Jessica Giorgianni, who works in Parsippany, attaches her name tag to the back of her bicycle before the Revolutionary Ramble Bicycle Tour that started in Madison on Saturday.
More than 500 bicyclists christened the first Revolutionary Ramble on Saturday and traveled varying routes around Morris County to raise money for 13 local emergency rescue squads.
"There were some good hills," Jerry Keselman, 53, of Warren, said after finishing the 62-mile course in four hours. "I'm trying to get some hills in, and there were some hills here I didn't expect."
Keselman, like many riders, was training for another event. In his case, he said he's going to partake in a ride through Death Valley in October to benefit juvenile diabetes.
The Morris Area Freewheelers riding group organized the event, which saw roughly 550 participants, ride director Jim Hunt said.
"We are absolutely thrilled ... with the volunteer support we've had for this ride," Hunt said.
Entry fees ranged from $30 to $40, depending on when people registered. Those who signed up for the 62-mile loop left at 8 a.m. The 40-miler participants departed at 9 a.m., and the 25-milers left at 10 a.m. The last group, which rode 12 miles to Washington's Headquarters in Morristown, left at 10:30 a.m.
Hunt said he wouldn't know how much the ramble raised for emergency rescue squads until the money was tallied.
The Ramble rambled on rain or shine, and Saturday brought both. However, depending on the route the bikers took and the positioning of the clouds, they either got drenched or stayed dry.
"It wasn't raining where I was — I could have used some rain," Keselman said.
New Providence residents Krina Griffin, 43, and Jennifer Zimmerman, 45, took the 40-mile route and got drenched.
Both said rain doesn't just get the riders wet, it saturates the road, pushing debris to the sides of the street where bikers ride, which results in many flat tires.
"You avoid it as much as you can," Zimmerman said. However, they weren't so lucky.
"We each had two," Zimmerman said of flat tires.
Despite that, both women said they loved the event.
"It was a challenging ride, it was a good ride," Griffin said.
"The way it was organized was phenomenal," Zimmerman said, adding routes, paths, and directional signs all were clearly marked.
People from Rhode Island, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, Maryland, Florida and Connecticut took part.
"We got caught in the rain but it was a great ride," Rockaway resident Mike O'Hara, 52, said of the 12-mile course he rode with his 13-year-old son, Brendan O'Hara.
Both said it was their first ride and that the rain wasn't a problem.
"It's just another part of the experience," Brendan O'Hara said.
Matt Manochio: 973-428-6627; mmanochi@gannett.com
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