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News, commentary and humor about bicycling and other topics of the day

 

Speeding cyclists, beware!

If you're a cyclist who likes to ride fast on the 8-mile trail in Creve Coeur County Park in west St. Louis County near Maryland Heights, Mo., you may be facing a ticket and a fine.

KSDK-TV, Channel 5, in St. Louis reported today that starting next week, speeding cyclists could get a ticket, be fined up to $1,000 and may get time in the county jail.

"If I see you traveling at a high rate of speed and you're passing people, not being considerate of others and causing almost collisions, you can get a ticket and possibly go to jail for it," Park Ranger Keith Kaiser told KSDK.

A series of complaints and accidents have led to the crackdown, Kaiser said. This week, bicylists are receiving citizen complaint alerts about the fines for speeding.

Some bike trails have speed limits, but the KSDK report doesn't say whether the Creve Coeur trail has a speed limit.

One bicyclist, Ruth Marner, says there has been increasing resentment.

"People don't want us on the roads. They swear at us when we're on the roads and then they don't like us on the trails so I think we need to compromise and be courteous," she told KSDK.

Labels: advocacy, safety, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 7:29 PM

2009 Tour of Missouri route

Tour of Missouri organizers weren't kidding when they predicted this year's course would be a difficult one. I knew it was it going to be as soon as it heard the race was going through southeastern Missouri and the Ozark Mountains.

"We definitely have some surprises in this year's version of the Tour of Missouri," said Jim Birrell, the race's director, in a press release. "Missouri is a very deceiving state topographically. Because of the many rivers, the terrain is full of short steep hills. And, the Ozarks are filled with non-stop climbs. It will take a strong man to win this race again."

You can take a look for yourself with maps and elevations profiles on the Tour of Missouri Web page, but here's a sampling of what to expect:

• Sept. 7, Stage 1, St. Louis (circuit race): The circuit race will be 10 laps on a 7.5-mile course through downtown and neighborhoods south of downtown. The circuit begins and ends at the City Garden on Market Street near Seventh Street. The course will head south on Broadway past Busch Stadium, then south toward the Soulard neighborhood, past the Anheuser-Busch brewery, pass Lafayette Park and head back toward downtown on Tucker Boulevard.
• Sept. 8, Stage 2, Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau: The climbing starts almost immediately as the course leaves Ste. Genevieve. The sprint points take place at the Crown Valley Winery, while the King of the Mountain points are awarded on Highway WW near Clearwater, but that doesn't mean the climbing is over before the descent toward Perryville. From there, there's plenty of rolling hills on the road to Cape Girardeau.
• Sept. 9, Stage 3, Farmington to Rolla: Tour of Missouri organizers say this stage could be the most difficult ever, and with 6,000 feet of climbing on this stage, they just might be right. There's some serious climbing after Pilot Knob on Missouri Route 32, and there two King of the Mountain points on Missouri Route 49 between Viburnum and Cherryville.
• Sept. 10, Stage 4, St. James to Jefferson City: This is the only repeat stage from 2008, featuring the undulating rolling hills the Tour of Missouri has been known for and including a 300-meter finishing climb in Jefferson City, the state capital.
• Sept. 11, Stage 5, Sedalia (time trial): In the 2007 and 2008 events, the individual time trial took place in hilly Branson. This time, the time trial course is flatter. There are three vantage points of the course from the Katy Trail as you head southwest from Sedalia.
• Sept. 12, Stage 6, Chilicothe to St. Joseph: Take my word for it, there are some more undulating rolling hills between the two communities.
• Sept. 13, Stage 7, Kansas City (circuit race): Organizers say this stage won't be a parade stage because of some steep hills and technical turns. After a start at KCLive in the Kansas City Power and Light District, Union Station serve as the finish line for this year's Tour of Missouri.

If the Tour de France has whetted your appetite for more world-class bicycle racing, let the Show-Me State show you more of what it's all about!

Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments 1:41 PM

Iowa group pushes bicycle ban

The Citizens for Safety Coalition of Iowa has started a petition drive that asks the Iowa legislature to create a ballot initiative for the November 2010 election that would ban bicycles on "farm-to-market" roads.

This is how Iowa law defines "farm-to-market" roads: "Farm-to-market roads" or "farm-to-market road system" means those county jurisdiction intracounty and intercounty roads which serve principal traffic generating areas and connect such areas to other farm-to-market roads and primary roads. The farm-to-market road system includes those county jurisdiction roads providing service for short-distance intracounty and intercounty traffic or providing connections between farm-to-market roads and area service roads, and includes those secondary roads which are federal aid eligible.

Here's what the group's petition has to say:

We the undersigned are Iowa residents who urge our Legislature to support a ballot initiative for the November 2010 election which will prohibit bicyclists from using state and county defined farm-to-market roads.

A farm-to-market road is a state or county road which serves to connect rural or agricultural areas to market towns.

Over the past ten years the number of bicyclists using these farm-to-market roads for recreational purposes has increased dramatically as have the number of preventable accidents and fatalities.

