time neighbors and friends Mary Pat Lowe, Dorina Keffer and Karen VonSas, riding bicycles is a way to maintain their friendship while getting some exercise and enjoying the outdoors.
Lowe said their group of neighborhood friends has always been active and liked doing things outside. “Biking is a nice challenge without being too competitive,” she said.
The trio of moms from the Diamond Hills area of Westminster typically meet one or two days a week during nice weather to ride short routes near their neighborhood in areas that have very light car traffic.
When they can carve out a longer afternoon, the friends prefer to cycle on designated bicycle friendly trails that have no cars at all. Their favorites include the 10 feet wide stone dust surface of the Torrey C. Brown Trail — formerly the North Central Railroad Trail or NCR Trail — in northern Baltimore County, as well as the Baltimore and Annapolis Trail and the connecting BWI trail around the airport, both of which offer a wide paved bike-friendly path.
With Lowe as the trip planner, the three friends, their spouses and other neighbors have completed three cycling trips together.
Each trip lasted three to four days, covered 180 to 200 miles, and included 6 to 8 hours of pedaling each day.
On their inaugural trip in April of 2014, eight neighborhood cyclers tackled the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, a converted railroad bed stretching 150 miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland.
That fall, the group finished the trip by returning to Cumberland and cycling the C&O Canal Trail to its end in Washington D.C.
This spring they ventured farther from home to ride part of the Erie Canalway Trail in upstate New York, pedaling 200 miles over four days.
Lowe said planning the trips is a lot of work.
“There are lots of logistics to figure out, like picking a trail, coordinating lodging, food and transportation to and from the trail. It takes me a lot of time, but our crew is flexible and appreciates my planning.”
Keffer said they carry pannier bags on their bicycles with minimal clothing, snacks, water and their toothbrushes. But they eat their meals at restaurants and stay overnight in hotels along our route.
“We are flexible as long as we do not have to camp,” she said.
Of course, it is not all idyllic. Sitting on a bicycle for six to eight hours several days in a row can be tough.
“The first hour is OK, but it gets uncomfortable as the hours add up,” VonSas said. “Then, getting back on the bike the second day … that is really hard.”
For their inaugural trip, Von Sas brought an extra-large tube of Butt Butter, a chamois cream to help with chaffing and to ease the discomfort of long hours on the bike seat. The other riders initially rejected the cream, but after the first day all her friends were converted into firm believers in the comfort brought by Butt Butter. Now it is a staple supply for their trips.
Despite any discomfort, the friends persevere and relish the time together on their bicycles.
Fred Hecker enjoys the solitude and peacefulness associated with being on his bike in the early morning and with less traffic.
A DIFFERENT VIEW
Fred Hecker is another county resident who relishes time on his bicycle. Several mornings a week he straps on his helmet and hops on his bicycle to join a group of riders who spend an early morning hour pedaling the back roads of Carroll County.
“I enjoy the solitude and peacefulness associated with being on my bike in the early morning, and there is less traffic. It is always a good way to start my day,” said Hecker, an Associate Judge of the Circuit Court for Carroll County.
“I enjoy the pace of riding and seeing things from my bike that I might not notice from my car,” he said. “Last year I got to watch a Bald Eagle on two separate occasions right here in Carroll County. That is just an example of what you would miss from your car.”
Hecker has been cycling in earnest since 1990. He latched on to the sport because it brought him back to his childhood and an activity he enjoyed as a boy. For him, cycling also fills the void of competitive athletics he did as a youth.
Hecker also appreciates cycling as a sport that does not put undue stress on his body, and one he will be able to continue well past his own working years and into retirement.
“There are a lot of older riders out there,” noted Hecker. “A lot of people ride well into their 70s and beyond.”
While the hills are daunting to many, Hecker enjoys the challenge and the variety of Carroll County’s terrain.
“For every up there is a down. When you are riding up a hill there is, obviously, a certain amount of exertion, but you always get to recover on the downhill,” he said. “But once you have ridden a hill, you know you can do it again.”
Additional Information: www.carrollbiking.com Mobile app with suggested bike tours in Carroll County. Paper maps are available at: Carroll County Visitor’s Center; 210 E. Main Street; Westminster. www.BikeMaryland.org Bike Maryland works to promote bicycling, increase safety, improve conditions, and provide a voice for bicyclists in Maryland. http://www.dnr.state.md.us/land/
MD_Trails/Rails_to_Trails.asp Department of Natural Resources with descriptions of each trail in the Maryland as well as links to maps, photos, and additional information for each. www.traillink.com/stateactivity/md-bike-trails.aspx Guide to Maryland bike trails, and includes photos,
trail maps, driving directions, and trail reviews. www.nhtsa.gov/Bicycles National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
