Cyclists have a wheelie good time at Mattapoisett's annual Tour de Créme
From the left: Cyclists Jack Dresser, John Hartnett and Joseph DePoalo at the beginning of the ride. Photos by Mari Huglin 
Bikes lined the start point while riders checked in. 
Cyclists rest at Robin's Nest, the second stop on the ride. 
Cyclists stand outside Country Whip, the first stop on the 47-mile ride. 
Bikes were leaned on walls or thrown on the ground while riders got ice cream. 
A scoop of Coffee Oreo ice cream at Country Whip.
From the left: Cyclists Jack Dresser, John Hartnett and Joseph DePoalo at the beginning of the ride. Photos by Mari Huglin
Bikes lined the start point while riders checked in.
Cyclists rest at Robin's Nest, the second stop on the ride.
Cyclists stand outside Country Whip, the first stop on the 47-mile ride.
Bikes were leaned on walls or thrown on the ground while riders got ice cream.
A scoop of Coffee Oreo ice cream at Country Whip.
MATTAPOISETT — I scream, you scream, we all bike for ice cream!
On Sunday, May 31 cyclists of all ages took on a 9, 25 or 47-mile route to support the Mattapoisett Rail Trail in its annual Tour de Créme.
Cyclists rode around Mattapoisett and a few neighboring towns including Rochester, Lakeville and Acushnet, stopping for ice cream along the way.
Sippican Week reporter Mari Huglin participated in the annual ride as an avid cyclist herself with some wheels on the ground reporting.
Riding a steel-frame green Masi, this reporter lathered on some sunscreen and saddled up.
Opting for the 47-mile option, this reporter finished four ice creams in under 3 hours, with an additional lobster roll and beer at the end.
Around 50 other riders took off for Country Whip at 10 a.m. After 11 miles, cyclists dismounted and enjoyed their first free ice cream at the Acushnet creamery.
This reporter chose coffee Oreo, a Massachusetts staple, for the first flavor.
Steven da Silva of Westport also stopped at Country Whip, sporting a unique bicycle. He had built a fixed-gear bicycle which means there are no gears to shift and ease riding.
He said even though it's more difficult to ride, he said he bought it so he's going to ride it this way.
Around mile 28, this reporter joined a group of three who had dubbed themselves the “J Group” because all their names started with J.
Jack Dresser, Joseph DePoalo and John Hartnett, all from Mattapoisett, were strangers before they started riding together that morning.
Now a group of four, the conversation centered on a shared interests of running and cycling, Joseph’s recent engagement and Jack previously appearing in a Sippican Week story about a choir concert.
At Robin’s Nest, the next stop, this reporter opted for brownie batter and then, a few miles later, picked mint chocolate chip at Captain Bonney’s.
There, a father-daughter duo from Norton who do the ride every year had visited their favorite stop to get the Cranberry Harvest flavor they can’t find anywhere else.
Volunteers handed out chocolate ice cream to all riders at the final stop at Nasketucket Bay Vineyard before cyclists rode down the Mattapoisett Rail Trail and across the finish line.
There, riders could pick up some lunchand drinks from food carts and chat with friends while looking over the Mattapoisett Harbor.
New friends were made, tummies were full of ice cream and legs were tired, but the annual Tour de Créme was a success.