Rural commerce and citizens are significantly impacted when forced to share the farm-to-market roadways with bicyclists. Because of the growth of today's commerce and agricultural business, shared roadways are no longer safe or practical in today's society.

So please if you are a resident of Iowa join us and lets make our roadways safe. Thanks for your time and your support.

All questions and comments can be sent to cfscofiowa1@yahoo.com.

A spokesman for the group, Dan Jones, told Radio Iowa that bicyclists create problems on the roads. He says some of the smaller highways or rural roads don't have shoulders, and don't have a place for motorists or cyclists to get out of the way to avoid a problem.

"We're tired of it, we think that the bicyclists should be held to the same laws that motorists are. They should have to have their license and insurance, anything that I've ever known that's been on these highways has to have insurance on it," Jones told Radio Iowa.

Needless to say, the Iowa Bicycle Coalition is opposed to it. The Coalition opposes the ban, but shares the concern about safety on Iowa highways. Here's what that group has to say:

Iowa governments have tools to address roadway safety for motorists and bicyclists. Safety improvements are accomplished with roadway design changes, improved signage, better enforcement, education programs and awareness building. Bike bans are not the answer.

Existing traffic laws provide a framework for different modes of traffic to share the road. State traffic laws provide consistent expectations for safe behavior on public roadways throughout the state for all roadway users.

Bike bans would have an extreme economic impact. A recent economic impact study of RAGBRAI showed $24 million during the week-long bike ride. Bicycle tourism, including charity fundraisers, are estimated to generate as much or more than RAGBRAI during the other weeks of the year.

Bicycle bans would have an extreme impact on the health of Iowans. Recent studies by the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking have shown relationships between states with high rates of bicycling have a healthier population including lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Supporters of the bicycle ban petition drive, in comments on the petition drive page, have one legitimate argument" that sometimes we cyclists don't obey the rules of the road. Other arguments -- such as cyclists should be relegated to bicycle paths, that cyclists don't pay registration fee and taxes and that cyclists aren't required to have insurance -- are the same tired arguments the anti-bicycle crowd loves to use and don't hold water.

This is the second effort in recent weeks to ban bicycles from some roads. Recently, commissioners in Jefferson County decided to ask Colorado lawmakers to approve a laws that would give counties the right to ban bicycles from country roads. You can read more about that effort at the Biking Bis and Cyclelicious blogs as well as Bicycle Colorado and the Columbine Courier.

Labels: advocacy, Iowa, safety

Roger 0 comments 9:52 AM

Monday, July 27, 2009

Professor dies as result of RAGBRAI accident

Donald D. Myers, 69, a professor of engineering management at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo., died Sunday as a result of injuries from a bicycling accident that occurred Saturday during the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, better known simply as RAGBRAI.

The accident occurred outside Geode State Park. Bob Libby, medical coordinator for RAGBRAI, told the Des Moines Register that an Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer reported the crash about 11 a.m. Saturday at the bottom of a hill near the park, roughly halfway through the day’s 43-mile ride that concluded in Burlington.

Cyclists said on Saturday that was the hilliest part of the day’s route. Libby said there were no other cyclists involved in the crash. Myers did not collide with any object, according to reports. Myers was transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals in Iowa City, where he died about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release from the university.

A memorial scholarship fund has been established to honor Myers at Missouri S&T. Contributions to the Donald D. Myers Scholarship may be mailed to Missouri S&T at 209 Castleman Hall, 400 W. 10th St., Rolla, MO 65409-0460.

Labels: fatal accidents, RAGBRAI

Roger 2 comments 2:29 PM

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Tour de France 2009: That's a wrap

Even the brash Lance Armstrong had to admit Astana teammate Alberto Contador was simply too strong to beat in this year's Tour de France.

But, in some ways, Armstrong may be the bigger winner.

The 37-year-old Armstrong surprised many people by standing on the podium Sunday in Paris, relishing his third-place finish. Armstrong, once vilified by the French, received resounding cheers throughout the Tour. When he returns to France next year for Team RadioShack, he will have to be considered one of the pre-race favorites.

The Lance effect on this year's Tour was clear, the New York Times reports:

• USA Cycling’s general memberships grew about 5.5 percent per year during the time Armstrong won the Tour from 1999 to 2005, Johnson said. When he retired, the membership dropped by 3.5 to 4 percent annually. This year, with Armstrong back in the peloton, Johnson said the membership growth was back at 5.5 percent.

• The network Versus, which broadcast the Tour, said the average viewership for its live morning coverage was up 95 percent through Stage 18.

As you've read at various media sources during the past few weeks, conflicts were high between Armstrong and Contador throughout the Tour, culminating in Armstrong's decision to skip a celebratory dinner Saturday with Contador and instead wining and dining with officials from Team RadioShack.

You can look at it in at least a couple of ways. One is that Armstrong snubbed the great accomplishments of his Astana teammate. The other is that because of the conflicts, it would be best to let give Contador some space to celebrate.

