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In support of Route 66 trail

I have had the honor of working with John Fritsche and others in organizing the Tour de Coal ride in the Benld-Gillespie, Ill., area the past four years. John, a native of Gillespie, and others are trying to build interest in bicycling in Macoupin County, which is located between St. Louis and Springfield.

He recently wrote a letter to the editor to several Macoupin County papers, and he asked me to share it with you:

Letter to the Editor

Historic Route 66

Recreational Trail

Macoupin and Montgomery Counties

Recently, the League of Illinois Bicyclists had a promotional Route 66 Bike Ride from the Chain of Rocks Bridge, through Edwardsville, Staunton, Carlinville, Springfield and on to Chicago. The purpose was to promote a safe route from St. Louis to Chicago along the Historic Route 66 Corridor.

For a number of years now, various individuals, organizations and groups have discussed an Historic Route 66 Trail from Staunton, through Mount Olive to Litchfield utilizing the northbound lane of Old Route 66, which has been abandoned and unused for many years.

Our government officials and medical professionals are all encouraging people to exercise more and this section of pavement could be the place for many citizens to start on a path to better health. Moreover, trails encourage business development that could certainly benefit this region of Illinois.

The roadway belongs to the State of Illinois is still in place, so there is no right of way cost. All that must to be done is to remove some guardrail and dirt, repair any defects in the pavement and mark the alignment. This type of work can be done by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The Trail, which would be almost 17 miles long, would benefit the region, each community along the way, as well as new businesses moving into this area.  When this trail segment becomes a reality, a rider could safely travel from Litchfield, Ill,m to the St.Louis Arch by utilizing the Madison County and St Louis trail systems from Staunton south.

Right now this valuable section of what was once the "Mother Road" is abandoned and lying idle, providing no benefit to its owner, the citizens of the State of Illinois.

If you would like to have this section of abandoned history developed into a trail for all of us, talk to your family, friends and neighbors.  Let them know how you feel and encourage them to call or write their elected officials for their support.

Please, no more excuses!  Let’s get it done this time!

John Fritsche

Glen Carbon, IL

I fully agree with John on this one. Let's get it done!

Labels: Illinois, Route 66

Roger 1 comments 11:40 PM

2009 cycling season in review

This year wasn't my best when it comes to cycling. My finances didn't allow me to take a weeklong trip this year; my hope was to have done RAGBRAI, but that fell through because my money had to be spent elsewhere.

Except for the diehards, the cycling season in the St. Louis area generally ends in early November. We were lucky to have a mild November, so the season went a little bit longer than normal. Here's hoping for a few mild days in December, including next Sunday when Interstate 64/Highway 40 in St. Louis is open to bikes for one day only before it's reopened to cars next Monday.

Without a multiday highlight ride this year, I had to look at individual rides for my highlights of the year.

Longest ride of the year: OK, a 60-mile ride normally wouldn't be my longest ride of the year, but it was this year. That came in July, when I rode connected Madison County Transit trails, including the Quercus Grove Trail extension, from Collinsville to Staunton and back.

As a metro-east cycling enthusiast, it thrilled me to know that you can ride from Collinsville to Staunton and back on trails and designated road routes. As I wrote earlier this year, it is now possible to ride from downtown St. Louis to Staunton on bike trails or designated on-road bike routes.

The ride was noteworthy because I didn't start until after 4 p.m. and rode the last eight miles after sunset. That was because I had to fix a flat tire on the Quercus Grove Trail between Hamel and Edwardsville on the way back home.

Most interesting rides: Those took place in the Chicago area Nov. 11-12. On the 11th, I rode 20-plus miles on the Green Bay Trail between Evanston and Highland Park, and I followed that up with a 30-mile ride from Evanston to downtown Chicago and back.

I rode my sister Teresa's hybrid on both rides, and that seemed to be a good choice. I was surprised that so much of the Green Bay Trail is crushed limestone. I guess I'm really spoiled by the MCT trails down here. Still, because it runs along the Metra lines that head north from Chicago through Evanston and into Wisconsin, it is relatively secluded and yet give you easy access to the downtown areas of the northern suburbs.

