By: RAYMOND PARTSCH III
Managing Editor
Hundreds of cyclists will be pedaling along the highways of St. Landry and Evangeline Parishes this weekend.
Cycle Zydeco returns to the area this Friday and Saturday and this year the group will feature more than 450 cyclists. The event begins on Friday in Arnaudville with two different routes. The short route consists of Grand Coteau and Sunset and the longer route will travel through Port Barre and Washington. The cyclists will then end the day with a party at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas.
Then on Saturday, cyclists will travel through parts of Evangeline Parish.
Cyclists will begin the day in Opelousas and will once again have two routes to choose from. The shorter route will guide riders to Mamou and then to Eunice, while the longer route will take them to Washington and Grand Prairie.
“The purpose of the route is for our riders to have the opportunity to take in the Cajun and Creole culture of Louisiana,” Scott Schilling said. “Mamou has always been part of the mix for this event. We have cyclists that are hitting the road at 6 in the morning so they can be at Fred’s Lounge for 9. These riders enjoy exercise of course but they also like to eat, drink and dance. They are just choosing to use a bike to get there.”
Schilling serves as the president of the Transportation Recreation Alternatives In Louisiana (TRAIL), a trails advocacy group based out of Lafayette. The Cycle Zydeco event is one of four large group events TRAIL is associated with this year.
The 43-year-old Schilling has always had a passion for outdoor activities.
“I like to do anything outside,” Schilling said. “Whether it is kayaking, cycling, paddling or running. For years though I always had to travel to do those activities.”
That is what inspired Schilling to help create TRAIL, a group whose efforts range from promoting safe road cycling to developing hiking and biking trails throughout Acadiana.
The group right now is focused on creating a cycling-multipurpose path that connects St. Martinville, Lafayette, Breaux Bridge, Opelousas, Krotz Springs and eventually Ville Platte and Chicot State Park.
The group has secured some grants and the project is still in the conception stage.
“It started in 2004 because we realized that no one had the money to start these projects,” Schilling said. “We wanted an organization that could work alongside government agencies. Hopefully this project can get some momentum and it can take on a life of its own.”
Schilling adds that events like the Cycle Zydeco event has helped him learn more about other areas of the state, and he is hopeful that these events attract more natives of the state to participate.
For this year’s Zydeco event, only a handful of Louisiana residents are taking part.
“One of our big focuses for 2017 is to get more Louisiana riders participating,” Schilling said. “Personally, I have learned more about our community from putting on these events. You dig a little deeper and you learn something.”