Community, competition, camaraderie mark Tour de Charleston

“They’ve ridden the trails since they had training wheels,” said family friend Lisa Billman, 64, of Charleston.

Billman encouraged the children to return to the area and join her at the 10th annual Tour De Charleston, sponsored by the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce.

On Saturday morning, nearly 140 cyclists took the opportunity to ride a 50-mile, 25-mile or 12.5-mile route starting near the Coles County Courthouse before traveling through the Charleston countryside.

“For us it’s going to be a fun ride,” Billman said before the trio took off for the shorter route.

Cyclists visited from surrounding states to take part in the fun ride. Traveling from St. Louis, 15-year-old Jack Klein and his father, David, took part in the annual event for the first time last year and wanted to try again. The Charleston ride is the farthest race for the duo.

“It’s a great race. I love the community,” Jack Klein said. “Coming here with my dad, it’s always a fun adventure.”

The father-son team chose to ride the 12.5 route. “It’s the closest to my training rides that I do, about 15 miles,” Jack Klein said.

Jack Klein was the first to finish in the 12.5-mile race with his father right behind him, earning the second place award. “I suffered, but it was good,” Jack Klein said after finishing in approximately 40 minutes.

The weather helped cyclists enjoy the event as well. “This is about as best as we can get,” said Jeremy Alexander, Charleston Chamber board member and organizer of the event. “This is amazing weather.”

The differences in the routes aren't just in the length. “Going south of town, you have a much more hilly route,” Alexander said about the 50-mile course. “Those guys and gals want the challenge of that.”

The shorter routes are flatter. “It’s basically pan-flat,” Alexander said. “That’s a little bit easier for more of our casual cyclists, because all they are worrying about is the distance.”

The Tour De Charleston is a fundraiser for the Charleston Chamber. “It funds a lot of their activities,” Alexander said.

According to the cyclists, the activity encourages socialization. Although they are trying to ride fast, the routes are often long. “They are talking to each other and interacting,” Alexander said. “Then they will spend the next hour just recapping and talking about all of the key points in the race.”

Harper learned firsthand the bond cycling can make. After leaving her brother and family friend behind early in the race, she met another 11-year-old cyclist, Ava Obert from Villa Grove. The two girls finished the course together.

“We experienced one of the biggest hills we’ve probably ever done,” Harper said. “But it wasn’t that bad once we started.”

The Charleston ride was a first for Ava as well. “It was better than I thought, since I had someone to talk to,” she said.