MOULTRIE — Colquitt County residents got a preview this week of the Georgia Tandem Rally, which hit Thomasville on Thursday.
Twenty-five teams of tandem bicyclists arrived in Moultrie Monday night and toured the area on their “bicycles built for two,” Ride Director Roger Strauss said. This is a “pre-tour” ahead of the larger rally that starts today in Thomasville.
On Tuesday, riders rode the backroads to Norman Park. On Wednesday the destination was Doerun, and on Thursday they made a short journey down the Tom White Linear Park (the Bike Trail) before checking out of the Holiday Inn Express to head to Thomasville.
The routes to Norman Park and Doerun each had a short option of about 35 miles and a long option of about 45 miles, Strauss said. That’s the way the group does most of its rides so riders can enjoy a route that meets their abilities.
Moultrie has been very welcoming, he said.
“We like the bike trail,” he said. “We like the quiet roads. … Everybody’s been really patient.”
Strauss and his wife, Eve Kofsky, collaborate as ride directors. He said they both will turn 66 this year, and riders in the group average about 65 years of age. Strauss and Kofsky have been riding tandem since 1996 and joined the Georgia Tandem Rally in 1999. This is their fourth pre-tour.
“We work as a team,” Strauss said. “We’ve done every one of them together. She likes organizing, so it’s right up her alley.”
Strauss added that the riders contribute to the local economy wherever they stay as the riders rent hotel rooms and they buy gas and meals.
“We feel good we’re able to come and spend money and be tourists,” he said.