Cyclists gear up for annual Columbus Day Rotary ride



A heat of riders round the bend at Beavertail Lighthouse during the 2018 Jamestown Classic. The bicycle race, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club, will celebrate its 44th running Monday. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

A heat of riders round the bend at Beavertail Lighthouse during the 2018 Jamestown Classic. The bicycle race, which is sponsored by the Rotary Club, will celebrate its 44th running Monday. PHOTO BY ANDREA VON HOHENLEITEN

While there are dozens of road races in Rhode Island, cyclists would be hard-pressed to find one with a more prolific panorama than the 44th annual Jamestown Classic.

Sponsored by the Jamestown Rotary Club every Columbus Day since 1975, Monday’s 19-mile race winds through virtually every vista Conanicut Island has to offer, with sweeping water views and fall foliage nearing its glorious peak.

Harley Lee, who serves as secretary for the local Rotarians, said first-timers are generally blown away by the experience.

“The appeal is that it is such a beautiful course,” he said. “We sometimes take it for granted living on the island, but people come here, ride around Beavertail and say, ‘Wow, this is really spectacular.’ And it is.”

While the Jamestown Classic is a major fundraiser for the Rotary, it was a much bigger draw during its first four decades. In 2016, according to Lee, businesses were concerned about the starting line in front of East Ferry Deli. They said it took up too much real estate and was congesting the area. This will mark the fourth annual Classic that starts and ends at Fort Getty.

“We changed it from a large race to a much smaller race in terms of participants,” he said.

Lee said the event draws about 100 riders who raise more than $5,000 for Rotary, with proceeds going towards a variety of local, regional and international causes. While each community has its own unique needs and concerns, Rotary identifies specific causes to maximize its impact. Locally, the Rotarians sponsor the Boy Scouts, Thanksgiving baskets, scholarships and essay contests.

The club also stretches outside the borders of Jamestown by utilizing a network of resources to focus its service efforts on promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, supporting education and growing local economies.

Fred Burkley, a nine-year resident of Beacon Avenue, said the race has become an annual must-do competition.

“For me, the Jamestown Classic is an opportunity to challenge myself and make it around Conanicut Island in the fastest time possible,” he said. “I will try to set a personal record.”

This will be Burkely’s fourth time pedaling in the race, having twice competed when it was sanctioned. He’ll have a go at it for the second time as a more relaxed event while striving to average 20 mph around the island.

“That’s kind of where I set the bar so if I can do it at that speed it would be a good accomplishment,” he said. “I don’t train specifically for this event but I ride my bike around the island twice a week so it kind of fits in with my normal cycling routine.”

Burkley said the 19-mile course is the most attractive race a cyclist could hope to traverse.

“Who doesn’t like riding past the ocean?” Burkley asked. “You ride down past Mackerel Cove, around Beavertail, and up to the northern part of the island. It’s beautiful.”

Another draw, according to Burkley, is the lack of automobile traffic on the island.

“For a cyclist, that’s ideal because you can go out and be in the zone while on the bike,” he said. “We love living in Jamestown and it’s the number-one community in Rhode Island for us.”

Burkley said he is happy to be supporting the Jamestown Rotary Club, an organization that prides itself on giving back to the community.

“It’s a good opportunity to contribute to a great cause while also having fun with my cycling friends.”

Echoing those sentiments is Chris Brown, a Gondola Avenue resident who started cycling 20 years ago after moving to Jamestown.

He’s competed in the Jamestown Classic roughly 10 times, and said he’s been training for this year’s course, which he said might be a bit “bumpy.”

“We have a group that rides around the island in the morning, three days a week,” he said. “That’s pretty much our practice for this race although we don’t do the exact racecourse.”

Brown, 57, said he hopes to finish near the top of the pack for his age group.

“Finishing in under an hour is pretty easy to do for me,” he said. “I’ve done it in 52 minutes in the past.”

Brown’s other passion is being on the water, a common theme for Jamestowners.

“We’re big sailors and Jamestown is a great place to sail,” he said. “And it’s a nice community.”

Lee, who has participated as a rider in past years, will sit this race out and serve as a volunteer. He said the course is challenging and fun for racers of all abilities.

“A lot of it is pretty intense,” he said. “And with the number of racers here, you find yourself riding in groups and really pushing yourself.”

Because of the scenery along the way, Lee said the competition draws not only riders, but also spectators, who provide moral support to the cyclists.

“People can watch along the whole route,” he said. “But most spectators are lined up along Fort Getty Road to watch the racers as they roll past Beavertail and head to the finish.”