I particularly was impressed with the ride from Evanston to downtown Chicago. My initial plan was to do a short ride through the Northwestern University campus and along the lake because my back was hurting. But once I started riding, the pain subsided and I decided to ride into the Chicago. The question was how to get from Evanston to the Lakefront Trail, and I was surprised how well the on-road bike routes are marked in Evanston and Chicago. I had no problem at all finding my way to the Lakefront Trail, and I was impressed how cars and bicycles could co-exist on the roads I traveled up there.

I felt truly fortunate the same mild weather that extended the cycling season in the St. Louis area also blessed the Chicago area that week.

Favorite club ride: I enjoy every ride I do with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society because it a chance to see some of the nice rural scenery in St. Clair, Madison, Monroe and Clinton counties.

However, the rides I particularly enjoyed were the rides I led out of the Lau-Nae Winery in Red Bud, Ill. The closing of Ravissant Winery in Belleville forced us to find new sites for our Winery Rides in addition to the Hidden Lake Winery near Aviston.

I wasn't familiar with all the roads in the Red Bud area, so an initial search on Google reveals some routes with promise. However, I learned quickly that just because it shows up on a map, it doesn't mean the roads are suitable for road bikes. Three of the roads that looked promising degraded to dirt and gravel, Fortunately, that allowed me to find some roads that our riders enjoyed,

Many of the roads north and west of Red Bud are filled with rolling hills -- nothing really difficult, but hilly enough to make things interesting. There's some pretty country in Randolph and Monroe counties, and the folks at Lau-Nae were very happy to have us.

Tour de Stooges: Our numbers were considerably lower this year -- 375, compared to the 600 to 700 we're used to getting. However, the quality of the ride ranked among the highest of the 12 editions of the Tour de Stooges I've led. Despite forecasts of 30 to 80 percent of rain, the people who came out saw lots of sunshine and little wind.

I'm looking forward to the 13th edition on May 1, and I can tell you we are making some changes to the ride to make it more affordable for those of you on a budget.

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society, bicycle rides, Chicago, MCT Trails, Tour de Stooges

Roger 0 comments 11:29 PM

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

This ride is just dandy

You may have heard the story Monday on NPR about Washington's first Tweed Ride, and it seems the trend is spreading across some of our largest cities.

In case you're not familiar with the idea of a Tweed Ride, the New York Times calls them "informal gatherings of spiffily dressed ladies and gents cycling leisurely through town and disdaining finish lines." The Times says Tweed Rides began in London earlier this year and have spread to Boston, San Francisco and Chicago.

The group Dandies and Quaintrelles, which organized the Washington ride, urged cyclists to leave their Lycra, fleece and outer shells at home. Instead, they were encouraged to wear tweed and other vintage clothing on old-style bikes.

"Style is our concern," the group says on its blog. "Purposeful amusement is our desire. We saw great style and imagined considerable amusement in the images of tweed rides in other major cities."

In another post, the group adds: "This ride is about the beautiful simplicity and enjoyment of cycling from one place to another in style and grace. This day is about the beauty of pleasure, good taste and interest in noble causes!"

The Washington Post used these words to describe the scene Sunday: "A thicket of tweed chokes the alley near Eighth and H streets NE. Men in newsboy caps and knickers crunch over shards of glass in their leather hunting boots, looking like they're on an urban fox hunt. Ladies twirl parasols and tug at their full-length silk slips, which are growing clingy in the insistent November sun."

Will the trend come to St. Louis? Only time will tell. But what I do know is that I'm in favor of anything that brings more people to the world of bicycling.

Labels: bicycle rides, fashion

Roger 0 comments 2:02 AM

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Don't forget about Cranksgiving!

BicycleWORKS, in conjunction with Will Bike for Charity, Trailnet and Big Shark Bicycle Co., are putting on the 4th annual Cranksgiving ride this Sunday, Nov. 15.

The ride begins at noon outside the Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester Road in St. Louis. The goal of the ride is to buy $10 to $25 worth of food to be used by the Food Outreach to help people dealing with cancer or HIV/AIDS.

Labels: bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 7:23 PM

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Capital city cycling controversy

At first glance, the fact that Springfield -- the capital city of Illinois -- has formed a Bicycle Advisory Council sounds like a major victory for cyclists in the city.