There's speculation over at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's 10 Speed blog that Astana could pull out of the Tour of Missouri as a result of the split and the likely move of Astana team director Johan Bruyneel to Armstrong's new team. However, Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer, who broke his right wrist during Stage 12 of the Tour de France, indicates he plans to ride in the Tour of Missouri.

“I’m 100 percent for that,” Leipheimer told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. “Well, 99 percent.”

While Contador may want to defend his Vuelta a Espana title and skip Missouri, Armstrong already has a commitment the week of Sept. 7-13. Armstrong is scheduled to participate in the Cedars Tour de Lance 09 on Sept. 11 in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec. The event is a fund-raiser for the McGill University Health Centre's Cedars Cancer Institute in Montreal, and cycling commentator Phil Liggett is expected to join him.

With or without Armstrong, the Tour of Missouri should be a first-rate event. It will be interesting to see how the Garmin-Slipstream/Columbia rivalry will play out in Missouri, especially since it's perceived a Stage 14 charge by Garmin-Slipstream knocked Columbia's George Hincapie out of a chance to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey for a day.

Labels: Tour de France, Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments 11:40 PM

Thursday, July 23, 2009

More car thefts at Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

In recent years, cyclists and pedestrians who parked their vehicles on the Missouri side of the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge ran the risk of having them broken into.

Now, the problem has spread to the Illinois parking lot on Chouteau Island, KTVI-TV, Channel 2 -- the Fox affiliate in St. Louis -- reported Thursday.

Despite the recent problems, the city of Madison, Ill., has no plans to close the Illinois lot. Instead, police are hoping cameras installed at the parking lot and help from the public will lead to the arrest of suspects in the break-ins.

Madison police believe a gang is responsible for the break-ins, and police told Channel 2 they can steal valuables out of cars in a matter of moments. The video shows broken vehicle windows.

The city of Madison owns the bridge, dating back from the days when the former toll bridge carried Route 66 travelers across the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Illinois. The bridge is now open to bicycle and pedestrian traffic only. St. Louis-based Trailnet operates the bridge.

For a while, Trailnet was able to provide security at the Missouri lot. But because of funding limitations, Trailnet last year closed the Missouri lot except for special events. People who want to approach the bridge from the Missouri side have to park in North Riverfront Park in St. Louis and bike or walk to the bridge.

If you do park on the Illinois lot, be sure to take your valuables with you while exploring the bridge or at least hide them out of sight if possible.

Labels: Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

Roger 0 comments 10:34 PM

Lance Armstrong's new team

RadioShack and Lance to Form New Cycling Team in 2010 -- powered by http://www.livestrong.com

In case you missed the news earlier today, Lance Armstrong and his LiveStrong charity will team up with RadioShack and other sponsors to form Team RadioShack for the 2010 season.

Not only does Armstrong and his new team plan to race in the 2010 Tour de France, The Associated Press reports Armstrong plans to participate in running and triathlon events for Team RadioShack.

“It’s a huge opportunity for us as an organization and as a cancer survivor. It’s pretty mega,” Armstrong added after Thursday's Tour de France time trial stage in Annecy, France.

Armstrong put himself back on the podium with today's performance. Earlier this week, Armstrong more or less conceded the yellow jersey to current Astana teammate Alberto Contador. Barring a major catastrophe on Contador's part, the best Armstrong can hope for is second or third. Still, it's a major accomplishment for a 37-year-old professional cyclist.

Labels: Lance Armstrong, Tour de France

Roger 0 comments 9:44 PM

Tour of Missouri time schedule

Now that the state of Missouri has freed up funding for the 2009 Tour of Missouri, organizers this week announced start times for this year race, which begins Labor Day in St. Louis and ends Sept. 13 in Kansas City.

Organizers plans to release the stage by stage courses next week in Kansas City, but they expect the race to exceed 600 miles.

Some of the world's top teams -- including Astana, Cervelo Test Team, Team Columbia HTC, Garmin-Slipstream, Liquigas, Team Saxo Bank and Quickstep -- are committed to this year's race. There's still no word whether Lance Armstrong will be part of this year's field.

Here's the schedule (all times are Central Daylight Time):

• Stage One, St. Louis Circuit Race, Sept. 7 -- Start: 2 p.m. Estimated finish time: 5:15-5:45 p.m.
• Stage Two, Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau, Sept. 8 -- Start: 11 a.m. Estimated finish time: 3-4:15 p.m.
• Stage Three, Farmington to Rolla, Sept. 9 -- Start: 11: a.m. Estimated finish time: 3:10-4:15 p.m.
• Stage Four, St, James to Jefferson City, Sept. 10 -- Start: 2 p.m. Estimated finish time: 5:45-7 p.m.
• Stage Five, Sedalia Time Trial, Sept. 11 -- Start: 1 p.m. Estimated finish time: 5-6 p.m.
• Stage Seven, Kansas City Circuit Race, Sept. 13 -- Times to be announced.

