8th annual Go Ride R Range bike ride to be held Sunday

By LARRY HOLCOMBE

[email protected]

Ironwood — Sunday’s eighth annual Go Ride R Range bike ride will be a celebration of the Iron Belle Trail, according to chief organizer Jim Mildren.

“It’s been a long time coming and we’re so happy to be able to use the trail this year — from Ironwood to Bessemer and back,” said Mildren. “This ride will be a celebration of the Iron Belle Trail.”

While the first seven GRRRRs have been road rides through the countryside, mostly on county and township roads, this one will center on the region’s new non-motorized trail.

Mildren listed three main things about the trail that will make this ride special.

“The No. 1 thing is the safety. We don’t have cars to worry about, or glass on the road or pot holes that can flatten your tire,” he said. “Secondly, the scenery is spectacular. There a number of bridges that are just wonderful. Any one of those bridges is like an overlook with a place to stop and enjoy the view.

“And the third thing is for all those wondering about coming out and riding, it’s pretty much flat.”

Those three things add up for a great GRRRR in the offing, according Mildren, but they also provide for a great place to ride or walk every other day , as well.

“The Iron Belle Trail is a great asset for the community and it’s right that we celebrate it,” he said. “I view the trail as a 6-mile park from Hurley to Bessemer.”

Late registration for the ride begins at Depot Park in Ironwood on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The eighth annual GRRRR will begin 2 p.m. from the park with a police escort on Ayer Street and Silver Street and into Hurley, turning north on U.S. 51, so the riders can take in the whole trail, including the bridge across the Montreal River back into Ironwood.

Mildren said the jaunt into Hurley will help spread the riders out and make for a more enjoyable event. “A police escort is always fun,” he said.

The ride will continue west to Bessemer where the trail ends at Moore Street. Riders will be invited to the Bessemer City Hall and Fire Department for lemonade and cookies, before heading back to Ironwood, again on the trail.

The plan calls for post-ride music in the pavilion in Depot Park. “Everyone in the community is invited to that. The music should start around 3:30,” Mildren said.

The ride will be just short of 14 miles long, according to Mildren, which is also a change from previous years when the rides have been much longer.

Mildren said proceeds from registration fees for the first seven GRRRRs have raised about $3,000 which have been donated to develop mountain bike trails at Copper Peak, refurbishment of the Ironwood-Hurley railroad bridge, and to Iron Belle Trail maintenance.

Mildren said it will be a family friendly event. “All are welcome to come out and celebrate our new trail, the Iron Belle Trail.”

For more information, call 906-932-3332.

More rides

The area offers many more rides through the summer including two weekly groups — the Tuesday Fat Tire Rides and the Wednesday Superior Road Riders. Call 906-932-3332 for more information.

Other major rides in the area this summer will include:

Lupine June Fest

The Mercer Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the 11th annual Lupine June Fest on June 10. The centerpiece of the festival are a series of bike tours that offer riders a chance to see lupines in bloom, if not just the countryside.

There are four routes planned — 10, 26, 28 and 50 miles long. It’s not a race, just a tour, according to organizers.

Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at Carow Park. Rides begin at 9.

The family-friendly festival is more than bike rides, though, according to a chamber official. The park will also have arts and crafts, games, a car show and bird watching events.

For more information, visit lupinejunefest.org.

Tour da Lake

The 32nd annual Tour da Lake is scheduled for June 24. The 38-mile ride around Lake Gogebic begins and ends at Bergland Township Park on the north end of the lake, with a noon CDT start set.

There are several stops along the way to rest and a truck circling the lake to pick up weary riders.

Participants are asked to bring a dish to pass for the post-race potluck back at the park.

For registration information, call 906-932-3332.

North Country 100

Wakefield’s North Country 100 is always the third Saturday in July — so, July 15 this year, according to chamber of commerce officials.

The tour offers three routes of differing lengths — 100 miles, 100 kilometers and 25 miles. Each begins and ends at Eddy Park on the north side of Sunday Lake.

Registration closes July 12. For more information, visit wakefieldmi.org.