The Pinelands Preservation Alliance is hosting five single-day bike rides from October 4–8 that traverse across various scenic Pinelands sites.
From Oct. 4–8, the Pinelands Preservation Alliance will hold its 13th annual Tour de Pines, a bike ride on five loops in various areas of the Pinelands. Each day’s ride will be approximately 45–53 miles long and will feature various scenery spread across the Pinelands. Additionally, each ride will be a loop, so riders will end up back where they started.
The event costs $40 to register, which will get you into as many of the rides as you choose to participate in. The proceeds will go to benefit the PPA.
The first ride, which will be held on Oct. 4, will start at Estell Manor County Park in Estell Manor. This ride has been nicknamed “The Atlantic-Cape Ramble,” and it is one of three of the five rides that offers a shorter loop, for less experienced bicyclists, according Beck Free, the PPA’s director of membership and coordinations. Free also plays a large role every year in coordinating the Tour de Pines. If riders aren’t up for the entirety of the full ride, which will be 48 miles long, they’ll have the option of doing a shorter 22-mile version. Both rides pass through Lenape Farms — formerly a 5,000 acre hunting club, now preserved land owned by the state — in Dorothy, and return to Estell Manor County Park. Also, they both traverse many low-traffic roads.
“Our goal is to travel on the least traveled roads,” said Free, speaking really of all the rides being held throughout the entirety of the five days, not just the Atlantic-Cape Ramble. “The whole point is to enjoy the scenery of the Pinelands and the history of the Pinelands.”
Day 2’s ride, which is 43.7 miles long, will start at Laurita Winery in New Egypt. It’s also been nicknamed the “No Whining Ride,” due to its many steep hills and rough terrain. The PPA’s website boasts that “scenic areas in both Ocean and Monmouth counties may be enjoyed, including many agricultural, tree and horse farms.” After the ride, riders are invited to sample wine at Laurita’s. There is no shorter loop for Day 2’s ride.
“It’s a really neat ride with a wide variety of scenery from residential areas and country roads to state forests and the Jersey coast,” Free said.
On Day 3, riders will start at Batsto Village in Wharton State Forest. The loop, nicknamed “Ride Like the Devil,” will take you through Historic Smithville Village. Riders will also get to visit Leeds Point, which is the birthplace of the Jersey Devil. The entire loop is 48 miles. Other highlights include Port Republic and Oyster Creek, and side trips may be made to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Chestnut Neck — site of a battle fought in the Revolutionary War — or the Renault Winery — places that are not too far off of the route. This ride will also not have a shorter loop.
On Day 4, riders will have the option of riding a 54-mile loop or a 23-mile loop, both of which will start at Jakes Branch Park Office in Beachwood, Ocean County. Riders will commute along Toms River and Barnegat Bay. According to the PPA’s website, this trail will provide “breathtaking views” of the Pinelands. “You also get the opportunity to ride along the coast of New Jersey,” Free added. Before or after the event, riders are encouraged to view the Pinelands atop a five-story observation deck, located in the Nature Center inside of Jakes Branch Park.
Day 5, the last and final ride of the bunch, will start at the PPA’s offices at 17 Pemberton Road in Southampton. This route, which will be either 45 miles or 27 miles depending on which loop the riders chooses, will go through Medford, Shamong and Tabernacle. While in Tabernacle, riders will visit the Carranza Memorial, the site where Emilio Carranza — Mexico’s equivalent of Charles Lindbergh — died in a plane crash during a thunderstorm while making his attempt to complete a journey from Mexico City to New York and back.
According to Free, each ride will have a leader and a “sweep.” The leaders will lead the rides and stop off at various points of interests riders may find interesting. The sweep will be somebody who rides at the back of the pack to make sure everybody is keeping up with the pace.
“It’s a really unique opportunity because this isn’t a race,” said Free, who also noted the event is known to bring people together. “You really get to know people. It’s neat to see the camaraderie between people.”
Most importantly, Free stresses that donating to the PPA is a great cause for all who love living in nearby Pine Barrens towns.
“The goal of the PPA is to preserve the natural and historic resources of the Pinelands, and we want to make sure there’s always green places to ride your bike,” she said. “Unless people stand up for the Pine Barrens, it will become less likely for there to be a place for you to ride your bike or watch birds or go hiking.”
Riders can register for the event online by visiting pinelandsalliance.salsalabs.org/tourdepines2017.
