Free bike ride Saturday makes plenty of stops for refreshments

The bike ride may be called “TBD” — to be determined — but organizers have all the details fleshed out and are ready to ride this weekend.

Check-in for the less than 10-mile long TBD Newton Bike Ride begins 12:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at Mojo Cycling, 104 N. Second Ave. E., in Newton. Organizers stress the ride is meant for fun, is family-friendly and is costs nothing. However, cyclists are encouraged to wear their helmets.

Riders will depart at 1 p.m. for the Izaak Walton League, 889 County Highway F36. The next stop is The Cellar Peanut Pub, 403 W. Fourth St. N. Suite 104, at Legacy Plaza, followed by a trip to The Thunderdome, 1611 First Ave. W. The final stop is Nostalgia Wine & Spirits, 109 N. Second Ave. E.

When riders make their final pitstop they can enjoy food truck cuisine and live music inside the wine bar. Drink specials and giveaways will be available throughout the day. Punch cards will be available, allowing participants to be eligible for drawings to win larger prizes at the end of the event.

Joe Urias, owner of Mojo Cycling, said the event is the brainchild of Dan Nieland, owner of Nostalgia Wine & Spirits. The two recruited other businesses and hope the ride becomes an annual tradition. In addition to giving folks a fun event to partake in, Urias and Nieland said the ride shows there is an interest in cycling.

“There’s a large biking community in this town and we really think they (the city and county) need to take the biking just a little more serious here,” Urias said. “…The reason why we’re doing this is to bring notoriety to biking here in Newton, Iowa, to let the city and county representatives here in Jasper and in Newton know we have a large biking community and it’s very important to us.”

Nieland added, “Outside of being able to enjoy a beautiful Iowa fall day and experience four very unique establishments, we really hope to draw attention to the need for a more comprehensive trail system into and throughout the Newton area. It’s the first step in determining what, where, when and — most importantly — how much a trail system would be and how it would be funded.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext 560 or at cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com