by Deb Alter
It could not have been a better day for the first-ever Brown’s Brewing Covered Bridge Bicycle Tour. Gorgeous blue skies with a few wispy clouds, absolutely perfect. The riders were excited, yet relaxed, since this was a tour, not a race. Starting and finishing at Brown’s Walloomsac Brewery in Hoosick Falls, the non-competitive ride featured a tour of historic covered bridges over the majestic Hoosick and Battenkill Rivers. [private] Teenager Liam Drake, who was helping direct bicycle traffic, and whose father, Dieter Drake, organized the tour that Brown’s presented, said, “We love these kinds of events. When it’s a race, people get competitive, but this is more enjoyable.”
At 10 am on Saturday morning, September 19, 26 riders, the 50-milers, left Brown’s Walloomsac Brewery on Factory Hill Road in Hoosick Falls, New York on the Covered Bridge Tour. At 10:30, 26 more riders left to bike the 30-mile route, and at 11 am, seven riders left the Brown’s grounds to do their 20 miles. Many of the riders were local and regional, but some came from as far away as Syracuse, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and even California! “Our beautiful farmland and covered bridges are a huge draw, as is the brewery itself. Riders consistently commented on the beauty of scenic route, the taproom, and the ride’s organization,” said Kelly Brown of Brown’s Brewing Company. Dan Fougre, who grew up in Berlin, NY, came up from Larchmont, NY in Westchester County (about three hours away), where he lives now, just for the tour.
Eric Crawford, a Hoosick 50-miler, said the most beautiful part of the ride was the metal bridge in Shushan. Ken Lorenz, from West Hoosick, said, “the most amazing views were up in Salem. From the hills you can see all the way into Vermont.” Everyone at the Brewery after the race agreed that they were glad they had done the tour and would most definitely do it again.
Twenty-miler Jenn Hyde, who is a member of the Hoosick Town Board, said, “what a wonderful way to bring people to Hoosick, people who wouldn’t ordinarily come here, even from nearby Troy and Albany.”
The 50-mile cyclists agreed that the headwinds on Route 33 were the most difficult part of the tour. Crawford and Lorenz concurred that the route was perfectly planned. “The first 30 miles were pretty punishing, but we could basically cruise on the last 20. And all the roads seemed to have been recently paved,” they said. “And the Brown’s craft beer at the end was great,” they added.
A post-ride, locally-inspired lunch and craft beer was awaiting riders at the Brewery taproom, and riders were invited to take a free, guided tour of the brewery to see how Brown’s makes its award-winning ales and lagers.
Plans for the tour have been in the works for a while. Brown’s started talking about the ride in early 2015. As supporters of the Tour of the Battenkill, they’ve had a long connection with cycling in the area. “We were happy to once again involve the Agricultural Stewardship Association (ASA) and the choice to donate the proceeds from t-shirt sales was a no brainer, since the courses passed by many ASA conserved farms. Spreading awareness of protecting the farms that make our area so beautiful is vital,” explained Brown. “ASA’s director Teri Ptacek was on hand to answer questions and, as she is a cyclist, she also participated in the ride. In addition to the monies raised from the sale of t-shirts, many people were introduced to the great work ASA does. There’s nothing like a bike ride through our rural landscape to gain appreciation for an organization protecting farmland,” she continued.
Brown’s thanked Robbie McIntosh for the interesting facts he provided about the covered bridges on the routes. The covered bridges and their history made the ride distinctive.
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