Whether it’s watching the sheer joy of an 80-year-old racing a cherry-red road bike down a hill or a child riding with his parents, experiencing Cycle Across Maryland is all about the sights.
Barry Childress, 52, of Pikesville, a four-year tour veteran, has been captivated by the event’s ability to attract not only hard-core cyclists, but also beginners who are in search of scenic treasures and the chance to cycle back in time.
“It was amazing to see this one older lady ride down a hill at 20 mph,” he said. “When you ride, the kid in you really comes out.”
The length of the tour, which is three days, is important for allowing riders to make new friends.
“You can make friends at any event, but here you can spend more time with them afterward,” said Childress, a cyclist since 2000 who started with a 10-mile limit and now is able to bike 150-mile treks.
“The tour has its followers and is growing,” he said. “People love it and don’t want to see it end. Hopefully, somebody will rise to the challenge and save it.”
Through the years, Cycle Across Maryland has included routes through many rural areas, with Civil War battlefields, covered bridges and farms. This past year, the tour included rides along the Monocacy River and through Tanneytown in Carroll County.
“The perspective from the handlebars is a lot different than the perspective from behind the wheel,” Childress said. “One of the gems of Maryland is that you have fast transitions from one site to the next.”
Part of the event’s charm is exposing bikers to new areas they might not have explored before. Another stop this year was the Gettysburg National Military Park, just over the state line.
“Pennsylvania is really so close,” Childress said. “The world almost becomes smaller and more accessible when you realize that you can bike there.”
By the numbers
CAM riders since 2004
(when it went to three-day format)
- 2008: 540
- 2007: 430
- 2006: 780
- 2005: 540
- 2004: 620
Source: One Less Car
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