Wednesday, May 30, 2007

"Wired to Win" coming to St. Louis

"Wired to Win: Surviving the Tour de France," the IMAX film about the legendary race and how the human brain wires itself to handle the demands of the grueling event, is coming to St. Louis.

Beginning June 15, the movie will be shown at the Omnimax Theater at the St. Louis Science Center. The movie's Web site says the film will remain at the theater until Jan. 3, 2008. The film already has been shown in numerous theaters around the world since 2005, so it's finally making its way to St. Louis, but the timing actually may be good: The Tour of Missouri bicycle race, which will be Sept. 11-16, is a sponsor of the St. Louis screening, along with Big Shark Bicycle Co., Trailnet and Johnny Mack's Sporting Goods.

The film's Web site has all kinds of goodies, including desktop photos and podcasts, but I've posted the movie's trailer below in case you don't have time to visit the site:



The movie tells the story of Australian Baden Cooke and his French teammate Jimmy Caspar as they compete in 2003 edition of the Tour de France. "Just to finish in Paris, they will need to avoid danger, stave off crushing pain and fatigue, control their emotions, seize fleeting moments of opportunity and stay highly motivated. It's the brain that controls all of this," the film's Web site says.

By the way, there's no truth to any speculation that "Tour de Donut: Gluttons for Punishment" will be shown along with "Wired to Win."

Labels: cycling, movies, racing, Tour de France

Roger 1 comments 3:57 PM

Monday, May 28, 2007

BABES in the news

Today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch features a story in its Healthy & Fit section about St. Louis-area groups that heed the call of the great outdoors, and the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society, better known as the BABES, happen to be a part of the story.

The print version of the story includes photos of ride leader Jerry Whittle going over the route with the riders and cyclists Glen Peterson and Cecile Desair riding on the MCT Schoolhouse Trail near Collinsville. Unfortunately, the online version of the story doesn't include those photos.

Longtime ride leader Arlene Willmann also is quoted in the story. She does a good job of summing up what we're all about:

"We like to ride. We like to have fun. And, of course, we like to eat."

For those of you who aren't familiar with the BABES, we're a loosely organized group of cyclists that conduct rides in St. Clair, Madison, Clinton and Monroe counties in Illinois. The core of our activities are our Wednesday Evening Rides, which give riders the option of going from 12 to 25 miles. After the ride, we have dinner at a local restaurant.

This Wednesday evening, we meet at 6 p.m. at Scheve Park in Mascoutah and take off at 6:15 to see the "Mountains of Mascoutah" Actually, the hills aren't all that bad on the route. They just seem big because the vast majority of the surrounding countryside near Mascoutah is flat.

During the month of June, we'll meet for our Wednesday Evening Rides at 6:15 p.m. at the Turner Hall parking lot in Smithton and take off at 6:30. You can visit our Ride Calendar for more details.

From time to time, we also have rides out of metro-east wineries such as the Ravissant Winery in Belleville, the Hidden Lake Winery near Aviston and Vintner's Cellar in Edwardsville. We also will be scheduling slower-paced Ice Cream Social Rides over the course of the cycling season.

The BABES are affiliated with the Gateway Council of Hostelling International. Our rides are free for members of the organization and $3 for non-members.

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society, cycling

Roger 0 comments 9:55 AM

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Good news on the legislative front

On Tuesday, the Illinois House passed SB80, which will require motorists to leave a minimum of 3 feet while passing a cyclist or other individuals. The bill now goes to Gov. Rod Blagojevich for his signature. The House approved the bill by a 107-8 vote.

In addition to the 3-foot clearance requirement, the bill also allows cyclists to "take the lane" where right turns are authorized and allows the option of a right arm hand signal when turning right.

For more information about the bill, visit the League of Illinois Bicyclists' Web site.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, League of Illinois Bicyclists, safety

Roger 1 comments 10:33 AM

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Death in Tour de Donut family

I was sad to hear today from fellow Tour de Donut co-founder Joe Booth that Lance Jubelt, the owner of Mount Olive, Ill.-based Jubelt Bakery, died Monday.

For the vast majority of the 19 years of the Tour de Donut, including all but one year that the event has been held in Staunton, Ill., Jubelt Bakery has provided the glazed doughnuts consumed during the race.

"As you may or may not know, Lance was a faithful supporter of the Tour de Donut over the years when I served as Mid-America Bicycle Club president and TDD race director," Joe said. "By that I mean, when we asked for 40-70-dozen donuts (ever increasing) for our event, he always responded positively."

The Boeing Employee's Bicycle Club took over the ride in 1998 after the Mid-America Bicycle Club folded, and it has maintained the relationship with Jubelt's Bakery.