Stage One of the Tour of Missouri will culminate a big weekend of bicycle racing in St. Louis. The Gateway Cup series begins on Friday, Sept. 5, and ends Sept. 7 with the Tour of Missouri Criterium. This year's Gateway Cup features four days of the Tour of Missouri Women's Series.

On Sept. 7, both the Tour of Missouri Criterium and Stage One will begin and end at the City Garden in downtown St. Louis. Tour of Missouri Criterium action begins at 7 a.m. that day, and you can see a full schedule of Gateway Cup events here.

Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments 9:21 AM

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Riding the MCT Quercus Grove Trail

Despite not being able to go on RAGBRAI this week as I had originally hoped, I decided to get as many good rides in as I can this week.

As one of those, I decided to check out the new sections of Madison County Transit's Quercus Grove Trail, which links the Illinois communities of Edwardsville and Staunton. I wrote about the dedication of the new sections early last week,

Taking advantage of the delightful temperatures Monday afternoon and evening, I took off from Collinsville on the MCT Schoolhouse Trail, took the Goshen Trail into Edwardsville and hopped on the Nickel Plate Trail to the Quercus Grove Trail.

Navigating the trails through Edwardsville can be somewhat difficult. MCT has plans to build an underpass for the Nickel Plate Trail underneath Troy Road/South Buchanan Street in Edwardsville that will simplify things considerably. Until then, you need to do this:

• Coming from the south on either the Goshen or Nickel Plate trails, you will need to go left on the spur that takes you to the Nature Trail.
• Instead of turning right on the Nature Trail toward Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, turn left and go through the underpass.
• Turn left onto the Nature Trail.
• A short distance north, the paved trail goes to the left. Stay straight on the crushed limestone trail.
• Take the limestone trail to Troy Road/South Buchanan and use care in crossing the busy street.
• The Nickel Plate Trail resumes to the right side of the concrete barriers. Take the trail to the intersection of Springer Street and Schwarz Road.

At that point, the Quercus Grove Trail begins to the north; the Nickel Plate Trail continues to the east. You'll navigate some sidewalks and alleys to the intersection of Illinois Routes 143 and 157. Cross the intersection, turn left on the sidewalk, then turn right onto the Quercus Grove Trail.

The Quercus Grove Trail has an asphalt surface between Edwardsville and Hazel Road. After that, you'll travel 2.75 miles on crushed limestone trail to Jerusalem Road. Turn right on Jerusalem, which is an oil-and-chip road, cross Route 157 and turn left on an asphalt stretch of the trail and ride into Hamel.

Once in Hamel, the off-road trail ends for a little bit, and you'll want to turn onto Route 157 -- an old alignment of U.S. Route 66 -- and take that to the intersection of Illinois Route 140. Route 157 ends there, but the old alignment of Route 66 continues north as a frontage road to Interstate 55. Take the frontage road one block to Schroeder Ave., turn left, then immediately turn right onto the trail.

For a short distance before reaching Worden, you'll share the road under a railroad overpass, but the trail resumes and skirts the eastern edge of Worden on its way to Staunton.

Before reaching Staunton, there is a 0.6-mile stretch of limestone trail between Spangle Road and Illinois Route 4, but the the rest of the trail between Hamel and Staunton is paved.

A round trip from Collinsville to Staunton is about 60 miles, a good day ride I recommend. You'll have to get off the trail for a little bit, but there are places to get a snack or perhaps a full meal in Edwardsville, Hamel, Worden and Staunton. You can navigate the limestone sections of the trail with a road bike. If you don't want to take a road bike out on limestone trails, then a hybrid's your best bet.

If you want to ride on a road bike, make sure your tires are in good shape before riding those sections. I found out the hard way on the way back from Staunton in the evening. I got a slow leak in the rear tire -- of course -- on the limestone stretch between Jerusalem and Hazel roads. That pretty much assured that I was going to be pushing the edges of dusk by the time I got back to Collinsville.

While the Schoolhouse Trail is downhill from Maryville to Collinsville, the dusk brought out the deer along the trail. I met up with three of them along the trail -- close enough to startle me, but not close enough to run into me.

Labels: MCT Trails

Roger 3 comments 12:16 PM

Change of plans

A few months ago, I announced that I was going to be on this year's RAGBRAI. Unfortunately, I was forced to change my plans, and I'm not up enjoying the bicycling, pie, pancakes, pork chops, etc. with thousands of fellow cyclists.

I had some unexpected bills that came up, and they needed to be paid. I had booked my trip through the Touring Cyclist bike shops in the St. Louis area, and fortunately for me, they had someone to take my place so I could get a full refund.

That doesn't mean I've been off my bike this week. The unseasonably cool weather we've had the past few days in the St. Louis area have been a bonus.

On Saturday, I did a 47-mile solo ride that started in Belleville and went though Mascoutah, the rural roads between Freeburg and New Athens, through Smithton and back to Belleville. I hadn't been on some of the roads south of Freeburg in years, and it was good to see them again.

