UPDATE: Healdsburg Bike Tour a Treat for 850 Riders

With registrations up and biking incidents down, this year's  was a delight for riders and organizers alike.

"It was perfect," said Jeremy Smith of San Ramon, one of 850 riders out of 950 registered. "Perfect weather, the rest stops were well-staffed and with good food -- and the road conditions were excellent."

Mary Ann Barr, a manager for event organizer said the 950 registrations were up from about 935 last year.

"We had people coming in from Atlanta, from Louisiana and from Sacramento," said Lucy Lewand, proprietor of Healdsburg's and a volunteer at Saturday's event. "I know, because I check people in."

Smith, who did the 37-mile tour option -- the middle tour, with the others being 23 or 60 miles -- said the directional markings on the roads were "much better" this year than last, when he said he got lost several times.

"We really worked hard this year on the signage," said Healdsburg Vice Mayor Gary Plass, who manned the SAG wagon dispatch operation.
"We doubled or tripled the number of markings."

As a result, Plass said, the number of lost bikers was way down.

"We had about six or seven (emergency) calls this year; last year we had 40," Plass said.

One male biker crashed near the intersection of Geyserville Avenue and River Rock Road, Plass said. He was transported to with a leg injury and was treated and released.

Besides that, the other incidents were minor -- such as flat tires or bumps and scrapes, Plass said.

All three tours started at and traveled to Geyserville, where the short tour turned back and the longer tours split off to Asti and then a loop through Windsor.

All three tours ended back at the high school, where riders ate grilled chicken, barbecue or pizza on outdoor tables as a band played music.

"I'm really glad I came down," said Mary Jo Smith, who flew in from Portland to do the tour with husband Jeremy Smith. "I would do this again."

Sunday's Vineman 70.3 Triathlon in Windsor and Guerneville will also bring in people from all over the country.

The California Highway Patrol advises motorists to expect traffic delays, Sunday, July 17, for the Vineman 70.3 Triathlon due to cyclists and runners, starting around 7 a.m. through the mid-afternoon.

In the morning hours, River Road from downtown Guerneville to Sunset Road will be affected. CHP Officers will be stationed at key intersections to direct traffic.

Additionally, all of Westside Road, Kinley Road, and Dry Creek Road in the Healdsburg area will be affected. Motorists are cautioned when driving on Canyon Road, State Route 128 through downtown Geyserville and past the River Rock Casino, and Chalk Hill Road. CHP Officers will be located on all of these roadways.

Motorists are advised to avoid Old Redwood Highway at Shiloh Road - expect delays.

Airport Blvd at Aviation Blvd will impacted by approximately 2,000 cyclists passing through that intersection. Aviation Blvd to Airport Blvd will be closed, and left turns from Airport Blvd onto Aviation Blvd will be prohibited.

Motorists are also advised to avoid Skylane at Shiloh Road, as well as Windsor Road near the high school, as lanes will be closed in that area.

Starr Road from the Reiman Lane to Mark West Station will be closed to northbound traffic to accomodate runners. Mark West Station from Starr Road to Slusser will be closed to eastbound traffic to accomodate runners. Northbound traffic on Slusser Road from River Road to Mark West Station will be closed.

All of Laughlin Road in the area of La Crema Winery will be closed during the event. Please avoid the area if possible. Click on the attached webpages for details on the bicycle and run courses.