In a 2002 article in American Profile magazine about the Tour de Donut, Lance told reporter Kimbre Chapman: “We donated all the doughnuts the first year. Later it got too big, and we switched to donating half this year—160 dozen doughnuts.”

Lance doesn't appear in the documentary film "Tour de Donut: Gluttons for Punishment," but his hard-working bakers do.

A brief obituary appears today in The (Alton) Telegraph, and visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at Becker & Son Funeral Home in Mount Olive. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Zion Lutheran Church in Mount Olive.

Labels: Tour de Donut

Roger 1 comments 11:02 AM

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Jogger attacked on MCT Nature Trail

If you live in the St. Louis area, you pretty much had to be hiding under a rock Monday to have not heard about the attack on a female jogger that took place Sunday on the Madison County Transit Nature Trail in Edwardsville.

The good news is that Edwardsville Police have a suspect, although he was not in custody as of this morning. Also, the woman escaped his attacker and suffered only minor injuries.

The crime got big play in St. Louis-area media outlets, including the one I work for, the Belleville News-Democrat. My hope is that the extensive coverage prompts people to be more careful while using the trails, but that it doesn't create paranoia that prompt people to stop using the St. Louis region's trails.

The attack in Edwardsville also brought back reminders of an August 2006 attack that took place on the MetroLink Trail in Belleville. No suspect has been arrested in that particular attack. That attack prompted the organizers of the Tour de Belleville bicycle ride, which will take place July 13, to use proceeds from this year's ride to purchase emergency telephones that will be installed along the trail.

Police and MCT believe trails are generally safe places to be. Edwardsville Police Lt. Scott Evers said there have not been any other attacks on the miles of MCT Trails that go through his city, and MCT released this statement on the trails:

"Thanks to existing security measures and a solid working relationship with law enforcement agencies in the communities served by the MCT bikeway system, tens of thousands of individuals safely enjoy the trails every year. MCT continues to believe that the trails are safe and that this was an isolated, unfortunate incident."

Nevertheless, Edwardsville Police offered several tips to stay safe on the trails, including cycling, running or walking with a friend or in groups and exercising only during daylight hours.

Here are some links to coverage on the attack:

Belleville News-Democrat
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The (Alton) Telegraph
Edwardsville Intelligencer
KSDK-TV
KMOV-TV
KTVI-TV
KPLR-TV

Labels: MCT Trails, safety, trails

Roger 0 comments 9:18 AM

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Bike to Work Day in St. Louis

Trailnet, the non-for-profit group that promotes trail usage in the St. Louis, will be marking Bike to Work Day this Friday from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. with a free breakfast for bike commuters at four" refueling stations":

* Memorial Park in Clayton - located on South Meramec Avenue in downtown Clayton (between Forsyth Blvd. and Bonhomme Ave.)

* Missouri Botanical Garden - 4344 Shaw Blvd. (between Tower Grove and Vandeventer)

* Missouri History Museum - Lindell Blvd. and DeBaliviere Ave. on the north edge of Forest Park (look for the tents at the north entrance to the museum)

* American Institute of Architects - 305 N Broadway, in downtown St. Louis). This location offers free, secure bike and gear storage, across from the Marquette YMCA, where free shower coupons can be redeemed. Bike drop-off and Refueling Station hours are from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m., with bike pickup from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

There are no refueling stations on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River for people who want to ride their bikes from Illinois communities to jobs in downtown St. Louis.

Roger 0 comments 6:14 PM

Not much time for riding

As difficult as it is for me to admit, my bicycle and I have not spent enough time together this spring.

My original plan for June was to ride the Oklahoma Freewheel ride, but I know I will not be in strong enough shape by June 10 to do a 428-mile ride, so I will instead help out with the Gateway Council of Hostelling International's Cycle Across Missouri and try to get some quality miles in in the process so I'll be ready for the West Shoreline Tour in August. I always enjoy riding in Michigan in August, when it's hot and humid in the St. Louis area.

Tour de Stooges is the primary reason for the lack of cycling time because of all of the work I had to do before the ride and all of the follow-up work afterward, especially sorting out the T-shirt orders. I've also been doing some critical work for the 2008 ride, but I still can't talk much about that until plans are finalized.

Also this week, my mom underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on her left knee to repair a torn ligament. It's related to the blood clot and cyst problem she had in her leg last fall. That meant a couple of visits to the family farm near Brighton, Ill., this week to do some chores.