I managed to get myself early Sunday morning to ride Trailnet's Bike St. Louis City Tour. I normally don't make it to Sunday morning group rides because I have to work Saturday nights at the Belleville News-Democrat. Getting up earlier than 9 or 10 a.m. on Sundays is not my cup of tea.

But I figured I'd give this one a try because I got to bed reasonably early Saturday night. Early in the ride, I played a Good Samaritan role. First, I helped two riders, Lisa and Marsha, fix a flat. A few moments later, a family in a SUV stopped me and asked for directions to the Arch.

Once I got rolling, the ride took us into North St. Louis to the velodrome at O'Fallon Park. I took a lap to say I've done a lap. North St. Louis isn't a destination for most cyclists because of its reputation for crime, but Trailnet did a good job of routing the ride through the safer parts of the area.

Frankly, I found the 28-mile medium route I did Sunday more strenuous than the 47-mile ride I did Saturday. Living on the Illinois side of the river means I do lots of miles on roads with relatively few stop signs, or at least long distances between them. The constant stops and starts wore me out ater a while. I can see why some cyclists favor laws that allow cyclists to yield at stop signs.

What I can't understand are cyclists who run stop lights at intersections where the signals are functioning properly. I have to admit that I've occassionally run a red light, but that's only at intersections where my bike won't trigger the signals and only after I'm sure the intersection is clear. But when the lights are functioning correctly, we should follow the rules of the road.

On Monday, I decided to check out the new sections of Madison County Transit's Quercus Grove Trail. I started in Collinsville on the Schoolhouse Trail, took the Goshen Trail into Edwardsville, then hopped on the Nickel Plate Trail for a short stretch to the Quercus Grove Trail and took it to Staunton, then rode back for a round trip of 60 miles. I'm going to write a separate post on that ride to fill you in things you need to know.

As for the rest of the week, I plan to ride tonight with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society in O'Fallon, I may ride in the Brighton area Thursday unless I decide to spend lots of time with my family, do another Madison County trail ride Friday, ride the Gateway Council of Hostelling International's Tour de Flood Plain on Saturday in St. Charles, Mo., then do a ride around the Belleville area on Sunday.

I hope all of you on RAGBRAI are having a great ride! I wish I could be there with you, but at least I'm spending some quality time with my bike!

Labels: bicycle rides, RAGBRAI

Roger 0 comments 11:11 AM

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Nixon OKs Tour of Missouri funding

The race is on!

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's administration has unfrozen $1.5 million in state funding for the 2009 Tour of Missouri bicycle race.

The Associated Press reported this afternoon that Nixon agreed to spend the money for the ride after tourism officials and race organizers agreed to share details of spending related to the event. Here's what Nixon said in a press release posted on the Web site:

"Missouri currently faces tremendous financial challenges, and the state must find ways to reduce spending. Even as my administration continues to tighten its belt, I believe that the 2009 Tour of Missouri should go forward. The race will go on this year, and Missourians deserve to know that state funds for the event are used transparently and accountably. They should know precisely how money for the Tour of Missouri is being spent, and that the event is being run in a way that minimizes the cost to taxpayers.

"To ensure transparency and accountability, I asked the Office of Administration to seek a full and fair explanation of all expenditures connected with the Tour of Missouri in 2007 and 2008, and of budgeted expenditures and contracts for 2009. A representative from the Office of Administration met today with representatives of the Department of Economic Development, the Division of Tourism and Tour of Missouri, Inc. Because of assurances from the Division of Tourism and the Tour of Missouri, Inc. that they are now willing to share records regarding spending on previous races and planned spending for this year's race, the Office of Budget and Planning will immediately begin to provide state funds for the 2009 Tour of Missouri."

Missouri, like many states, is facing a state budget crisis, and Nixon's administration had considered cutting the $1.5 million as one way to save money. Tour of Missouri organizers said that if the money had been eliminated, the 2009 race would have been canceled.

The Tour of Missouri is slated to begin Sept. 7 in St. Louis and end Sept. 13 in Kansas City.

You can call to hear details of the news at 4:30 p.m. CDT. There will be no questions taken. This is to share the immediately available information. The call is limited to 1000 callers.

To listen, call 712-432-1001. The Attendee Access Code is 422623590#

Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments 3:54 PM

2009 Tour de Donut winners

In case you're wondering who won Saturday's Tour de Donut in Staunton, Ill., the Boeing Employee's Bicycle Club posted the results last night at its Web site. Over 1,200 people signed up for this year's ride, a new attendance record.

For the men, Andrew Mullins of Kirkwood, Mo., took the top overall honors by eating 22 donuts and finishing with an adjusted time of -0:01:01. Cyclists receive a 5-minute time bonus for each donut eaten. Mullins edged out defending champ Steven Meinke of Chicago, who ate 31 donuts and finished with an adjusted time of 0:02:57.

For the women, Anna Witt of Milwaukee took top honors by eating 15 donuts for an adjusted time of 1:08:14, edging out Tammy Bauer of O'Fallon, Mo., who ate 12 donuts for an adjusted time of 1:09:09.

