IVA - On June 5 at 8:30 a.m, the fourth edition of the Safe Harbor Cycle Tour will roll out from the Civic Center in Iva, SC.  It has become a yearly tradition for many cyclists throughout the Upstate and beyond. 

Crowds have grown each year and, though technically it’s a tour where folks are encouraged to come enjoy a ride through our scenic countryside, this ride has also attracted state and national champion racers in past years – a wide range of serious cyclists and multi-sport athletes.  Why?  Because it is a fun, fast and interesting course. 

Above all else, the Cycle Tour is for a very worthy cause. 

The ride benefits Safe Harbor, a nonprofit organization serving victims of domestic violence and their children in Anderson, Greenville, Pickens, and Oconee counties. Safe Harbor provides shelter, counseling, advocacy, and support services for victims of domestic violence and their children, and domestic violence prevention and education for the entire Upstate community. 

The Cycle Tour starts in Iva and then rolls into northern Abbeville County through hills that form the banks of the Savannah River, Lake Russell and Lake Secession. Then the course heads back into southern Anderson County for Levelland where, as the name suggests, the terrain levels. 

This is Mennonite country and the roadsides are dotted with picturesque farms and country homes. 

This year there’s a new landmark to tell you that you’ve reached the mid-point of the ride.  It’s a giant rooster.  As if the legendary Grits & Groceries restaurant needed anything to add to its country charm, a giant rooster statue now welcomes guests out front. 

Grits & Groceries is one of the Cycle Tour rest stops.  If you’re riding the course like a race, wave as you ride by.  If you’re in less of a hurry, our volunteers will have the usual rest stop staples.  If you’re on the all-day plan, stop in for lunch.  Grits &

Groceries is truly legendary. 

Thankfully, after you leave Grits & Groceries, the course stays pretty flat for the next ten miles.  But there’s a little ting in the tail end of the course.  The last ten miles start to roll again.  There’s even one hill about seven miles from the finish that borders on being a genuine climb. 

After the Cycle Tour, lunch awaits under the outdoor canopy beside the Civic Center. 

 Riders can choose between a 25-mile or 65-mile course. 

All proceeds from this event will benefit Safe Harbor. 

You can register from 7:30am-8:30am on June 5 at the Iva Civic Center, or register in advance and save $5 by visiting www.safeharborcycletour.org.

 

Come see why this ride was rated the best in the area.  It’s the cause.  It’s the course.  It’s a great time!