2018 marked the 7th and final Kearsarge Klassic bike ride and fundraiser. We have many to thank for the success of this event, but we especially credit Jim Owers for envisioning the original concept and expending so much time and effort to ensure its success each year.
In 2012, Ausbon Sargent member, Jim Owers approached Debbie Stanley with this unique fundraising opportunity. Jim was on the board of the NH Cycling Club and an avid cyclist. He and his wife, Leslie Ludtke, own a home on Lake Sunapee and spend many hours enjoying rides on the back roads of the Mt. Kearsarge/Ragged/Lake Sunapee region. Jim proposed partnering with Ausbon Sargent to create a scenic, back road, multi-route ride that would pass by many Ausbon Sargent protected properties and attract riders from many parts of New England. Jim and his team provided the brains and the engineering for the event and Ausbon Sargent made sure the riders were well-fed and the event received the appropriate publicity. At the end of each annual Kearsarge Klassic the NH Cycling Club presented a check to Ausbon Sargent for the entirety of the proceeds raised from the event. A partnership like few others.
