STOCKBRIDGE AREA BICYCLISTS PREPARE FOR ANNUAL DALMAC TOUR

Photo Credit: https://ironanne.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/biking-over-the-mackinac-bridge-dalmac-serves-up-an-incredible-experience/

Stockbridge area cyclists are preparing to ride in the 49th annual Dick Allen Lansing to Mackinaw (DALMAC) bicycle tour at the end of the month.  A list of local riders and their hometowns is attached.

Founded in 1971 by former State Sen. Dick Allen, DALMAC offers riders a choice of routes beginning on Wednesday, Aug. 28, or Thursday, Aug. 29, which leave from East Lansing and end on Sunday, Sept. 1, in Mackinaw City. Newer options include a three-day route that departs from Grayling Friday morning or a two-day route that leaves from Cheboygan Saturday morning. Over 1,200 riders are expected to participate in the 2019 tour.

DALMAC seeks to develop an appreciation of bicycling as both recreation and transportation, to promote a bicycle-friendly environment in Michigan and to demonstrate how bicycles and other vehicles can safely share our state roads. It is a recreational tour open to all capable, interested bicyclists.

Proceeds from the tour have enabled The DALMAC Fund to grant over $1.3 million to bicycling-related organizations and causes since 1985. Programs benefiting from these grants represent a variety of purposes, from trail projects to public safety to extending bicycling opportunities to those with disabilities.

DALMAC is hosted by the Lansing-based Tri-County Bicycle Association (TCBA), the largest local bicycling organization in Michigan, with approximately 1,000 members. The year-round efforts of TCBA volunteers make it possible to offer a high-quality tour at a reasonable price and to raise money in support of bicycling programs without asking riders to collect pledges.