Saturday, September 6, 2008...

Join us in Thurmont, Maryland again this year for the cycling event that has everything -- famous historical sites, breathtaking scenery, low-traffic roads, and well-marked routes designed for every ability level.  As in the past, you can visit the South Mountain and Antietam or Gettysburg battlefield sites -- or all three of them if you elect to ride the full century -- while cycling through some of the most beautiful countryside east of the Mississippi.

NOTE: Check-in for registered riders begins at 7 a.m. and continues through 10 a.m. for riders on the shorter routes.

A ride for everyone:  We offer five rides ranging from long and mountainous to short and flat. All routes are well marked and cue sheets are provided.

Civil War Century (105 miles) -- Our most popular and most challenging route visits all three Civil War battlefields offering breathtaking mountain vistas along the way. This hilly ride has about 7,400 feet of climbing with four mountain climbs, but if you get tired, you can bail out at 66 miles, skipping Gettysburg (and the last mountain climb) in favor of a scenic seven-mile descent back to the start/finish.

Gettysburg Three-quarter Century (77 miles) -- This route is for those who want a more challenging ride to Gettysburg, but who don't want to tackle the full century. With about 6,400 feet of climbing, you'll scale four mountains en route to the battlefield. If you get tired, don't worry -- you can avoid the last big climb and bail out at the 38-mile point, cruising seven miles downhill back to the start/finish.

Gettysburg Metric Century (62 miles) -- On this ride you get to look at the mountains, not climb them, as you meander along pleasant country roads through the lush rolling farmland of the Monocacy and Carroll Valleys to Gettysburg and back. As a bonus, you'll see five covered bridges on this route.

Gettysburg Half Century (50 miles) -- This ride also takes the easy route to Gettysburg, traveling along most of the same pleasant country roads as the metric century, but skipping three of the covered bridges.

Covered Bridge Quarter Century (25 miles) -- On this flat ride you won't visit any battlefields, but you will get to cross three covered bridges that were used repeatedly by the troops of both sides in the Civil War.