It started out simple enough.
Nine people gathered together with a specific, modest goal — to see more of the beautiful countryside of central Pennsylvania. Under the leadership of Sydney Lustig, they proudly proclaimed their slogan: “Cyclists of the Harrisburg area, unite!”
That was in 1964, and, as it marks its 50th anniversary, the Harrisburg Bicycle Club is still going strong.
Cynthia Gorski, current HBC president, said that, the year before, Lustig posted an ad in the Harrisburg Evening News for a 12-mile bike ride to Gifford Pinchot State Park in northern York County. By the spring of 1964, the club had held its first ride.
Though small at first, HBC has grown to include about 800 members who bike in Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties but occasionally find themselves in Adams, York and Lebanon
counties, too.
“There’s something very freeing in exploring these areas,” Gorski said. “When you can do it with others who appreciate it as much, it’s pretty indescribable.”
These People Move
Membership for the Harrisburg Bicycle Club comes in waves, Gorski said.
Larger groups participate in the summer, while people go into hiding during the colder
winter months.
Because they avoid races and focus more on biking for pleasure, Gorski said that members range from 30 to 80 years old.
“As members age, new rides are created,” she said. “Some of the rides that have evolved have been the ‘Old Spokes,’ the ‘Silver Spokes’ and ‘Learning to Linger.’”
These rides take on a slower pace and usually happen during the day, she added.
But don’t let the names fool you. These riders have fine-tuned their skills.
“They have more disposable income to purchase a higher-quality and lighter bike and, with more time to ride, they improve,” she said. “Aging doesn’t necessarily slow you down — non-movement does. And believe me, these people move.”
Worth the Work
Owen Moore of Lemoyne has put thousands of miles behind him since joining the club in 1971. At 78, he’s learned to enjoy a variety of tours, from the trips to Williamsburg to the annual fall tour to Cape May, a ride that celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
He completed his first fall tour alongside one of the club’s first members, Jim Kehew. Moore followed behind his more seasoned companion, looping around Lancaster County to Newark, Del., over to Dover, Del., and, from Lewes, they victoriously rode the ferry to Cape May.
“At the end of the first day, I was one tired puppy,” Moore said. “I was really concerned if I could get up and go the next day. But I was a lot younger then, and a good night’s sleep was enough to help
me recover.”
When the fall tours started four decades ago, riders would clock in about 100 miles a day, nearly half of the entire trip. As the group ages, and in hopes of attracting less experienced riders, they’ve cut back to about 50 miles a day, Moore said.
They’ve also learned to break off into smaller groups of about six, making it easier for cars to pass by and to provide each other support if a tire blows out or someone’s hurt.
Spouses who opt out of biking alongside their significant others travel close by in a car. Moore’s wife, Fran, has done her fair share of bailing out a troubled rider.
Gorski, who lives in Monroe Township, said the official starting point of the fall tour is in Elizabethtown, but many riders start from their homes in the Harrisburg area and meet up along the way before joining as one large group.
Overcoming Obstacles
The club first started going to Cape May when sponsors opened up their homes to riders. Over the years, they switched it up, sometimes going to different beaches in Maryland. But they’ve continued the tradition of traveling to Cape May the past few years, Moore said.
Even though it’s one of his favorite rides, Moore might have to skip on this year’s excursion. In March, doctors removed a golf-ball-sized tumor from his brain. He was told to stay off his bike a little more than a month after the surgery, and heavy rains that turned to hot and humid weather kept the senior rider from training.
While Moore’s physical obstacles might set him back this year, other riders have found their strength through the club.
Ann Brooks, 58, of Hampden Township, joined HBC in 2004. She had been an avid spinner, taking part in indoor cycling classes at the local YMCA to stay in shape. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, she took a break from her exercise routine to undergo numerous surgeries
and procedures.
When she finished her treatment a year later, she sought ways to get back into shape.
The Lance Armstrong Ride for the Roses, a century ride hosted by HBC, inspired Brooks to try
cycling outdoors.
“I started training on my ancient mountain bike riding the 2-mile loop in my neighborhood,” she said. “I quickly realized that wouldn’t cut it. My sweet husband bought me a new road bike for Mother’s Day, and I began serious training by riding with the Harrisburg (Bicycle) Club.”
Her first fall tour later that year was alongside her good friend, Gorski. Together, they rode with several others through a 60-mile downpour thanks to Hurricane Jeanne, Brooks said.
“It was extremely challenging, dirty and something I probably would not willingly repeat,” she said. “We did arrive in Cape May in one piece a few days later and enjoyed a couple of days relaxing with fellow riders and the families that met up with us.”
Even as a new rider, Brooks found guidance in the experienced riders who took the time to go at her pace, providing encouragement and friendship,
she said.
“You will meet a great group of people, hear wonderful stories and participate in a great adventure that is the open road,” Brooks said of the club. “You will truly begin to appreciate the beauty of central Pennsylvania when you travel on the seat
of a bike.”
For more information on the Harrisburg Bicycle Club, visit www.harrisburgbicycleclub.org.