I didn't make it up to Staunton this year, but reports from people who made it up there indicated organizers ran out of donuts at both stops.

Labels: Tour de Donut

Roger 1 comments 9:57 AM

Sunday, July 12, 2009

MCT dedicates new portions of Quercus Grove Trail

As of this weekend, cyclists now can ride on bike trails or designated on-road bicycle routes all the way from downtown St. Louis to Staunton, Ill. -- a one-way trip of 44.8 miles.

On Friday and Saturday, Madison County Transit dedicated two sections of the MCT Quercus Grove Trail, a section between Staunton and Worden on Friday and a section between Worden and Hamel on Saturday. The two new sections tie into an existing section of the MCT Quercus Grove Trail between Edwardsville and Hamel. Click on the image of the map to see details of the new sections of the trail.

Here's how you can ride from St. Louis to Staunton, a Macoupin County community best known among St. Louis-area cyclists as being the host city of the Tour de Donut bicycle race:

• St. Louis Riverfront Trail, from the Laclede's Landing section of St. Louis to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Distance: 11 miles.
• Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and Chain of Rocks Road to the MCT Confluence Trail. Distance: 2.8 miles.
• MCT Confluence Trail to the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site: 3.6 miles.
• New Poag Road from the Lewis and Clark site to the MCT Goshen Trail in Edwardsville: Distance: 6.9 miles.
• MCT Goshen Trail to the MCT Nickel Plate Trail. Distance: 1.25 miles.
  
• MCT Nickel Plate Trail to MCT Quercus Grove Trail. Distance: 1.6 miles.
• MCT Quercus Grove Trail to Staunton. Distance: 17.6 miles.

Generally speaking, it's an easy trek from St. Louis to Staunton. Using the route I plotted, the most significant hill is on New Poag Road on the northern edge of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus. I don't think the hill is all that difficult, but if you want a more gradual climb with a few extra miles, you can turn south from New Poag Road onto the MCT Bluff Trail, turn east on the MCT Nature Trail, then turn north on the Nickel Plate Trail in Edwardsville to the Quercus Grove Trail.

North of Edwardsville, there's a hill on the Quercus Grove Trail after you cross Old Carpenter Road. After that, it's a pretty flat trek to Staunton.

The stretch between Hamel and Staunton has few trees, meaning there's little to block the wind. That's good if the wind's at your back. Not so good if that wind's in your face.

There are places near or or near the Quercus Grove Trail to grab a bite to eat or something to drink. The Springer's Creek Winery is located on the trail at Chapman Avenue in Edwardsville. Scotty's Route 66 Bar and Grill is along the trail in Hamel. The Yellow Dog Saloon is a couple of blocks west of the trail on Wall Street in Worden.

Just south of Staunton at Illinois Route 4 is Decamp Junction, which has the added attraction of a softball field that conjures up images of "Fields of Dreams" because the chain-link outfield fence is only a few feet away from farm fields.

Staunton has several bars and restaurants. The restaurants range from Hardee's to Italian and Chinese restaurants.

While the bicycle/pedestrian-only part of the trail ends at Sixth Street, the trail goes up Union Street to the Duda Garden. As I've written about before, a group of Staunton-area trail boosters are trying to develop the ITS Trail, which would start at Duda Garden and head up to Benld and tie into an existing short trail between Benld and Gillespie.

The long-term goal is to build trails through Macoupin and Sangamon counties that would link St. Louis and Springfield, Ill. The (Springfield) State Journal-Register recently wrote about the ITS Trail and its goal to boost economic and residential development in Staunton and nearby communities.

Madison County Transit, of course, deserves tons of credit for developing such an extensive system of trails on old railroad rights-of-way. But the people of the Staunton area also deserve credit. The community has embraced the Tour de Donut, and that has encouraged interest in bicycling in that community. On Saturday, more than 1,200 cyclists descended on Staunton for Tour de Donut, and people in that community know bicyclists can have a sizable economic impact on a community.

Labels: Illinois, MCT Trails, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 10:17 PM

Friday, July 10, 2009

State tourism panel backs Tour of Missouri

The Missouri Tourism Commission voted 7-0 today to maintain $1.5 million in state funding for the Tour of Missouri bicycle race.

The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader reports many of the commissioners said the independent panel has an obligation to fund the Tour of Missouri this year, but future years would be subject to further debate.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's Department of Economic Development has recommended the governor's budget office withhold $1.5 million from the Division of Tourism specifically for the bicycle race.

Ultimately, Nixon's administration will have to decide whether to free up the money.

Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments 7:00 PM

More coverage of Tour of Missouri crisis

Several Missouri news outlets have posted stories about the possibility that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon's administration may cut off $1.5 million in state funding for the Tour of Missouri bicycle race:

• St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• KMOX-AM 1120 (Radio interview with Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, the major backer of the race in state government)
  
• Kansas City Star
• VeloNews
• Springfield (Mo.) News-Ledger
• Missouri Bicycle Federation
  

I'm sympathetic to the desires of Missouri leaders to balance the budget -- I live in a state, Illinois, that has a much more serious financial crisis than Missouri -- and I believe in the long run the Tour of Missouri has to ween itself off state funding. However, I think the $1.5 million is money well-spent because of the tourism dollar and international attention the race brings to Missouri.

Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 1 comments 10:13 AM

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Tour of Missouri in peril

UPDATED 7:30 P.M. CDT: Several sources – the Springfield News-Leader, the new Save the Tour of Missouri blog and The Associated Press – are reporting that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is considering cutting $1.5 million in state funding for the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

If the money is indeed cut, it would in effect kill the race for this year.

Nixon's Department of Economic Development has proposed cutting the $1.5 million subsidy to the Tour of Missouri — less than two months before the statewide sporting event is set to begin.

In April, the Missouri Tourism Commission voted to spend $1.5 million on the Tour of Missouri. The Tour of Missouri's top backer in state government is Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, who chairs the panel. Nixon is a Democrat.

"The governor supports the race, just like he supports a lot of things that are going to be recommended to be cut," Nixon spokesman Jack Cardetti told the AP. "The question is whether or not in these financial times the taxpayers can continue to pick up the tab for things like the Tour of Missouri."

The cut would lead to the third annual Tour of Missouri being called off, organizer Chris Aronhalt, a managing partner of Atlanta-based Medalist Sports, told the News-Leader. "It’s devastating to learn of this because we’re really at that no turning back point," Aronhalt said. “The timing is terrible."

Above is a copy of a memo obtained by the Save the Tour of Missouri blog. It details the proposed cut for the Tour of Missouri and other projects proposed Linda Martinez, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Like other states, Missouri is having to cut programs or raise taxes to overcome budget shortfalls.

Here's a letter sent by Kinder to people on the Tour of Missouri mailing list, urging them to express their support for the Tour of Missouri:

Friends,

By now, some of you may have heard rumors regarding Gov. Nixon freezing state funds for the 2009 Tour of Missouri. I would like to share with you the details that we currently have:

On Wednesday, at the close of business, I was informed by the Division of Tourism that the money set aside for the Tour of Missouri was frozen by Gov. Nixon's administration. The state's commitment for the 2009 Tour of Missouri was $1.5 million. Without these funds, which are available and approved by the Tourism Commission, the Tour of Missouri will cease to exist.

At this time, I have requested a special meeting of the Missouri Tourism Commission to evaluate our options and decide what our next step should be.

As you know, we are very close to putting the final touches on the race this year. Our sponsors have invested and we are on track with our fundraising goals. Teams from across the world, the same teams now racing in the Tour de France, have been invited to our state, and communities across Missouri are making great preparations for the race. Contracts have been signed by the state, cities, sponsors and vendors and cutting this funding will leave the state susceptible to wasteful litigation.

Right now, I am urging cycling fans across our great state, and around the world to contact Gov. Jay Nixon at 573-751-3222 and tell him to release the funding for the largest sporting event ever held in our state.

I am grateful for the supporters, sponsors, volunteers and spectators who in the past two years have helped generate nearly $60 million in economic impact for our state, and brought over 800,000 visitors to the race.

With your help, I truly believe we can ensure the survival and success of the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

Sincerely,

PETER D. KINDER
Lt. Governor, Chairman of the Missouri Tourism Commission

Call Gov. Jay Nixon at 573-751-3222 and tell him to save our race!

In a note to Facebook fans of Missouri Bicycle Federation, Executive Director Brent Hugh is calling on folks to call Nixon's office and tell him to "Save the Tour of Missouri!"

Not surprisingly, the Fired Up! Missouri blog — a frequent critic of the Tour of Missouri – thinks cutting the money from the budget would be a good thing: "It's time for race promoter and alleged fiscal hawk Peter 'Every Dollar Counts' Kinder to do what he should have done from the beginning raise money for an 'elite bike race' from elite private donors. Last year, Kinder raised and spent over $3 million for personal political pursuits. If he can do it for himself, why can't he do it for taxpayers?"

Labels: Tour of Missouri

Roger 0 comments 3:57 PM

Tour de Belleville, Tour de Donut safety tips

Two of the St. Louis area's largest group rides are coming up -- the Tour de Belleville on Friday night and the Tour de Donut on Saturday morning -- and it's time to offer these tips to make your ride a fun and safe experience.

These same tips can be used for rides such as the St. Louis World Naked Bike Ride on Aug. 15 and the Moonlight Ramble on Aug. 29-30 in St. Louis, as well as other similar rides throughout the country

Tips for newbies:

• If you're a slower rider, try to ride as far to the right as safely possible so faster riders can pass you. If you have to walk up a hill, walk your bike as far to the right as safely possible.
  
