About Us
Interestingly, baseball is the reason for Penns Valley Pedals and Pints.
On a 2015 trip to Kentucky to cheer on his nephew’s college baseball team, Roy Rupert visited a local watering hole and noticed a group of cyclists clanking glasses of craft beers in cheers to completing their ride. He thought to himself, “Now that’s the right way to workout!” They called themselves ‘Pedals & Pints’ and met up weekly ending each ride with beer, food and friends.
The Beginning
Upon his return, he gathered a few Elk Creek Cafe pub buddies to brainstorm. None were hard core cyclists, but all enjoyed their trips on two wheels throughout scenic Penns Valley. It was decided – the group ride would be open to anyone of any level with any bike. They would meet weekly (who can’t work out once a week?!) on Wednesdays (now Thursdays) in Millheim throughout the summer ending each ride at Elk Creek Cafe to properly gather and celebrate everyone’s accomplishment.
Why not raise money for charity?
A $3 donation is requested from each rider for the planning effort. At the end of the season, proceeds are donated to local non-profits (see a list below).
A ride to Woodward during our first year.
The First Ride
The first ride attracted eight people. Interest grew throughout the summer with a record of 20 people in a single Wednesday night ride. They ended the season with a cookout and announced that they successfully raised a few hundred dollars to be donated to local charities.
Pedals & Pints Today
2023 will be our 8th season (the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID) of the Penns Valley Pedals & Pints cycling club. Not much has changed besides the numbers. We reached a record 100+ riders during our 2021 and 2022 seasons and the group has raised more than $19,000 for charity over the years.
Roy’s brother Mark drove the support vehicle up through the 2022 season, aiding cyclists with flats and other mechanical issues. Mark passed away in early 2023 and though this position is impossible to fill in the same way, we’ll continue to have a support vehicle for each ride.
Roy does his best to create a new and different ride each week of the season utilizing the paved roads in Millheim, Spring Mills, Coburn, Woodward, Rebersburg, Smulton and Madisonburg. He marks the 18-23 mile routes and includes a few short-cuts for more relaxed riders.
The goal of Penns Valley Pedals & Pints is to have fun and enjoy the beautiful scenery while meeting up with or making new friends. We encourage you to join us!
Ride Forever, Mark Rupert
1963-2023
In life, take time to stop and smell the roses…and taste the beer.
Thursday Night Rides
6 PM start from the Millheim Fire Company parking lot.
New 14 to 23 mile course each week.
1 Rider Support vehicle to aid with flats & mechanicals.
Enjoy a beer Elk Creekside at the end.
100 rider record - become one of them!
Donations
Roy donates his time each week developing and marking the route. Roy bikes it the Sunday prior looking for construction, potholes and other hazards, and even asks homeowners to keep problem pups inside during ride hours. He uploads the route to Map My Ride and shares it with Penns Valley Pedals and Pints members via email and has it posted to the website.
It all takes time and there’s a modest spend for supplies, printing waivers, paint to mark the route, etc. So, Penns Valley Pedals & Pints requests a $3 donation from riders each week.
But Roy isn’t in it for the money. A majority of what is raised is donated to local charities and organizations with relevant goals. We’ve donated $12,000 over the past 6 years to Penns Valley based organizations and, in early years, to the purchase of bikes for individuals in impovershed nations.
Local Charities We Support:
Penns Valley Hope Fund – Financially assists PV residents w/ medical crisis or personal disaster.
Penns Valley Conservation Association – Stewards, educators, and restorers of the Upper Penns Creek Watershed.
Millheim Swimming Pool – Family recreation area and summer swim team.
East Penns Valley Library – Independent Community Library.
Millheim Fire Company – Serving Millheim, Haines Twp and Penns Twp.
Harvest Fields Community Trails + Skills Park – Nittany Mountain Biking Association designed this trail system with beginners and youth in mind as a place to learn to mountain bike, along with opportunities to improve skills, become more confident and eventually be able to enjoy the many other advanced/technical trails in the central Pennsylvania area.
2023 Board Members
We take our roles seriously…well, enough to ensure the safety and fun of all who participate in Penns Valley Pedals & Pints activities. We meet a few times a year to discuss how to improve operations and the weekly rides, volunteering at local races (like Seasons of Rothrock and the UnPAved), and donation contributions…as well as how to properly bestow titles.
Roy Rupert, Grand Poobah
Erica Thumma, Lordess of Marketing
Bobbie Dash, Lordess of the Treasury
Andy Pieters, Lord Mayor
Jim Thumma, Lord High Everything Else