Neil Sandler loves bicycles.

Because of his cycling love, Sandler, of Braddock Heights, thought Frederick County lacked a proper bike event, and so he started the Tour de Frederick last year. The three-day event is set for Aug. 12 through 14 this year.

“It really went quite well [last year],” Sandler said. “People had a great time and enjoyed it. All the sponsors are coming back this year, and we raised a good bit of money for the Boys and Girls Club.”

Sandler said the ride was designed for riders of all abilities, as the focus is on getting out to see Frederick.

“You definitely do not have to ride 140 miles,” he said. “We have people who rode as little as eight for the weekend. I wanted it to be similar to a Vermont bicycle tour weekend. Bicycling is what we do during the day, but it’s not the only thing we do … There’s a social aspect — we go to a Keys game on Friday.”

The event, which covers more than 140 miles in three days, is "not a race in any way" Sandler said. Rather, the event is intended to highlight areas of Frederick County, such as the three covered bridges crossed on day two. There are varied routes for cyclists to use, though the roads are open for normal use by vehicles. Sandler said bikers typically group together depending on which route they opt for. The longest course encompasses 67 miles round trip, and traverses much of the northern end of the county.

Any funds raised will go to the Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County, which is assisting in some of the event planning.

But in addition to the financial impact of the ride — about $7,000 for The Boys and Girls Club last year — this year’s ride will include several riders who are members of the club.

“The one thing that bummed me out last year was we had this really nice event with people from Virginia and Baltimore, but no Boys and Girls Club members,” he said. “What could be better than getting kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs, get them on bicycles and get members of our two volunteer groups to teach these kids to bike safely?”

Pat Gunnin, executive director of The Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County said that while the financial donation of the ride is nice, the program to get kids on bikes is even more beneficial.

“It’s really two-fold,” Gunnin said. “One is the financial impact. It’s a very nice project we have a lot of hope for in the future, not just for our organization but all of Frederick County. But one aspect of our program is to build healthy lifestyles.”

Gunnin said there are about six kids who will try to complete the program on the Tour de Frederick, with a 25-mile ride. If they complete it, the children will receive the training bike, as well as a handful of other bike accessories, like helmets and water bottles. He said the help from local groups has the riders up to about 18 miles on their training runs.

“The big thing for most of them is they haven’t ridden a bike with this many gears,” he said. “They didn’t know how to ride up hills or down hills, or how to ride as a group in the city. Because of the help of the Frederick Pedalers and the Frederick Ski Club, [they do]. They go out with them; they provide a lot of tips about how to ride in public.”

Registration for the entire event costs $195 per rider before Monday; a one-day option costs $85. For further information and ride details, visit www.tourdefrederick.com.

tlaino@gazette.net