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 PV Pedals and Pints 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. Penns Valley Pedals and Pints 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
2026 will be our 10th season (the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID) of the Penns Valley Pedals and Pints cycling club. Not much has changed besides the numbers. We reached a record 100+ riders during our 2021 season, and the group has continued to grow. So far, we’ve raised more than $26,000 for charity over 10 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’ve continue to have a support vehicle for each ride.
We do our best to offer a different ride each week of the season utilizing the paved roads in Millheim, Spring Mills, Coburn, Woodward, Rebersburg, Smulton and Madisonburg. The 18-23 mile routes are marked and includes short-cuts for more relaxed riders.
Each ride starts/ends at the Millheim Fire Co pavilion, where we meet up after the ride for Elk Creek beers and cheers, and fuel up from various food trucks.
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
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 and Food Truck fare at the end.
90-100+ riders per week - become one of them!
Donations
Roy, President of Penns Valley Pedals and Pints, and other board members, donate time each week developing and marking the route. Roy looks for construction, potholes and other hazards, that are mentioned to keep you aware.
We upload the route to Happy Valley Ride with GPS, post it to the weekly rides event page, and share it with Penns Valley Pedals and Pints community in an email along with all kinds of local biking info.
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 $26,000 over the past 10 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.
Miles Township Fire Company – Serving Rebersburg, Smulton and Madisonburg.
Gregg Township Fire Company – Serving Spring Mills and Gregg Twp.
Penns Valley EMS – Non-profit volunteer and career organization.
Past supported organizations:
Harvest Fields Community Trails + Skills Park – NMBA designed this trail system with beginners and youth in mind as a place to learn to mountain bike, improve skills, and become more confident.
2023-2026 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