More on W.R.A.T.H.

Sunday was only slightly better than Saturday. It wasn't raining when we started the ride, but it misted and drizzled a lot of the day. For some reason (the lousy weather) the Society decided to cancel the long route (75 miles), so that let only the 44 mile route as the long option. That route took us back through Custer State Park With the mist and fog, we missed seeing any buffalo. However, on the ride, I did see several flocks of wild turkeys.

What I didn't do is figure out how to use my new Garmin Edge 705 GPS. And that is unfortunate, because I could have had a map of the route that would have helped me remember and retrace my steps. I have since figured out how to use the device and have used it to record several rides. I am still trying to figure out how to create and edit routes, but I think that will come with time.

Here is a picture from Saturday.

Click here to view these pictures larger

W.R.A.T.H. 2009

The Weekend Ride Around the Hills is done.

The good news is that my new, really expensive Gore Bike Wear rain jacket works GREAT. The bad news is, I needed it all weekend. Most of South Dakota enjoyed sunny and warm weather this weekend, but there was a small little area that was centered around Mt. Rushmore that rained all weekend and never warmed up.

Saturday started with rain and for the next six hours, it rained. Sometimes hard, sometimes not very hard. But until about 2:00pm, it was really nasty. And climbing the hills (mountains?) in the rain is not fun and even scary. I smartly elected not to do the century and only did 71 miles, hitting a top speed of 43 mph coming down some hill. I have a feeling it was after leaving the four presidents. It was sunny then and the road was dry. And for those of you that have been to Mount Rushmore, you know the road down to Keystone is steep.

Dinner last night was at the Mount Rushmore Cafe where we got to select from anything and everything we wanted from the counters. I ate a lot. And then the staff gave away a few door prizes. I won the big prize of the night!! It is a new Garmin Edge 705 Bike Computer with the US Street map option. It is a wonderful device that I am anxious to learn how to use.

I am in Sioux Falls SD tonight. I'll write more later.

Broken Seat Bolt

I had a new experience this weekend. Knute and I were out riding Saturday morning going to Homer Lake and back. And on our way back, as we were riding down a newly oil and chipped road, the bolt holding my seat snapped. After collecting most of the parts, and calling Jeanne, we road back to Homer Lake Road and I waited for my ride.

I thought that buying a new bolt would solve my problem. How silly of me.

I first went to the bike store where I bought the bike. With parts in hand, they looked for a bolt. When they couldn't find one, they offered to order one for me. I knew that would be several weeks before I had a bolt, so I suggested I would check the competitors in town to see if I might get a bolt from them. So I went to the nearby competitor. They spent a lot of time trying to find the correct bolt (after commenting that my bolt was smaller than normal). So although they couldn't find a compatible small bolt, they came up with all the parts I should need to use the bigger bolt type. I went home happy.

However, what we both failed to remember was that the hole in the seat post was at the smaller 7mm size, not the new 8mm components I now had. Back in the car to go to the closer bike store to see if they might have the 7mm bolt I needed. They didn't either, but they suggested I go to Do It Best Hardware and simply buy an appropriate bolt.

You all know the drawer after drawer of nuts and bolts the hardware stores have. First recognize that most of those drawers of stuff are standard, not metric. Of the few metric drawers, most will have 2-4-6-8mm stuff, but not 7mm. Only one drawer in that entire isle of nuts and bolts contained 7mm bolts. I bought one that was estimated to be the length of the one I broke.

It turned out to be too short.

Rather than returning to Do It Best, I thought I'd try my local True Value. They had the longer bolt and it appears to be working. I have it installed and have ridden a few miles to make sure I had the seat adjusted correctly. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Oh, and so I went back to my original store to have them order the proper bolt so that I could ultimately replace the one from the hardware store. After spending much time on the computer looking at his parts lists, it seems like we can't order just the bolt. I will need to buy an entire new seat post to get the bolt I need.

A $25 seat post for a $0.75 bolt.

Riding to SD

In just a month, I will be riding in W.R.A.T.H., the MS150 ride in Rapid City, SD. I have my hotel reservations and have been training all summer. But I recently discovered that what they call "hills," this flatlander might call a mountain. There are three routes to choose from on Saturday - 27, 67, 99 miles. For the past several years, I have been doing the century ride on Saturday. But this particular route has a climb of 8605' at about mile 80. That just isn't very nice. The 67 mile route climbs only 6575', peaking at about mile 46. I am thinking I will take the shorter of the two. The return trip on Sunday (75 miles) only climbs to 6302'.

Where can I find some hills to train on in Champaign County?

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.