In September, Mayor Tim Davlin named nine people to the advisory panel, which will "act as an advisory body on bicyclist issues; analyze routing, operation and the safety of bicycles and their riders. Members will also evaluate and make recommendations for signed shared roadways, the use of and installation of bicycle racks and signalization."

But the appointment of David Sykuta as the panel's chairman has raised the ire of the Sangamon County Organization for Reform of Cycling Habitat, according to an article this week in the Illinois Times. SCORCH describes itself as "the radical wing of Springfield area bicyclists, propagandists and participants of local Critical Mass rides and other cycling events."

Sykuta is a member of the long-established Springfield Bicycle Club, but what concerns SCORCH is that Sykuta also is the executive director of the Illinois Petroleum Council. SCORCH sees of conflict of interest having someone promoting the interests of the petroleum industry serving as the head of a cycling advisory board.

“Because of his position as a lobbyist for big oil, I can only assume that he is interested in promoting biking as a form of recreation and not as a means of transportation," SCORCH member Wes King told the Illinois Times.

Sykuta, who told the Illinois Times that he's a recreational rider, said his goal is for the advisory panel to look beyond politics and work on improving bicycling facilities in Springfield.

“The real challenge is that bicycling is everyone’s third or fourth most important thing,” Sykuta told the newspaper. “It’s not the top of anyone’s agenda. Everyone likes it, but our job will be to move it up there so it is a more important choice for more people.”

The Springfield area has 13 miles of trails, the 5-mile Interurban Trail that links Springfield and Chatham, the 5-mile Lost Bridge Trail that links Springfield and Rochester, and the 3-mile Wabash Trail in the southwestern part of Springfield. The League of Illinois Bicyclists also has developed a map of local road cycling routes (PDF file) based upon the recommendations of Springfield-area cyclists.

SCORCH members are advocating more official bicycle routes that would allow people to easily commute to state government offices, more bicycle racks in the city and bike racks on city buses. Advisory board members are seeking many of the same things, including a route that would link the city's Abraham Lincoln attractions.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Illinois, Springfield IL

Roger 4 comments 11:47 AM

Friday, November 06, 2009

Former 'Saved by the Bell' star is a bicycle racer

Admit it, you probably know actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar from his role as Zack Morris in the high school sitcom "Saved by the Bell."

It turns out he's a bicycle racer, too.

In a story this week in The New York Times, Gosselaar talks about his other life as a Cat 2 bicycle racer on the Amgen-Giant Elite Masters team.

In his last recorded race at USA Cycling, Gosselaar finished 25th in the Dana Point Grand Prix in the 35-39 Masters division.

“He’s a really good rider,” Chris DeMarchi, a teammate on Amgen-Giant, told the Times. “It amazes me, with all the hours he puts in with TV time.”

These days, Gosselaar is playing a lawyer in the TNT show "Raising the Bar," and he's appearing in the Off-Broadway play "The Understudy."  The Times article hints that Gosselaar can't let himself get too lean, otherwise he might lose out on some roles.

Labels: cycling, racing, television

Roger 0 comments 8:36 PM

Interstate 64/Highway 40 to open early

Good news is ahead for cyclists who travel along the Interstate 64/Highway 40 corridor -- and for the thousands of motorized commuters who use the road. The Missouri Department of Transportation announced today that the highway will reopen Dec. 7 -- 24 days ahead of schedule!

Last year, MoDOT allowed bicyclists and pedestrians on the rebuilt stretch of the Highway between Interstates 170 and 270 the day before it open, and MoDOT is planning a similar event for Dec. 6. Last year's event was conducted by the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation, but MoDOT is going on its own this time.

From noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 6, bicyclists will be allowed on the eastbound lanes of the highway between Kingshighway and Hanley Road. You better enjoy it while you can; once the highway reopens to motorized traffic, bicycles won't be allowed on the road.

Big Shark Bicycle Co. is sponsoring a cycling time trial race on the highway from 7:30 to 10 a.m. that day, and you can sign up for the time trial through Big Shark.

The new section of the highway will be dedicated at 3 p.m. near the Tamm Avenue overpass. No doubt the highlight of the ceremony will be designation of  I-64/Highway 40 between McCausland and downtown St. Louis as the Jack Buck Memorial Highway as MoDOT honors the legendary St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster, who died in 2002.

