Rusted Chain Gang rides again and again

Mike Garcia leads social rides from his home behind Douglas High School on beach cruiser bicycles almost every day.

"People start calling me after work to go on a ride to the skate park and back," said Garcia. "We don't care if your bike has two, three or four wheels, just ride with us."

Garcia and Dave Von Derau began the Rusted Chain Gang Riders to encourage people to get out of cars and enjoy a bike ride with friends. They organized the Rusted Chain Gang's poker run Nov. 3 that starts at the high school parking lot and continues on a 10-mile route around Minden and Gardnerville. Proceeds of the poker run benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Carson Valley.

Sign-ups are 11 a.m. to noon at Douglas High School, with entry fees of $15 for adults and $10 for children up to 17 years. Every entry receives a T-shirt and poker card and the prizes are five bicycles - two XYZ beach cruisers, two children's Trek cruisers and a Felt special edition New Belgium cruiser valued at $600.

"Sometimes people get intimidated to ride 10 miles but this is pretty flat and it's not a race," said Garcia. "People turn their heads when they see 100 cruisers."

Von Derau and Garcia each have about 40 bikes in their garages that people take out for test runs on the daily bike rides. Most of the bikes are cruisers

"Mountain bikes are welcome on the poker run," said Von Derau. "We want people to get on bikes. We want to get kids away from video games. When we ride through neighborhoods, our pack of riders starts to build."

Von Derau said everyone's invited to the poker run and dressing up in costumes is encouraged.

"Stay as a group and obey traffic rules. We want to see cars parked and more bikes on the road," he said. "Speed is not important. It's not a race."

The Rusted Chain Gang Riders Poker Run is sponsored by New Belgium, XYZ bikes, Barone & Reed Food Co., Coyote Sports Bar & Grill, Antioch Coffee Co., Pizza Barn and Big Daddy's Bicycles.