A historical ride

Jet, April 2, 2007

A HISTORICAL RIDE: Cyclist Ken Williams (I) takes a coffee break with John "Blue" Hannon, tour leader of the Adventure Cycling Association, at a coffee shop in Niagara, NY. Both men participated in the Underground Railroad Route, a new bicycle route of 2,100 miles that cuts from Mobile, AL, up to Owen Sound, Ontario, in Canada.

Mobile was chosen as a starting point because it once served as an entry point for slave ships. Owen Sound bills itself as "the Underground Railroad's most northerly safe haven." The cycling association developed the route in partnership with the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh. The project's goals include diversifying the demographics of the bicycling set and encouraging Black Americans to seek out their cultural history while improving their health through biking.