Annual Pecan City Pedalers Nut Roll this weekend

ALBANY — Several hundred bike riders and cycling enthusiasts from across the southeast will descend on the Albany area this weekend to take part in the annual Pecan City Pedalers Nut Roll.

The Nut Roll, now in its 13th year, is organized by the local Pecan City Pedalers cycling club as a means of bringing cyclists together to enjoy rides of varying lengths through rural Southwest Georgia. The bike ride boasts four different routes, all of which begin with a lap around Chehaw park’s center loop before exiting the park on Philema Road.

The shortest of the four routes is 32 miles and will have riders head north to Leesburg, then return to the park. The next route is 49 miles and will have riders wind through Lee County before traveling down Highway 32 to Leesburg, and then returning to Chehaw.

The third route is 65 miles and takes riders through Lee County and into Terrell County, all the way to Bronwood, before returning to Leesburg, then back to the park. The fourth, and longest, route is 104 miles (or a century) and will take riders past Bronwood all the way to the Plains Welcome Center, before they make the return trip to Leesburg and on to Chehaw.

“It’s a good ride,” said Pecan City Pedalers member Rachelle Bitterman. “It’s a beautiful ride, and it gives people of all levels a chance to test their abilities. It’s kind of like a marathon for bikers. But it’s not a race. There’s no place awards given. It’s really just for fun. I’m a social rider. I ride and talk. I just find somebody to talk to and ride next to them.”

Bitterman said this year the club expects to see more than 300 riders join the trek, many of which have already signed up and paid their registration fee.

“This is big,” said Bitterman. “People come from all over the Southeast.”

Entry to the ride is $45, and Bitterman said cyclists can register right up to the morning of the event. Registration at the Chehaw starting area begins at 6:30 a.m. next to the BMX track. There will be a mass start with all the riders leaving together at 7:30 a.m.

“It’s really kind of cool to see,” Bitterman said of the mass start. “A lot of the kits (the riders’ bikes and matching attire) are pretty colorful.”

Bitterman said the ride is what cyclists calling “SAGged,” meaning that riders will be protected during the duration of the ride no matter which route they are on.

“SAG is an acronym for support and gear,” explained Bitterman. “There will be somebody driving around checking on the riders. If they have a flat tire or need anything, they will get help. It’s a fully-supported ride.”

Rest stops will be located along each of the routes, which Bitterman said would be “fully-stocked” with items such as water, Gatorade, pickle juice, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, oranges, bananas, and assorted homemade treats like brownies and cookies. Additionally, all the rest stations will have iced towels available to help the riders cool down.

When riders start returning to Chehaw after they’ve completed their rides, many of which Bitterman said will return in just a few hours, they will receive lunch provided by the Pecan City Pedalers and the event’s sponsors.

“It lasts until the last rider comes in,” said Bitterman. “Everyone will get lunch, even if it might be closer to dinner (for some riders).”

Bitterman said she expects this year’s ride to draw far more riders than last year’s event, which was plagued by torrential rains, due to a favorable forecast that is calling for temperatures around 70 degrees at the start of the ride, with highs not reaching the low 90s until later in the afternoon.

“The forecast is supposed to be great,” said Bitterman. “It’s not going to be a beautiful fall day where it only gets up to 80 degrees, but it’s not going to be as bad as it’s been. It’s going to be optimal riding weather.”

In addition to the expected forecast, Bitterman said the ride itself is simply a good way to spend a Saturday, regardless of the temperatures.

“It’s just a lot of fun” she said. “It’s healthy, it gets people outside. It’s a cool way to get another athletic event to the city of Albany and to our area. It’s beautiful countryside.”

To learn more about the Nut Roll, visit www.pecancitypedalers.org/nutroll.