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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 28, 1991)
Iowa Continued from Page 9 and country inns. Lloyd said the participants' biking experiences range from those with transcontinental experience to those who only have traveled around the block. "We like to call these 'bicycle vacations' because you don't have to be a biker to do these," Lloyd said. "They're structured so that any moderately fit person can enjoy the trip. You wouldn't want to take a complete couch potato but anyone who does something else like jogs can do this." For the non-biker, Heartland does rent bicycles and helmets, she said. "What we're renting these days is what you call hybrid bikes, a cross between mou nta i n bi kes a nd road bikes," Lloyd said. "They're just a little more comfortable for people." Lloyd described the five-day trip, Heartland's longest tour, which begins in Iowa Qty, winds through Amish country and ends in the Amana Colonies. Some highlights include a visit to the historical Herbert Hoover National Site in West Branch, shopping in the Amana Colonies ana ainner as guests of an Amish family on their farm, she said. The three-day River Heritage tour starts around the Dubuque area, one of the hillier areas to cycle, Lloyd said. But the scenery from the bluffs above the Missis sippi River is considered some of the best in the state. The weekend tours offer a vari ety of amusements, Lloyd said. The Pedal & Paddle Weekend combines canoeing on the Des Moines River and pedaling along Iowa's back roads and the river front. The Seven Villages ride offers I III I ■ II WIUMf |M—■!> Iimifll Hfl—1TTH Courtesy of Heartland Bicycle Tours two days of cycling through the Amana countryside, visiting all seven Amana villages. The Dutch Treat tour meets in historical Pella, Iowa, while the "Field of Dreams" weekend visits the farm made famous by the Hollywood movie. A recent addition to the week end offering is gambling on one of Iowa's new casino riverboats. As part of the Great River Weekend, the participants can opt for the dinner theater if they prefer, Lloyd said. Most of the riders on the week end trips are from the Midwest, but on the longer tours they come from all over the country, sne said. Lloyd said one of the main problems, as far as people who don't live in the Midwest is con cerned, is getting them to Iowa in the first place. "Once they get here though, thev think it's beautiful and it's nothing like they thought it was going to be," Lloyd said. “A SUPERBLY CRAFTED THRILLER... JULIAN SANDS AS THE WARLOCK IS PURE EVIL.” -Vernon Scott, UP! “A FANTASY THRILLER... WORTH SEEING .^-Daily Variety A FASCINATING HORROR ADVENTURE WHOSE ■ THRILLS SPAN THE CENTER I ES.^-fangeria tie's come Vy | from the past \ to destroy the future. W^RJOCK Satan also has one son. TRIMARK PICTURESm*'S ARNOLD KOPELSON » .»<STEVE MINER «. JUUAN SANDS, LORI SINGER. RICH ARD E. GRANT “WARLOCK” CARL FULLERTON & NEAL MARTZ "BUSS ROY FORGE SMITH DAVID FINFER 4K3SM DAVID EGCBY A C S. JERRY GOLDSMITH BKK2& ARNOLD KOPELSON """B DT TWOHY "«» STEVE MINER TRIMARK »-■ "* CtMOWimafkPctunn. A VxJrwk Inc A* ftgnu f#»«rv*d j STARTS FRIDAY MARCH 1st AT A THEATER NEAR YOU Week-long trip rolls 501 miles By Carissa Moffat v Staff Reporter June 9-15 will mark the elev enth year for foe North Coast Cruise Rotary Bicycle Ride Across Ne braska. The BRAN is limited to 500 riders and, according to John Wupper, a member of the Rotary Club, the spots fill up fast. This year's race is no exception, with all spots al ready filled. Wupper said the Rotary Club mails out registration forms around the end otjanuary to previous riders and people who nave ex pressed an interest in riding. "In the last few years, the regis tration has been filled three to four days after they were mailed," Wupper said. Tne $50 registration fee covers everything but personal expenses, he said. Riders, for a fee, can catch a bus chartered by the Rotary Club to the western end of the state where the tour will begin. The race will begin m Alliance this year and will end in Chaleo Hills, totaling 501 miles. Wupper said the bikers gener ally stay at local high schools. Most of the stopping places for foe group are smaller communities, ana schools are the only places that have adequate showers and restroom facilities for 500 people. Over the years, the tour nas grown to include people from different states, Wupper said. Last year, 15 different states were rep resented in tne iuui. Wupper said the people who ride in tne tour leam that western Nebraska has more to offer than meets the eye. "Once people get off the inter state, they are amazed at how much Nebraska has to offer," he said. Wupper said that because of the high daily mileage, 70 to 100 miles, riders should be experienced in long-distance trips. Riders also should be in good physical condi tion, he said, reople who plan to ride in the tour should nave a lightweight, quality bicycle, he said. Many bicycles are heavy and not designed for the distance. "Most specialized shops will help you, and they are real Knowl edgeable," Wupper said. Wupper suggested that riders start training with low mileage, such as 15 to 20 miles, and gradu ally work up. Getting used to the equipment also is important, he said. All kinds of people as well as bikes show up in tne tour, Wup per said. One year, some adoles cents used the tour as training grounds for an upcoming BMX bike competition. Lastyear,aman rode a 1948 Schwinn with balloon tires. A1 Roeder and his daughter Shannon have ridden for the last four years in the tour on a tandem bike. "The first year I rode because it See BRAN onll Motocross attracts national riders By Chris Hopfensperger Senior Reporter Bicycle motocross is riding a wave of rediscovered popularity into Lincoln for this weekend's Mid-America Nationals. After the numbers of partici pants and spectators fell in the mid-1980 s, Dicycle motocross is on the rebound, said Clayton John, president of the American Bicycle Association. "We peaked in 1982 and had a slow decline until 1987," John said. "We've seen a real increase since then, and the sport seems to be on a pretty good upswing." The Nationals, a three-day rac ing event sponsored by the ABA, is one of 15 regional events held across the country. John said the event primarily is intended to serve riders in the Midwest, but attracts some from around the country. John said he anticipates 800 to 900 participants and more than 4,000 spectators for this weekend's races. Several different groups of rid ers will be present at the event, John said. Professional riders will be racing for $12,000 in prizes, and amateurs will race for trophies. The weekend is separated into three individual events, John said. Friday night's action, which be gins at 6^30, is called a double points race and is intended to let the racers get accustomed to the course. A dirt track is being constructed inside the indoor coliseum on the state fairgrounds, John said, and the racers will want to try it out before the important races on Sat urday. "Saturday's races are a national event where the riders will be competing for national points as well as prizes," John said. Riders compete with each other to collect points for national and regional ranking. At the end of the year, the rider who collects the most points is awarded the No. 1 ranking for the following year. "The number plate that tne rider has on the front of their bike is the position the rider finished last year," John said. "There is a top 50 nationally, and after that it is bro ken down into districts." Most of the participants are divided into three levels; novice, intermediate and expert at each age level from 5 to 19. There also will be races for cruiser racers. Cruiser riders, who range in age from 9 to 45, ride 24 incn bikes instead of the normal 19-inch frames, John said. "Basically, we start off with 30 to 40 kids in each group and, by the end of the day, we have eight for the finals," John said. c m 4* x S S TJ f9 Jl KJ s