It's called the Tour de Springs -- a 48-mile road ride that combines the biking and skiing interests of the participants.

The rides began in Irwin in 1973 but now begin in Monroeville. They stop briefly in Irwin to pick up a few more riders and then head for Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

"The idea of a ride to the Springs appealed to many of us because of the challenge and the fact that all of us were skiers," said Chuck Yaskanich of Monroeville, a member and former president of the Westmoreland Ski Club.

"We chose October to 'incentive-ize" us to get in shape for the ski season. Ideally, if we were all to stay in shape through the summer, the ride to the Springs would be just like a 'walk in the park.' "

Yeah, right.

There's a reason they call that hilly topography the Laurel Highlands. The ride includes 4,730 feet of vertical climbing. The two major hills are the Chestnut Ridge and the Laurel Ridge.

The tour is a ride, not a race.

"We pace the ride for the slowest rider, but the rider should be in reasonable shape," he said. The ride begins at 8 a.m., arrives in Irwin about 9 and reaches the resort about 2 p.m.

Since the tour is one way, arrangements are made to have a change of clothes at the resort where some of the riders have condos. They then join wives, husbands and friends for dinner in the lodge.

Yaskanich, a retired Westinghouse engineer and former technology instructor at what is now Penn State Greater Allegheny, has a record of the 76 riders who have taken the tour. There have been as many as 19 riders and as few as two. The average number is 10 to 12.

One woman and 11 men, average age about 50, made the ride Oct. 18, a chilly, overcast day. The temperature at 8 a.m. was 39 degrees. "The temperature kept us moving," Yaskanich said.

Joining him were:

MB Binder, Bob Patterson, Robin Holland, Jake Gradwell, Lou Marshall, Jamie Hess, Gary Swartzbeck, George Bettencourt, Mike Boucek, Jack Cycak and Denny Diffenderfer. They all wore helmets and high visibility attire.

They took Route 993 from Monroeville to Irwin, rode Arona Road to New Stanton and crossed a bridge over the Pennsylvania Turnpike to get to Norvelt and Kecksburg. They climbed the Chestnut Ridge, a.k.a. "Snake Hill," and crossed over the turnpike again. Then it was Acme Dam Road to County Line Road and up to the resort.

They arrived at the Springs about 1:30 p.m. and went to the Bavarian Lounge to hydrate and watch football games.

The Tour de Springs is one of three "Quad Power Rides" that Yaskanich organizes every year. The others are the Fall Crawl and the Swiss Hammer. They are geared to the slowest riders and they stop at "gathering" spots for everyone to catch up. But the rides do require conditioning and newcomers are expected to be in shape.

Yaskanich stays in shape year-round. He visits a local club two to three times a week to pedal a stationary bike that monitors his heart rate and watts. He rides the Great Allegheny Passage in the spring and switches to roads in June with an emphasis on hills.

For more information about the Tour de Springs and the other rides, e-mail Yaskanich at yaskanich@msn.com.

Outstanding service

The Allegheny Cycling Association (ACA) awarded its highest honor, the "Outstanding Service to the Cycling Community" award, to Dr. Freddie Fu last Sunday at the National Aviary during its annual awards banquet.

"Dr. Fu was presented this award for his ongoing support of the Pittsburgh-area bicycle racing community," said Fred Baldassare of Murrysville, manager of the Freddie Fu Cycling Team, which was formed in 1998. "It is not given out annually, but only on occasion after careful consideration by the ACA board." The award is a plaque etched in glass and placed in a wooden frame.

"Over the years, Dr. Fu has sponsored several bicycle racing teams, individual elite cyclists, bicycle races, and under his direction formed the UPMC Cycling Performance Lab at the UPMC Sports Medicine facility on the South Side. This facility offers world-class analysis and care for elite level cyclists as well as the recreational cyclist."

Baldassare accepted the award for Fu, who was in Istanbul, Turkey.

The ACA, established in 1972, has more than 170 members. For more information, go to www.acaracing.com.