I Bike For Pie

My favorite cycling event of the year takes place each August on Bainbridge Island. On Sunday, August 17th, 2008 I joined with a bunch of wise and hungry folks to ride my bike on a picturesque island and eat a bunch of wonderful pie. On returning home, Christine quizzed me about the food.

"What did you have?"

"A slice of pumpkin pie. And a slice of pecan. And a slice of chocolate creme walnut. And a slice of peach pie. And a slice of dutch apple. And then another slice of pecan pie for dessert."

"You had six slices of pie?!?"

"Well, yes. I restrained myself. I didn't want to appear piggish."

The ride itself features a fairly short, flat family-friendly route from Winslow to Fort Ward park and while the ride has no fee, the local bike club, Squeaky Wheels, raise funds by selling T-shirts and taking donations. Club members and local businesses provide all the pies and do all the work of setting up the ride. It's a great deal for everyone. Riders get a great ride with wonderful pie, the club makes some money and everyone has a good time. I paid twenty bucks and got a very full stomach and a t-shirt that proclaims that "I Bike For Pie."

This past week one of the panelists on Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! commented about Olympian Michael Phelps' prodigious calorie intake. He observed "I don't think Americans are overweight because we eat too much, we're overweight because we swim too little!" I'm not much of a swimmer, but I do try to bike enough to burn off all those pie calories. I took the long, hilly way home, but I still don't think the 52 miles of Bainbridge Hills and Issaquah Alps quite evened the score. It's probably a good thing that the Bike For Pie Ride only happens once a year.