• Groups of cyclists should not take up the entire lane, again so other people can pass.
• If you plan to stop, be sure to give some type of warning. At a minimum, give a verbal warning such as "braking" or "stopping." It's also a good idea to give a hand signal by extending your left hand toward the ground. For a good illustration of that, download the Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road (pdf file).
• If you're stopping for an extended period of time, pull off the road so other cyclists can pass safely.
• Use your gears. Most new cyclists tend to use a gear that's too big for them. Find a gear where you feel comfortable riding 60 to 90 pedal strokes a minute. When you approach a hill, you probably want to shift to a lower gear before you start climbing.
  
• Above all, ride at a pace that's comfortable for you. The Tour de Belleville is not a race, so don't get tempted to ride at a faster speed than you're used to just because you want to keep up with other people.

Tips for experienced riders:

• Be patient with the less experienced riders. Remember that you once were an inexperienced rider yourself.
• Ride defensively. When approaching a family with young children, give yourself plenty of room to get around them because you never know when someone will suddenly veer to the left or right.
• Use caution on hills. There's a good chance someone will try to climb a hill only to run out of gas and suddenly stop. Give yourself plenty of room to maneuver around them.
• Slow down. This is not the time for a 20-25 mph training ride and long pacelines. Events like the Tour de Belleville are meant for fun, so slow down and smell the roses. The exception here, of course, is Tour de Donut, which is a race.
  
• Be a good ambassador. The way you behave will influence whether a newcomer will stick with the sport.

After riding last year's Tour de Donut, I have to say I'm concerned with some of the riding I saw last year. Way too many people were riding three or more abreast on portions of the course that are open to motorized traffic -- which is most of the course -- and too many people were crossing the yellow line to pass them.

Too many people think that because the first part of the course through Staunton is closed to traffic that the entire course is. That's not the case. Once cyclists make the turn off Illinois Route 4 on the southern edge of Staunton on Renken Road toward Prairietown, the rest of the course is open to motorists. This year, please use common sense and obey the rules of the road.

I hope all of you have a safe and fun experience on whatever big ride you choose to do.

Labels: bicycling, safety, Tour de Belleville, Tour de Donut

Roger 2 comments 11:37 AM

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

Lance leads strong U.S. showing so far

In case you haven't noticed, American cyclists hold 5 of the top 17 spots -- and 4 of the top 12 sports -- after four stages of this year's Tour de France.

Thanks to Astana's dominant performance in the Stage 4 Team Time Trial today, Lance Armstrong is virtually tied for the overall lead, just two-tenths of a second off yellow jersey wearer Fabian Cancellara.

Astana teammate Levi Leipheimer is fifth, just 31 seconds behind Cancellara and Armstrong. David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream) is ninth at 1:09 back, Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream) is 12th at 1:16 back, and George Hincapie (Team Columbia-HTC) is 17th at 1:36 back.

That, along with Tyler Farrar's (Garmin-Slipstream) second-place finish to sprint king Mark Cavendish (Team Columbia-HTC) in Sunday's Stage 2, have made for an amazing start for U.S. cyclists so far.

Armstrong's confidence is high after the Team Time Trial, as he said on the Tour de France Web site:

“I wanted to be one of the strongest in the race. I think that I am. I may not be strong enough to win but I think somebody on this team will win. I know the race and I understand what it’s all about. Yesterday we saw a critical point in the race. It’s the Tour and I know the Tour; I know how to race it and how to be in the peloton… so sometimes it pays to be old and experienced and not young and strong. We’ll see what happens from here but I’ll take it day by day."

Labels: Lance Armstrong, Tour de France

Roger 0 comments 2:46 PM

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Tour de France 2009

There's no doubt that the folks over at Versus are absolutely thrilled that Lance Armstrong is back in the Tour de France. There no doubt Armstrong's presence should boost ratings for the cable TV channel, and it also helps there will be six other Americans in the race.

The question, of course, is how well will Armstrong do. Is he capable of winning after spending three years away from the world's most prestigious bicycle race. My hunch is that if anyone is capable of pulling it off after such a long absence, it's Armstrong. However, Astana teammate and 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador is considered the favorite to win.

I guess we'll see what happens on the road. Versus' coverage of the Tour de France begins at 8:30 a.m. CDT with the Stage 1 time trial in Monaco. As been the case in recent years, Versus will air plenty of Tour de France coverage until the July 26 finale in Paris. Go to the full schedule for details; keep in mind that all times listed on the Versus schedule are Eastern Daylight Time.

Another Astana teammate, American Levi Leipheimer, has to be considered a contender for a podium spot, as could Illinois native Christian Vande Velde, who finished fourth last year then came back to the States to win the 2008 Tour of Missouri. George Hincapie back for another go, although it will be odd to see him not riding in support of Armstrong.

I probably won't write about the Tour in great detail, mainly because there's so many sources out there who can provide much more insightful coverage than I can, including Versus, VeloNews, Bicycling magazine and other news sources on the right column of my blog.

Have fun following the Tour!

Labels: Lance Armstrong, racing, Tour de France

Roger 0 comments 1:40 PM