The Bike Through the Forest and the Hills 2012 happening on January 28, 2012 at San Jacinto Courthouse 1 State Highway 150 Coldspring, TX
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Duane McPeak, Ride Director of Bike Through the Forest and the Hills to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.
Why Join this year’s ride?
With the rolling hills in Coldspring, Texas, Bike Through the Forest & Hills is one of the most challenging rides on the MS150 recommend ride list. The longest route is 50 miles, but when you are done you feel like you just rode 60 miles. We also offer shorter routes. We have exceptional rest stops because the Kingwood HS Fillies are present to assist the riders and to share their infamous Banana muffins each year!
How long has the event been around and how did it start?
8 years
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
To raise funds for the nationally recognized Kingwood Fillies Drill/Dance. These funds allow the girls to travel to out of state competitions.
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
100% of the proceeds go towards the KHS Fillies drill/dance team for costumes, props and travel expenses.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
Our volunteers consist of the Fillies (averaging 75 high school girls) and their supportive parents. We typically have about 150 people working at the ride. We try to keep costs down so that we can maximize the returns and rely on sponsorship. Because the ride is basically established, the planning time has been greatly reduced to 3-4 months before the day of the ride.
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
Watching the riders, the parent volunteers and Fillies all interacting with each other. It has always been important to us to have the “team” present at the ride so the riders can meet whom they are supporting. Every year the Fillies form a huge line at the start of the ride to cheer on the riders!
How many riders do you assist during the average race?
We have (3) SAG wagons that travel the route along with about (10) BPMS150 Ride Marshalls. I have heard reports of about 20-25 people a ride. for late January. In Texas you just never know what we are going to get on the day of the ride. Typically we average 400-700 riders.
What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event? (prefer the rewarding/unforgettable experience ;o)) 

During my first ride as director, just 15 minutes into the ride, I got a call from the local constable that we had a rider down. It was a young man still in High School that had lost control of his bike going down a hill. He had gone head/face first into the street. There was a SAG wagon at the start that I jumped into to go check on the rider. As we headed towards the rider, we could see an ambulance was already on it’s way ahead of us. By the time the SAG wagon got to the rider, the EMS team had already evaluated the rider and had determined that Life Flight needed to transport him to a hospital in Houston. The ride is held in Coldspring, Texas, about an hour northeast of Houston. Once Life Flight arrived, the young man and his father were flown to Herman Hospital. Once they arrived at Herman his father called me hourly with updates. Immediately after the ride, the Fillies all got together and created an enormous care basket filled with all kinds of candy, DVD movies and games. As we all drove to the hospital to deliver the basket, we received a call from the father that he was okay and being released from the hospital to go home. There was no head trauma but he had a few stitches, burses and a nasty road rash on his face. Thanks to his bike helmet, severe injury was avoided. The Fillies were able to delivery the care basket to him at home in person. I took pictures of his helmet before we gave it back to his father and we show those photos before every ride, on why you must ride your helmet.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Sign up on line at www.Active.com or come the day of the ride.
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
For the past three years I have been the Ride Director and have made it my goal to get Bike Through the Forest/Hills recognized as’ a ride you don’t want to miss!’
Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area?
I ride, but not like these riders. I am good for 15-25 miles, but these riders don’t seem to break a sweet until after 50 miles.
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
The ride is Saturday, January 28th. The ride begins around 8:00-8:30AM, with registration beginning at 6:30AM on the day of the ride. Riders will enjoy the country scenic ride and the most stimulating bike ride in Southeast Texas. Again, the hills and scenic views of Coldspring, which is on the southeast side of Lake Livingston, are unlike any other ride in Texas. We have (3) SAG wagon supports, (3) BPMS150 bike shops (Bike Lane, Bicycle World and Better Bikes) at the rest stops for repairs, officers at all intersections, BPMS150 Ride Marshalls riding within the ride and plenty of port-a-cans at the start and rest stops. Furthermore, we have our water, our famous Banana Muffins and other health snacks at all rest stops.
After the ride, don’t rush off — stay to enjoy the town of Coldspring and its quaint shops and local restaurants. They are always well prepared for hungry riders needing to fuel up before heading home!
Thanks Duane McPeak for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details of the Bike Through the Forest and the Hills 2012
