Allen County is hosting its very first cycling event, a weekend of bikes, music, food, and fun known as the Portland Alley Pedalfest. The event is a showcase for the growing network of trails, as well as a burgeoning bicycling culture, in Allen County.
2015 will be the first year for what is planned to be an annual event. The inaugural event is September 12-13, 2015, and is centered at Riverside Park in Iola. The event is hosted by Thrive Allen County.
No events are planned for Friday, September 11, but riders can check in, explore the town on their own, and camp overnight at the park.
On Saturday, September 12, organized rides are planned. Riders can choose from 25, 50, 75, and 100-mile routes, all beginning at Riverside Park and heading south on the Southwind Rail Trail. After a SAG stop in Humboldt, with an opportunity to explore local parks and museums, 25-mile riders will cross the historic Humboldt Rainbow Arch Bridge over the Neosho River and head back to Iola via paved roads. Back in town, folks can rest up, eat lunch at local restaurants, explore the local trails, or head off on their own adventures.
The remainder of the riders will head south to Chanute,, where there are plenty of opportunities to visit local restaurants and attractions, and explore local parks and trails. 50-mile riders will head back to Humboldt via county roads.
75 and 100-mile riders will roll east along the Trans-America Bicycle Route for a few miles, before heading north through the towns of Stark, Savonburg, and Elsmore, where there will be SAG stops.
From Elsmore, 75-mile riders will return to Iola via rural paved roads, while century riders will continue north through Moran and Mildred to Kincaid, where the route will head back west to Colony, then south on the Prairie Spirit Trail to Iola.
Saturday evening will be a festival of food, drink, and live music into the night, with overnight camping at the park.
Sunday, riders will be offered route maps for a number of self-guided and self-supported tours of local trails, attractions, and ghost towns in the area.
Registration for the Portland Alley Pedalfest is open now through Eventbrite; the cost is $45, which gets you camping at Riverside Park, the supported Saturday rides, entrance to the music festival and beer garden, maps for the Sunday routes, and an event t-shirt.