Hitting the road

James Reese and Vernon DeHart pedaled off among a pack of cyclists Sunday in Shandon, proof of the impact of Gov. Mark Sanford’s call for South Carolinians to get out and exercise.

Sanford plans to bike across the state in three intervals May 1 and May 15-16 as part of his Family Fitness Challenge. He hopes his 160-mile trip will inspire — maybe shame — South Carolinians into exercising more.

On a small scale, it worked Sunday. Reese, 54, and DeHart, 52, read about Sanford’s trip and decided to take him up on the challenge.

“I stopped serious riding three years ago,” said Reese, who used to complete an 18-mile route every morning. “I’ve just been hitting it here and there lately.”

He returned to riding with Sunday’s easy, 10-mile trip through Shandon, coordinated by the Carolina Cyclers club. He plans to join Sanford on May 15, when the cross-state route will run right by his home in Gadsden.

DeHart, of Columbia, has a little more rust to knock off.

“This is the first time I’ve been on a bike in 10 years,” DeHart said. “I’ve been looking for an outlet for exercise and needed to lose a few pounds.”

When he heard about the governor’s ride, DeHart recalled how much he loved riding his bike as a child and how much flatter his belly was back then. So he went out and bought a new bike and pledged to get in shape quickly enough to tag along with Sanford next month.

DeHart realizes he might have trouble keeping up with the governor’s pack, but he thinks he can make it if the ride features occasional rest stops.

That could be a problem. The Family Fitness Challenge is a work in progress, and only the route is clear at this point.

Sanford will pedal May 1 from Croft State Natural Area near Spartanburg to Little Mountain, then finish the ride two weekends later with a trip May 15 from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia to Santee State Park and a trip May 16 from Santee State Park to Wannamaker County Park in North Charleston.

In his State of the State speech in January, Sanford invited everyone in South Carolina to take part in the fitness challenge. If thousands of people join him on the road, they would create a logistical nightmare.

Sanford would prefer the state’s residents come up with their personal fitness challenges. Run a couple of miles. Hike a forest trail. Bike around your neighborhood a few times.

“The governor sees this (cross-state ride) as an instrument to encourage people to consider a healthier lifestyle,” spokesman Chris Drummond said.

Cyclists are welcome to join the governor, although they will be left to their own devices in many regards.

The state doesn’t plan a shuttle service to take cyclists back to their vehicles parked at the start of the ride. The governor’s staff has talked with cycling groups, bike stores and corporate sponsors about setting up and staffing rest stations along the route, but those plans aren’t finalized, Drummond said.

State Highway Patrol members will ride on motorcycles with the main pack of cyclists, and the Department of Transportation will use mobile sign boards to help with traffic control, Drummond said.

Novice distance riders who have trouble keeping up with the main pack could end up alone on major roads (the first leg sticks to U.S. 176 most of the way). With that in mind, the governor’s office encourages newcomers to distance cycling to try shorter Family Fun Routes at the start of each of the three legs and possibly in municipalities along the routes.

While Sanford takes on the 59.9-mile ride May 1, his wife, Jenny, and their children plan to do a fun route in and around Croft State Natural Area. In the Columbia area May 15, less experienced riders might consider doing a 35-mile round trip to Congaree National Park, Sanford’s first rest stop. Or they could cut the distance in half by asking a friend or family member to pick them up at the park.

Veteran cyclists look forward to Sanford’s ride. “I think it’s great, especially if it brings more interest in cycling,” said Ray Floyd, of Columbia. “It would be great to see more people cycling. It’s something you can do all your life.”

Floyd and others who participated in a ride Sunday morning out of Caughman Road Park can’t wait for somebody with Sanford’s power to experience the state’s roads from the seat of a bike. “Georgia is much more bike-friendly than South Carolina,” said Jimmy Bailey, of North Augusta. “All of their new roads have wide shoulders. South Carolina roads don’t have shoulders.”

Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366 or jholleman@thestate.com.