The most pleasurable of the chores was getting her bicycle back into riding shape so it's ready to go in a few weeks. Before the problems developed, she rode her bike up and down the lane two times a day to get her newspaper and the mail. She's hoping to get back on the bike shortly to help the knee recover, and I was more than happy to help.

Here's hoping I get more time to get some decent rides in soon!

Labels: cycling, family

Roger 1 comments 1:53 PM

Friday, May 11, 2007

'A Girl Who Loves the Stooges'

A big tip of the hat to Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society mainstay Dave Weidler to introducing me to Terry Adams' new song, "A Girl Who Loves the Stooges."

I just can't imagine how Dave thought of me when he heard that song this morning.

DJ Steve Pick played the song today on his Sound Salvation show on KDHX-FM 88.1, a community radio station in St. Louis. Here's how Pick describes Adams' album, "Rhythm Spell" and the song:

"This solo album from the NRBQ keyboardist is a hoot and a half. Here, he searches for that ideal woman, the one who loves The Three Stooges."

You can listen to the streaming audio of the show here: http://www.kdhx.org/stream.php?id=37&show=5313

The song is about 42 minutes into show. Before you get to "A Girl Who Loves the Stooges," you get to hear such tasty nuggets such as Kate Bush's "Mrs. Bartolozi," Pete Townshend's "The Sea Refuses No River," Wilco's "Hate It Here," and Willie Nelson and Ray Price's "Lost Highway."

All I can say is how can you not like a song that has lyrics such as "sabatoogie" and "say a few syllables."

And, are there any girls who love the Stooges?

Labels: music, Three Stooges

Roger 0 comments 7:20 PM

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Two inspirational cyclists

I have lot of respect for anyone who does a long-distance bicycle tour, and I have even more respect for anyone who takes on such an endeavor despite a perceived disability.

Tonight, I have the privilege of passing along stories about two such cyclists.

Bob Arnzen, a vision-impaired bicyclist, and his tandem partner, Dalton Baker, have enjoyed riding a tandem recumbent bicycle on the 225-mile long Katy Trail the past four summers. They would like to invite other sighted and vision-impaired tandem riders for a Saturday morning, group ride on the trail this summer. If you would like to be a captain, or know of a vision- impaired person capable of pedaling a bicycle who would like to be that stoker, or if you have a tandem bicycle that you could lend, the St. Louis-based Gateway Council of Hostelling International is inviting you to contact Dalton at (314) 832-7134 or daltonbaker@yahoo.com.

The second cyclist is 17-year-old Samantha Gilley of Flintstone, Ga. Samantha is totally blind, but Samantha and her uncle Barry Gilley are planning a 400-mile ride in October from Chattanooga to Memphis, Tenn. called the Sights Unseen Tour.

Samantha is raising money for St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, which has provided much of the medical care she has received over the years for bilateral retinoblastoma, an aggressive form of cancer that affects the eye.

Samantha is seeking sponsorships and donations for the ride, and more information about helping out can be found at the ride's Web site.

Bob and Samantha are inspirations for all of us, and I wish them the best of luck on their cycling journeys

Labels: cycling

Roger 1 comments 7:33 PM

Indian Crossing Century

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Gateway Council of Hostelling International's Indian Crossing Century is on for this Saturday, May 12.

The coordinators of the event, Darryl Fabick and Susan Feldman, were sweating it out this week because of the threat of Missouri River flooding in St. Charles County, Mo. So far, the river stages aren't as high as feared, so the ride is on as planned. Registration will be from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Francis of Assisi Church Senior Center, 1235 Farnham St. in Portage Des Sioux, Mo.

The threat of flooding isn't gone yet. Participants are urged to visit the Gateway Council's Web site Friday night to make sure that a late storm hasn't pushed the Missouri River over the levees.

Labels: cycling, Gateway Council of Hostelling International

Roger 0 comments 7:13 PM

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Edwardsville leg of Route 66 Trail-Breaking

Edwardsville is one of the communities holding ceremonies for the League of Illinois Bicyclists' Route 66-Trail Breaking on Saturday, June 2. LIB has maps available for a 15-mile trip from the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge to Edwardsville or a 40-mile trip from Litchfield to Edwardsville. Cyclists can do all or a part of the ceremony. Below is the full text of the press release recently issued by the organizers of the Edwardsville ceremony:

Edwardsville will be a gathering point for bicyclists trail blazing sections of Illinois’ Mother Road, the historic Route 66, on Saturday, June 2.

A rest stop will be available in the Edwardsville City Park and will be staffed from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. to provide water and information to riders coming through town.

Edwardsville will be one of six locations along the route from Chicago to the Missouri border celebrating Route 66 as welcoming to bicyclists, who can ride the distance they choose on trailblazing day.

