The 24th Annual Goatneck Bike Ride benefiting various Johnson County charities invites you to join their ride on July 30, 2011 starting at Cleburne High School, 1501 Harlin Dr., Cleburne TX
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Brad mead, Staff and Ride Marshall of Goatneck Bike Ride to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.
Why Join the “The 24th Annual Goatneck Bike Ride”?
Come push your boundaries. Its a challenging ride. It’s always hot and we have some pretty good climbing around the Brazos River. Besides, it’s better than sitting at home.
How long has the event been around?
As the name implies, 24 years. Just kidding. It has been a great 24 years. We are really looking forward to our 25th year next year. It is a great milestone.
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
The ride was started by the Jaycees. I think it was a way to promote Cleburne and get an event started where people would come to the city. The ride is now run by the Goatneck Bike Club.
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
We have many charities here in Cleburne and around Johnson County that benefit from the ride. A few of them are the Child Advocacy Center, CASA of Johnson County, Meals on Wheels, Red Cross just to name some. Most of the groups we donate to also help us by volunteering on ride day. We give out around $30,000 in donations every year. That is awesome.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
We have about 200-250 volunteers that help us out on ride day. They are great. Of course, you could never do an event like this without volunteers. We are blessed to have so many people wanting to help. If one group has to bow out we always find other groups willing to brave the heat and help us out. We do have a core group of guys in the bike club that do the organizing. We are lucky to have had the same group do it for about 10 years now so by doing it so much we seem to have it down pretty well.
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
I’m not sure about one single experience. What we do find so rewarding is how many riders think so highly of our ride. We get great reviews from riders and I think our ride is really liked amongst the riding community. Some of us in the club are actually riders and when we go to other rides and people find out we are with the Goatneck, they always have something positive to say. That is rewarding.
What is the average number of participants per year? How many riders do you assist during the average race?
We average anywhere from 2,300 to 2,500 riders. About three years ago we had 2,700. We hope that next year the 25th Goatneck will be an all time high. I’m not really sure how many riders we assist overall during a ride.
What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event?
The scariest accidents are anytime I get a call during the ride and I find out there has been an accident with a rider and an automobile. My heart skips a beat until I find out what has happened. With 2,500 riders, accidents are going to happen. You just pray that they are not too serious.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Just show up and ride. Entry fee money allows us to have another ride next year and funds our donation money.
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
I am in charge of pre-race day registration, t-shirt and water bottle acquisition and on the day of the ride I am a Marshall on the course. All of our guys do their jobs well and I am thankful for the job they do.
Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area? Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?
I do ride. I don’t ride near as much as I use to. I ride a Giant. May favorite route is to leave my house and go down to the Brazos River and turn around and climb back out. My favorite rides over the years have been, the ride in Italy, Texas, the Shiner GASP, and the ride down in Stonewall thru the LBJ State Park.
You watching the Tour de France this year? If yes, rooting for anyone?
I switched to DirecTV late last year and I don’t get Versus now so I haven’t watched the Tour that much. I have kept up. I have been rooting for the Schlek Brothers. Also rooting against Contador LOL.
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
We are always looking for ways to improve our ride. Just come out and ride. We love having you in Cleburne.
Thanks Brad Mead for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details of the 24th Annual Goatneck Bike Ride
