Lodging and Visitor information: Check tailwindcyclists.com or visit crawfordcounty.com for area hotels, restaurant and visitor info.

Comfort: Post ride showers, real toilets and plenty of parking will make your before and after ride stress free. Well stocked, fun-themed SAG stops every 15 miles (or less) apart ensure a fine dining experience.

Festival: The whole family can enjoy Pitsburg's Little Balkans Days celebration Saturday while you're riding; you can join them for the evening street dances and carnival downtown. Live music, Train rides, Carnival rides, Arts and Crafts vendors, and Car shows are just a few of the Saturday activities with lots more Sunday. A full list of festival activities and times is online at tailwindcyclists.com.

Ride description: We've tweaked the course for 2011! More SAG's and smoother roads will keep the fun factor high. Mostly flat with a few hills meandering through numerous small towns in Crawford and Cherokee counties, past historic landmarks like the Big Brutus coal shovel.

Directions: Ride starts at Pittsburg High School (NOT PSU). PHS is located on the east end of Pittsburg on Hwy 126 (4th ST). Registration is inside the main building. Pittsburg High School 1978 E. 4th ST Pittsburg, KS 66762. GPS - N37� 24.6493','W094� 40.3841'.