“This will be a major event for bicyclists and all Route 66 fans,” said Stephanie Robbins, event coordinator. “Route 66 allowed thousands of travelers to stop and sample our community’s local history and special flavor, but the Interstate Highway System changed that. This trailblazing event will allow us to refocus attention on our community on June 2 and attract future travelers on bikes and in cars.”

Ed Barsotti, executive director of the League of Illinois Bicyclists, said, “Bicycling Route 66 gives riders the chance to recapture a bit of the past in an enjoyable, healthy way while imagining what the route was like during its heyday. Our hope is that thousands of bicyclists and others will follow, traveling Route 66 for exhilarating and nostalgic rides.”

"The trail breaking ride is a chance to sample what we believe will be a great recreational and educational experience for bicyclists at all levels from local recreational riders to cross-country tourists," said Donovan Gardner, chair of the Route 66 Trail Executive Committee.

Bicyclists will travel one of 13 sections of the Route 66 Trail all on June 2, covering the entire distance from downtown Chicago, the route’s starting point, to the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. Bicyclists can ride a whole segment or a part of a segment, starting anywhere along the route. Participants can select their own starting times to arrive in the towns at noon. The charted individual segments range from 15-50 miles.

The other towns participating in the trailblazing event with their own festivities are Joliet, Pontiac, Bloomington, Springfield, and Staunton.

For more information on the event, the 13 routes with cue sheets and free registration, go to www.bikelib.org/route66.

Sponsors of the trailblazing event are the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the League of Illinois Bicyclists and the Route 66 Trail Executive Committee.

Labels: cycling, League of Illinois Cyclists, Route 66

Roger 1 comments 12:29 PM

Tour de Stooges 2007

I'm just now starting to recover from this year's Tour de Stooges in Lebanon, Ill., which took place Saturday, May 5. We had a record-shattering attendance of more than 620 cyclists, which pushed me and our dedicated volunteers to the max.

We had some challenges this year that made the ride a bit more difficult for the riders and our volunteers. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience they caused for our participants.

The biggest of the challenges was parking. Because of several events that were to have taken place Saturday at McKendree College, the college had restricted parking at our lots. That meant we would have to put people on nearby private lots or on the street. We did catch a break because of several days of rain before the ride made athletic fields unplayable, which meant McKendree could open up some lots for us. McKendree opened up the lots as soon as it found out the events were canceled, but not before some people already had parked on the streets.

I personally want to thank Ed Willett, McKendree's director of operators, for coming out early, opening the lots and helping us guide people to them. McKendree's security officers also were a big help in guiding people to the right places.

A few people were disappointed that we ran out of bananas at our Highland rest stop, although we had plenty of oranges and other snacks available at that stop. While we do our best to estimate how much people will eat of a particular item, it's difficult to know for sure. And, of course, any time you throw T-shirts or other clothing items into the mix, there's a special set of issues there.

But from what I could tell, the overwhelming majority of people had a positive experience Saturday. The fact that the ride has had steady growth tells me we're doing something right. I think people enjoy the scenic routes we have. The roads have some hills to keep things interesting, but they're not so big to be intimidating to new cyclists.

And, of course, there's The Three Stooges. While a lot of people sat around talking to friends, the ride continues to introduce people to classic slapstick comedy or to bring back memories of classic episodes they may not have seen in years.

There will be some big changes in the ride in 2008, but I really can't write about those right now until we finalize them. Whatever we do, the changes are intended to make the event better than it is now.

Again, a big thanks go out to all our volunteers, and a bigger thanks go to all of you who attended the ride!

Labels: Tour de Stooges

Roger 0 comments 10:38 AM

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

LIB public service announcement

The League of Illinois Bicyclists and the Illinois Department of Transportation next week will be airing a 30-second radio public service announcement urging cyclists and motorists to share the road.

It is scheduled to be heard on several stations throughout Illinois, including the 52 stations of the Illinois Radio Network. In the St. Louis area, KMOX-AM 1120 in St. Louis, WBGZ-AM 1570 in Alton, WJBM-AM 1480 in Jerseyville, WSMI-AM 1540 in Litchfield, WNSV-FM 104.7 in Nashville and WHCO-AM 1230 in Sparta are part of the network. When -- or if -- you hear them depends on the individual stations.

For those of you in the Chicago area, a news conference will be held at noon Monday (May 7) outside the James R. Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph, to promote sharing the road and to distribute safety literature. Bicyclists are invited to ride to the event and show their support.

Happy National Bike Month!

Labels: advocacy, League of Illinois Bicyclists, safety

Roger 2 comments 9:01 AM