Good ride, Good cause.

The Pittsburgh North Optimist Club will host its fourth annual leisurely ride on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The five-mile and 15-mile routes, which begin and end at the REI store in the SouthSide Works, are fairly flat and will include several rest stops.

The five-mile course, ideal for families and infrequent riders, will cross the Hot Metal Bridge and link up with the Eliza Furnace Trail just off Second Avenue. It will then use the sidewalk on the Smithfield Street Bridge to reach the South Side Trail and return to the REI store.

Those on the 15-mile route will pedal past the Smithfield Street Bridge to the Boulevard of the Allies and proceed to Point State Park. After using the sidewalk to cross the Fort Duquesne Bridge, they will head up the trail to Herr's Island and a rest stop at Redfin Blues restaurant under the work-in-progress 31st Street Bridge.

They'll follow the same route back to the Smithfield Street Bridge, cross the bridge on the sidewalk and use the South Side Trail to return to the REI store.

The donation fee for adults 18 and older is $25. Children 17 and under ride free. Free parking will be provided. The proceeds benefit the Friends of the Riverfront and will be used to develop and expand the biking and walking trails along the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers.

Optimist President John Sinnott said the club selected this Sunday for the ride because the Steelers have a bye. He said the ride is a natural for the Optimists, a club that was formed in Buffalo in 1911 to help children. In addition to the scenery, the youngsters will enjoy pedaling on the predominantly paved trail.

"This event is a premier opportunity to introduce the community and especially our region's children to our riverfront trails, a wonderful local asset," said Tom Baxter, interim director of the Friends of the Riverfront. "It's a great way for families to get out and enjoy the trails."

Baxter said the annual donation from the Optimist Club, usually between $4,000 and $5,000, is earmarked specifically for trail development. And, because the money is unrestricted, it can be used to match donations from other funding sources. "It goes a long way," Baxter said.

Helmets are required. The roads won't be closed and all traffic laws must be obeyed.

For more information, go to the Pittsburgh North Optimist Club, e-mail info@pittsburghoptimist.com, call 412-427-2979 or visit Friends of the Riverfront.

It was a challenge

Local and regional riders won four of the five divisions in the Subaru 24 Hour Champion Challenge mountain bike race on Sept. 2nd and 3rd at Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

As expected, David "Tinker" Juarez of Downey, Calif. won the Solo Male Division by completing 13 laps of the muddy 12-mile course.

Juarez, a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame, is a four-time solo endurance National Champion, a three-time professional men's U.S. National Champion, a two-time U.S. Olympian, a Pan Am Games Gold Medalist and World Championship Silver Medalist.

Mike Shultz of Somerset, who completed 12 laps, came in second in the Solo Division.

Holly Forsyth of Oakmont won the Sole Female Division by completing eight laps. Carol Clemens of the South Side, who also completed eight laps, finished 3 hours and 45 minutes behind Forsyth.

Evan Perone of O'Hara and Scoot Root of Indiana Township, representing Dirty Harry's Bicycles in Verona, completed 14 laps to win the Duo Division.

Another Dirty Harry's team won the Expert Male Division. T. J. Platt of New Kensington, Travis Saeler of Butler, Danny Wilson of Fenelton and Gerry Pflug of Mount Pleasant pedaled 18 laps.

An eight-member team representing the Bike Line bike shop in Greensburg and Laurel Ridge Water won the Corporate Division. Matt Ross, Melissa Showman and Brocc Kaylor, all of Champion; Frankie Ross and Jame Potinger, both of Murrysville; Mike Cordaro of Connellsville, Mike McAuley of Ohiopyle and John Nurminen of Mount Pleasant completed 17 laps.

Right behind them with 16 laps was the team from Speedgoat Bicycles in Laughlintown: Jim Bolen of Delmont, Brian Wieczorek of Ligonier, Dave Krack of Butler, Joe Ruggery of Greensburg, Tim Lyons of Cranberry, Bo Hamlett of Mars, Nick Fischer of Greensburg and Rob Davis of Greensburg.

Congratulations to all.