Bike tour planting their kickstands at CMU next week

Chelsea Simons is participating in the Dick Allen Lansing to Mackinaw tour for the eighth year next week.

The Pleasant Lake sophomore’s dad first introduced her to the bike tour, and now she cannot get enough of it.

“I like doing this bicycle tour because it promotes (events) being safer for the environment, as opposed to driving cars around all the time,” Simons said. “I feel that more students should get involved with this event.”

Central Michigan University will host more than 500 bicyclists on Sept. 2 as part of the 39th annual DALMAC tour.

Riders will depart Wednesday from Michigan State University and will arrive at Rose Arena later that day for their first overnight stop.

More than 2,000 bicyclists are expected to take part in the event this year.

Although one route brings riders through Mount Pleasant, Simons instead will take the journey on the four-day west route, which stops in Vestaburg, Lake City, Boyne City and its final destination, Mackinaw City.

A ‘nice place’ to stop

There are five routes a rider can choose from that range in mileage from 303 to 414 miles, one of those routes stopping on CMU’s campus, said Katie Donnelly, DALMAC media relations coordinator.

“The bicyclists have been coming to CMU for many years, it’s been a nice place for the riders to stop and camp,” she said.

The intention of the event is to encourage a bicycle friendly environment in Michigan and to show how bicycles and cars can maneuver state roads together.

“There are many benefits to bicycling,” said Joe Roggenbuck, a Harbor Beach sophomore. “It provides some solutions to serious problems in the world, health being one of the bigger ones.”

Roggenbuck has participated in bicycle tours in the past, but is not riding in the DALMAC this year.

This event was founded in 1971 by former State Sen. Dick Allen in hopes of providing healthy activity for people, according to DALMAC’s Web site.

Each rider pays a fee depending on what route they take. The fee includes breakfast and dinner, camping, support vehicles, a car to haul their gear and map books, Donnelly said.

Proceeds from this event go to The DALMAC Fund, which funds bicycle-related organizations, including the Mount Pleasant-based Special Olympics Michigan organization, according to the Web site.