The Tour de Titan — a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh 2009 Homecoming event — will put pedal power to the test as members of the greater Oshkosh community join alumni, faculty, staff and students for the eight-mile cruise Oct. 17.
The community ride, organized in part by the Oshkosh Cycling Club in support of a bike-friendly Oshkosh, will depart at 10 a.m. from the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC) , 735 Pearl Ave. The bike ride replaces the Homecoming parade.
Registration and a continental breakfast will take place before the ride from 8:30 to 10 a.m. in conjunction with the SRWC’s Homecoming open house.
“The Tour de Titan is a true family-friendly event that will see our whole community come together with UW Oshkosh and UWO alumni,” said Brian Kienert ’86, president of the Oshkosh Cycling Club. “It’s never been done before. It’s going to be huge.”
More than 18,500 alumni live within a 20-mile radius of UW Oshkosh.
To help emphasize the importance of bike safety, members of the Oshkosh police department’s bike patrol and the Oshkosh Cycling Club will escort riders through the city. The ride will end at Tent City on Josslyn Street, just south of the Oshkosh Sports Complex. Helmets are required.
“We’ll be riding at a relaxed, cruiser pace. Anyone can participate with any kind of bike,” said Kienert, who earned a degree in social work at UW Oshkosh. In 2005, Kienert started the Oshkosh Cycling Club, which creates, organizes and develops cycling events, programs and opportunities for people in and around the Oshkosh cycling community.
Registration is $5 per person for the ride only or $10 per person for the ride and a Tour de Titan T-shirt.
More Homecoming information and registration forms for the ride, due by Oct. 12, are available online at www.uwosh.edu/homecoming/alumni-homecoming-events.
Advanced registrants will be entered into a drawing for prizes on the day of the event. Prizes also will be awarded for best vintage bike, most unique bike, best decorated bike and best costume.