Tour de Talbot

The revived Tour de Talbot will take place again in 2022 under a new umbrella organization, Talbot Thrive, on June 4, 2022. Riders will leave from the Easton Firehall location on Leonard Rieck Drive in Easton. With the success of Tour de Talbot last year, with over 300 riders participating, the event was looking for new organizers and Talbot Thrive, a new non-profit dedicated to healthy and safe outdoor mobility for everyone, was the perfect fit. In addition to bike rides of various distances, the community at large is invited to participate in the group’s first ever Thrive Expo - immediately following the ride.

“We’d love to get more of the community involved in this event, including families and non-bikers,” said Heather Grant, ride organizer and Talbot Thrive Board member. “And using this date as the kick-off for what we hope to be an annual healthy living fair Thrive Expo seemed like the perfect launch for this new organization. It only adds to a great day for bikers coming in from all over Maryland for Tour de Talbot.”

The bike routes kick off at the Firehall at at 7 a.m. with distances of 30, 40 and 62.5 (100 km Metric Century) being offered. Shorter mileage options can start later. Rest stops with water and snacks will be available approximately every 15 miles, but will close at 1 p.m. Participants completing the 40 and 62.5 mile routes will be crossing the Oxford Ferry and will be required to pay the one way $5 ferry fee. Those who choose to ride the shorter Easton-Oxford and return loop are welcome to come ride too! 

The Thrive Expo will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and is free and open to the entire community. At this point, the organization is looking for local businesses and non-profits who would like a table or booth to sell goods or products that promote healthy living and methods of transportation. Food vendors or food trucks are encouraged to apply early due to Health Department regulations. 

Local businesses who have already signed on include Easton Cycle and Sport who will be at the start from 6:30-8:30 a.m. to assist riders and to top off those tires with air and Sprout who will be there providing post-ride boxed lunches for riders. Other early sponsors include Pursoma, Kelly’s Distributors and more. Visit https://tourdetalbot.org/sponsorship-information/ to learn more about sponsorship packages. 

Proceeds from the ride go to support Talbot Thrive as well as other non-profits who volunteer to assist at rest stops - including the YMCA of the Chesapeake and All Saints Episcopal Church in Tunis Mills.

About Talbot Thrive: Talbot Thrive grew out of a series of concerned citizen meetings in 2021 where members of the biking, running and walking communities expressed frustration with the pace of progress in creating safer spaces and accommodations in Talbot County. This new group, which is still recruiting board and advisory committee members, was created to address those concerns and advocate for safer alternate methods of transportation in the county. They are community leaders, professional transportation planners and engineers, public health professionals, business owners, wellness advocates and public officials. Talbot Thrive hopes to develop outreach and community events to educate, raise awareness and to promote healthy habits and advocate for infrastructure changes needed to increase walking and bicycling access and safety.

About Tour de Talbot: Tour de Talbot is now in its second year of supporting local charities through a one-day bike ride event. Having raised and donated more than $5,000 in its inaugural year under this leadership, the hope is to grow the ride exponentially and keep supporting organizations which fight hunger and poverty in our local community. 501c3 charities who wish to benefit from the ride proceeds are asked to support a rest stop with people and/or food items (if a group is unable to provide food items for riders, Tour de Talbot will provide) during the ride and commit to a half day of volunteering on June 4. Organizations who wish to participate can learn more at tourdetalbot.org or email web@talbotthrive.org.