Back Pedaling

On the Kansas City Bicycle Club‘s Double Nickel ride through Jamesport, Missouri, cycling enthusiasts have discovered that bicycles are the perfect mode of transportation for traveling through Amish country.

“It’s amazing when you’re riding and you can look at the houses, and there are no telephone lines,” says Heather Jordan, who owns the Wheel Cyclery and is vice president of touring for the bike club. “The Amish shops don’t have power. If you go into a bakery, they have these big, wood-burning stoves.”

Jordan, who planned the two-day Memorial weekend event, likes to take some of the warier beginning riders to places where they won’t experience the difficulties of chaotic city biking. “Jamesport is one of those areas,” she says. “I can’t think of an area that is more bicycle-friendly. The cars are used to topping a hill and having a buggy there.”

Riding through Amish country doesn’t always go smoothly, though. “There are sections of road that get rough when it gets really hot, and they have wagon wheels going on them,” Jordan says. “Everybody has horses and buggies. If you come up behind them, it’s OK, but not if you’re headed toward them.”

People who choose to go on this particular ride — called the Double Nickel because of its 55-mile route — also have the option of taking shorter routes that loop back into town. “It allows us to ride 20 miles, get an ice cream and ride another 20,” Jordan says.

The club encourages nonmembers to come to riding events like this one (and the weekly rides in Kansas City locations) to see if it’s something they might enjoy. Bikers feel comfortable splitting up and going at their own speeds — Jordan and her husband often ride with separate groups because they enjoy biking different distances.

“He feels comfortable riding with his big, fast guys and going 55 miles when I may end up only riding 25,” she says. “It’s kind of cool because everybody goes on their own route, so it’s an opportunity to meet new people and ride with new people.”

Besides, in Jamesport there’s shopping, camping and sight-seeing for people who want to tag along even if they haven’t ridden a bike since the days of banana seats and tasseled handlebars.

Last year, after a long day of working out on the trails, the ravenous group practically ate the Gingrich Dutch Pantry out of business. This year, though, the club is limiting the number of dinner guests to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

“They were very surprised at how much food we ate,” Jordan says. “We ate a lot of food and a lot of pie.”