Bike riding fans can gather together at the end of July for a special event kicking off in downtown Whiting.
"This is the third annual Ride and Rail Tour," said Tom Dabertin, event organizer and vice president of United Citizens Association, which is presenting the Ride and Rail Tour on July 25 along with the Hammond Port Authority, city of Hammond, Region Signs and The Hoosier Theater. The event begins at 9 a.m.
Riders taking part in the event will ride from downtown Whiting to downtown Chicago, where they will then board the South Shore Line for the return back to Hammond's South Shore station and then a short bike ride back to Whiting.
Dabertin said his original premise for the ride was that Northwest Indiana residents "live in the shadows of a great metropolis," which is Chicago, and often people don't realize what a joy it is to take a bike ride from Northwest Indiana to downtown Chicago. Dabertin said it'll be about a 20-mile bike ride to the downtown Millennium Station. Then participants can relax on the train ride back.
"We'll be taking the lakefront trails," Dabertin said. The trails include the Whiting Lakefront trail, Hammond Lakefront trail, and after riding through Chicago's Calumet Park, the Chicago Lakefront trail.
"It's really a lot of fun," Dabertin said. "It's not a race, it's a ride." Both novice and avid bike riders will take part in the event.
The ride, Dabertin said, takes about two hours, done at a leisurely pace. Participants are expected to be back to downtown Whiting between 1:15 and 1:30 p.m.
"As an added bonus, we'll be showing the movie 'Breaking Away' at The Hoosier Theater after the ride," Dabertin said. "Breaking Away," which was released in 1979, is set in the college town of Bloomington, Indiana and has the sport of bike racing as its theme. The movie will be shown at 2:30 p.m.
Dabertin suggests those interested in the ride register well ahead of time because it's a first come first served event. In the past two years, 200 riders were allowed to participate. This year, 300 riders will be allowed to take part in the event.
Cost for the Ride and Rail Tour is $25. The fee includes a commemorative T-shirt, the train ride back and admission into the movie. (Masks will also be available for the train ride back.)