19th Nut Roll set for Saturday, with riders departing from and returning to downtown Albany

ALBANY — Cyclists from at least three states will be rolling through southwest Georgia on Saturday during the 19th annual Nut Roll, which departs from downtown Albany on Saturday morning.

More than 200 riders had registered for the event through Thursday. They will choose one of four distances: 17, 30 or 60 miles, or the century ride of 100 miles that takes cyclists to the Plains Welcome Center and back.

Albany has been the host to rides since the 1980s, Madye Carter, president of the Pecan City Pedalers and director for the 2023 Nut Roll, said. Participants say they appreciate the scenery and relatively flat landscape, she noted.

Cyclists who have registered so far come from Alabama, Florida and Georgia.

“This ride is very well-known,” Carter said. “Albany has always put on a very good ride, and we are proud of it. We are trying to maintain that reputation of a good, safe, very comfortable bike ride.

“The countryside is beautiful. The T-shirts (depict) some of the rolling farmland. This is not a race here, but it becomes a race because a lot of the fast cyclists try to be the first ones coming in.”

While speaking with The Albany Herald on Thursday, Carter was out on the road posting signs along the route, asking drivers to be courteous and give riders a wide berth. State law requires drivers to give cyclists a lane of traffic, she said, and, when passing, provide at least three feet between the vehicle and bicycle.

Participants will include the young, including Marines from Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany, who generally are among the fastest riders, to those who are at least 75 years old. So the ride director requested that drivers be aware and drive courteously.

“We’re Marines, we’re doctors. We’re from all walks of life. We’re farmers,” she said. “We’re regular members of this community looking to do what we do and do it safely. We have the honor and the privilege of riding with the Marines.”

This year, as many as 225 could show up because some register on the day of the ride, Carter said.

“The numbers are good,” she said. “I think last year we had 300 registered. Unfortunately, we had really bad storms forecast and some people didn’t show up.”

The inclement weather actually did not materialize, and about 200 cyclists completed their courses. Saturday’s prediction is for a temperature of about 66 degrees at the start of the ride, but warmer later in the day.

“The weather is forecast to be perfect, beautiful,” Carter said. “Everyone, even the stragglers, should be done by 3 p.m.

“There are quite a few bike rides around the area, and we’re kind of known for our ride. We do a lot of good rest stops. We give everybody a meal after the ride.”

The annual Nut Roll is also a good event for businesses, said Rashelle Minix, executive director of the Albany Convention and Business Bureau. September is usually a slow month for hotels because of the beginning of school, so the Nut Roll will provide some economic activity.

“It’s exciting to see it come back,” she said of the ride that was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. “Since COVID, I think they’re getting the numbers back up. The cyclists are great to have in the community. They’ll definitely be staying in the hotels, eating in the restaurants.

“They ride as many as 100 miles, so they’re getting to see Albany and the (various) counties. We really enjoy having them here.”

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