photo by: Derek Redd

Casey Milliken coasts along Water Street on an extra-tall custom built bicycle in the 50-kilometer ride of the Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour on Sunday. Milliken’s friend Bob Turner, who built Milliken’s bike and his own, rode an even taller one.

The 18th annual Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour brought in the usual standard bicycles Sunday morning, but this year added something special: custom-made six-foot tall bicycles.

Two cyclists, Bob Turner and Casey Milliken, ventured through the cycling festivities on their 6-foot tall custom-built bikes Sunday.

With only one gear on the bikes, Turner was ready to tackle the 15-kilometer tour and Milliken the 50 kilometer tour.

Milliken said it was going to be a challenge. Turner said the longest he has ridden on the tall bike was 30 miles.

Turner created both of the bikes through welding and painting.

Turner’s inspiration comes from lamp lighters who would light gas lamps before electricity. People would ride these tall bikes and put all of the gas lamps out around and then at dusk, light them all.

He added tall bikes are as old as standard bikes today.

The non-competitive bike tour, presented by Ohio Valley Trail Partners, is the Wheeling Heritage Trail. The trail filled up with 100 km bikers, 50km bikers and 15km bikers.

The 100 kilometer ride left Heritage Trail for a hilly loop on the country roads with a stop at Bethany College. The 50 kilometer ride took cyclists on the trail to Elm Grove then back to the port and up to the Brooke County line and back to Heritage Port.

Art Burnside, Sunday’s tour director described the 15-kilometer ride as a family ride, starting at the port, riding down to Benwood and back.

This is the Ohio Valley Trail Partners’ major fundraiser of the year that gives cyclists from the tri-state area an opportunity to enjoy some roads of the Heritage Trail. Burnside said the other positive is that the event promotes the Heritage Trail. He added it shows off the city of Wheeling.

Cyclist Barry Allen decided to tackle the 100km ride for the 18th time. He even rode from his house to Heritage Port, which will put him more than 70 miles of riding for the day. He said his plan was to bicycle home after his ride.

Allen said he bikes to stay moving and healthy and his goal was to finish the 100km ride in four hours, which is less than his typical time.

“I always like to do just a little bit extra the older I get,” he said. “I just want to make sure I don’t slow down, and this helps me keep me focused.”

He also loves the way it brings people together.

“I love the camaraderie,” he said. “I’ve met some really, really good friends. We call each other, text each other, just go out for a ride. And our city is beautiful. And everywhere we get to ride, from here to West Liberty to Bethany and out in the country, it’s just beautiful and is that

connection.”

Cyclist Gary Pompeo has been riding bikes since he was 10 years old and was ready to ride in his 10th Heritage Trail bike tour for the 50km circuit. Pompeo enjoys the sights on the trail and said he is just hoping to finish.

“I just like the freedom of it,” he said. “Being out on the road, it’s great exercise.”