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'To Give Back:' Director wants to make bike race yearly event
Journal Photo by Bruce Chapman
Andy Siegrist (from left), Ruth Stornetta, Justin Evans, Drew Siegrist and Charlie Lawrence watch as Pro 1,2 category bicyclists ride across the lap line.
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Published: April 21, 2008
Hundreds of bicyclists took to the streets of downtown yesterday for the Winston-Salem Downtown Criterium bicycle race.
Danny Mathis of Yadkinville was one of them.
Mathis used to race motorcycles and cars, and he said he loves the thrill of competition.
He started riding bicycles in 2002, and started competing in 2004.
"I've always been an adrenaline junky," he said. "I love the competition. You can go off to your own world."
The race that Mathis rode in took about 40 minutes, and riders made about 25 laps on the 0.8-mile course around East First, Church, Belews and Cemetery streets and Salem Avenue.
But that wasn't the longest part of Mathis' journey. He rode his bike from Yadkinville to the race site.
"I had 37 miles before I started the race," he said.
About 200 riders took part in the races, race officials said. The skill levels ranged from beginner to professional.
There were also races and a rodeo for children and separate races for women. Prizes ranged from medals for the children to $500 for the winners of the top races.
John Shilt, the race's director and founder, said he hopes to make the criterium and the children's rodeo yearly events.
"This is my way to give back to the community," Shilt said. "Winston-Salem has a great cycling community."
Shilt helped start a bicycle-club team at Wake Forest University three years ago, while he was a student in the physician's assistant program at the medical school. Shilt said he gets a sense of satisfaction from being a mentor to the Wake Forest team.
Many of the riders said they ride to stay in shape.
David LeDuc, a professional rider from Willow Springs, near Raleigh, started riding in 1980 after seeing the movie Breaking Away.
LeDuc, 57, has won more than 380 races. Other cyclists call him the "The Ol' Man."
"I just like riding my bike," he said.
Bicycling is similar to many other hobbies in the amount of money someone can spend on it. Mathis said that it costs about $2,500 to get started in competitive bicycling. A good entry-level bike costs about $1,000 to $1,500, and the other equipment costs about $1,000.
"The equipment lasts a while," Mathis said.
Mathis is riding a new bike this year, but he said that his first bike lasted more than five years.
"There's nothing wrong with it," he said. "I just wanted to upgrade."
■ Melissa Hall can be reached at 996-6601 or mhall@wsjournal.com.
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