Cape Cod Getaway June 27-28

Kevin and I did our first MS ride of the summer last weekend. The whole family rode out to Boston with me (to visit with family, not to join me on the ride!). We took two days to get there, staying in Erie both coming and going. We arrived at the Chanoux house on Thursday evening and had a nice relaxing day on Friday.

Early on Saturday, Jeanne and I drove down to pick up Kevin at his hotel. We then drove down to Quincy to the start line. There were over 2000 riders in this ride. Saturday was a gorgeous day - 74 degrees and sunny. Those living in the Boston area told us it was the nicest day they had had yet in 2009.

Every year I try to figure out what is the craziest, newest, or weirdest thing. This year it was the bicycle rickshaw riders. Downtown Boston has bicycle-powered rickshaws that taxi people around the city. There were four of these vehicles on the ride with about 15 drivers. They would periodically switch off during the day. They rode the entire 150 miles!

Saturday was a lovely day. Partly along the ocean and inlets of southern Massachusetts wandering through small quaint New England towns. Kevin and I rode together the first 42 miles, then I split off to do the century while he set off to finish his 75 miles. He finished about 1:15, but I didn't finish until about 3:00. However, that gave Kevin time to find our stuff, set up the tent, set up my cot and check out the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. What a guy, huh?

Illinois Marathon

I had a great experience on Saturday - I rode escort for the inaugural Illinois Marathon. I had never participated in any type of marathon before, so it was a brand new opportunity for me. I really didn't know what to expect.

It was a lot of fun. Anybody can do this. It is a leisurely ride. We started out about a 1/2 mile ahead of the runners, and joined in about a minute apart. Our job was to ride shotgun aiding any runner that needed help. It was an easy job. I joined early in the throng of runners so that I was nearer the front of the race. I knew those runners would keep a better pace so that riding would be easier.

For a couple of days before the ride, I was trying to figure out which bike to ride and finally settled on the computer bike. It was the right choice. Because the ride was so leisurely, it was easier to sit upright than to hang over the handle bars. Also, with toe clips, it was easier to get out of the pedals quickly.

I will certainly plan on doing it again next year. It was a great experience.

Photo Gallery from the News-Gazette.

March Rides

I did get to ride on Saturday. Riding this time of year reminds me what I frequently say, "What we lack in hills in central IL, we make up for in wind." Spring is a windy time in central IL. Until the corn gets planted and grow up to block it for us, it is windy riding in this part of the world. And it was good I got out on Saturday. Yesterday afternoon I checked the Weather Channel for local information where it reported winds out of the west at 38 mph, gusting to 56 mph! In fact, much of campus was without power for about four hours yesterday. I guess it put a cramp in some students studying plans for the afternoon.

Looking forward to spring

I think I can say, for me, the biking season is done. I haven't even ridden to work in the last week. Once it gets to the point where the daily high isn't going to get above freezing, I abandon the bike. Taking the bus is too convenient, although yesterday I missed the bus by 50' so I ended up walking to work. I thought about going back after the bike, but that would have meant change shoes and the coat, so I didn't.

Those that are still out biking to the office or class need to be sure they have adequate lights on their bikes. I have seen a lot of bikers who have little or no lights on themselves or the bike. That is just foolish and dangerous. Even stupid. My goal, and it should be the goal of every biker, is to be seen on the road. When I do ride at this time of year when it gets dark so early, I have six lights on my bike and I wear a reflective vest. I want to be seen!

Looking forward to spring.

MS-150 Bike to Jack and Back

I just returned yesterday from Franklin, TN and the MS Ride "Bike to Jack and Back." They have hills in Tennessee! Lots of hills. Being a flat lands rider, it is a shock to the legs to ride all those hills.

The Long Route (75 miles) on Saturday took from the Page High School left to the Peytonville-Trinity Road and then to highway 431 for a short jog and then for a bit on Bethesda Road. After our first stop at the Bethesda Market (13.4 miles) we veered onto Pulltight Road and got to enjoy the biggest climb of the weekend. As mountains go, this was a little one; according to Google Maps, it looks like we only climbed about 200 feet, but we did that in about 1/2 mile. It was a hard climb. Kevin has pictures from the top as well as me when I reached the top. Both are worth seeing. When I get them from him, maybe I'll add them to this blog.

Nothing the rest of the day compared to that climb. There were lots of additional hills to work the muscles, but nothing compared to Pulltight. Everyone that rode the 75 talked about Pulltight on Saturday night. Please note that on the ride down from Pulltight, I hit 42 mph without pedaling. And the downhill was probably twice as long as the uphill. Fortunately, on Sunday, we took a different route so we didn't have to encounter Pulltight again.

Riding to Tuscola

Twice this season on PCC (Prairie Cycle Club) Saturday rides, a portion of the middle group broke off and went to Tuscola. I always thought Tuscola sounded like a long way away, but once you ride to Pesotum, it really isn't that much further. Just going to Tuscola via Pesotum and returning is about 50 miles - about the same as it is to Montecello and back, a trip I have made several times.

The second time we rode to Tuscola, we came back via Camargo and Villa Grove. That slight change in route added an additional ten miles to the trip. But it was OK, I had never been to beautiful downtown Camargo before. I have driven by it several times on my way to Paris or Marshall, but had never actually gotten off the hard road and driven through town. It is a nice little town that is suppose to have a very friendly grocery store.

A couple of fellow riders on that second trip to Tuscola experienced tire problems on the way home. The first was a blow-out of the tread, never a good thing on a bike ride. But I learned that you can fix that type of flat (sometimes) with a dollar bill or a candy wrapper. But it between the tire and the tube and hope that is dones't slide out of position before you get home. We wondered if a $10 would work better than a single, but we'll have to test that another time.

August Vacation

The family vacationed in Hayward, Wisconsin this summer. We rented a very nice 3 bedroom cabin on Devil's Lake just SW of Hayward off County Road E. It was a very small lake, no swimming. But the cabin came with a canoe and we did paddle around a couple of times. It was a very relaxing vacation.

Of course I brought the bike along. I knew that morning rides would be a good possibility. I got three rides in, putting on about 100 miles. The first ride was into the town of Hayward, about a 10 mile trip. Early in the morning, Hayward is a sleepy little town. I rode around a bit and found a bike/cross country ski trail (it snows in the winter, you know) that skirted a golf course and the high school.

The second ride was to Earl. Good luck finding it on a map. It is really tiny. Has a "Crocks and Antiques" shop and the obligatory auto repair shop. But it did have a UCC church with a "God is Still Speaking" banner out front. I was surprised and pleased. I went south from Earl and found a bit of gravel. But it only lasted about a half mile and then the road cleared up.

The third morning I was able to ride I went west towards Earl again, but turned south on M and then east on A and followed it into the town of Stone Lake. There I found a little grocery store where I bought some Gatorade and some peanuts. The ride back to the cabin forced me to take WI-27 for several miles, but the roads up there have nice wide shoulders so the riding isn't too bad.