In a related item, cyclists who regularly ride Clayton Road in the city of Frontenac may want to have their voices heard in a meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Frontenac City Hall about the future of the road.

Because of the I-64/Highway 40 construction, a two-lane road with wide shoulders used by cyclists became a three-lane road with a center-turn lane to accommodate additional vehicles on the road. The city is considering whether to keep the center-turn lane or go back to the original striping. If you have questions, you may call City Administrator Bob Shelton at 314-994-3200 or e-mail your comments to lross@cityoffrontenac.org before Thursday.

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 4:11 PM

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Wheels of justice grind slowly

The recent conviction of a California doctor of deliberately injuring two cyclists by slamming on his car’s brakes on a narrow road last year prompted me to look into the case against the driver facing felony charges in an 2007 accident that left Belleville cyclist and photographer Gerry "Chief" Frierdich, pictured at left, paralyzed from the chest down.

The California case against Dr. Christopher Thompson moved relatively quickly through the legal system. On July 4, 2008, Thompson stopped his car after passing the two cyclists and shouting at them to ride single file. According to a Los Angeles Times story, the cyclists testified they began maneuvering to ride single file when they noticed Thompson's car approaching fast behind them and that the driver passed dangerously close before abruptly stopping.

USC and UCLA cycling coach Ron Peterson was thrown into the rear windshield of the doctor's red Infiniti, breaking his front teeth and nose and lacerating his face. Cyclist Christian Stoehr suffered a separated shoulder.

A police officer testified that Thompson told him soon after the accident that the cyclists had cursed at him and flipped him off, so he slammed on his brakes "to teach them a lesson," according to the Times account.

The three-week trial ended Monday when a Los Angeles County jury convicted Thompson of mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious injury and reckless driving causing serious injury.

Meanwhile, the St. Clair County case against Keith Joseph McCoy -- the St. Charles, Mo., man accused of driving the truck that struck Gerry Frierdich's recumbent bicycle -- still is not close to resolution. In late 2007, a St. Clair County grand jury indicted McCoy on two counts of aggravating driving under the influence, a Class 4 felony charge in Illinois.

On Aug. 17, 2007, Belleville police allege McCoy's pickup truck struck Gerry's recumbent bicycle while Gerry was biking to play golf at The Orchards on South Green Mount Road in Belleville. Police have said McCoy was asleep at the wheel when the accident occurred and that he had been drinking in the hours before the accident..

For all of 2008 and much of 2009, little action was taken on the case. On June 6, St. Clair State's Attorney Robert Haida's office filed new charges superseding the indictment. In addition to the two counts of aggravated DUI, McCoy was charged with two counts of reckless conduct, also a Class 4 felony.

Under Illinois law, a person convicted of a Class 4 felony can be sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison, up to 30 months of probation and a fine. A felony DUI conviction also could lead to the loss of full driving privileges for a minimum of 1 year.

In recent weeks, St. Clair County Circuit Judge Milton Wharton found there was probable cause to charge McCoy on the new charges and denied a defense motion to dismiss them. The next scheduled court hearing is Feb. 3 at the St. Clair County Building in Belleville.

Gerry is continuing his long, difficult recovery from the injuries, but he's hoping to be able to ride a specially made bike by next year. You can read more about Gerry's road to recovery at his CaringBridge site.

Labels: accidents, Gerry Frierdich

Roger 1 comments 2:18 PM

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Hitting the Donut Trail ... again

The Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society's 2009 season came to an end today with a trip to St. Louis to take on the Donut Trail developed a few years back by member Thomas Carter. It was a good way to end our season!

Unlike the Tour de Donut, the Donut Trail Ride is not a competitive event. It's a ride of about 23 miles that starts at the Forest Park MetroLink station and passes by five donut shops as it snakes its way through South St. Louis.

More than 20 people started the trek. I showed up late because I missed the MetroLink train that would have gotten me there on time, but I was able to catch up with the group at our first donut stop, World's Fair Donuts at 1904 S. Vandeventer Blvd.

Upon reaching Tower Grove Park, five riders decided to do their own thing, but the rest of us headed to Eddie's Southtown Donuts at 4701 S. Kingshighway, only to find it was closed.

On to the next stop, St. Louis Hills Donut Shop, 6917 Hampton Ave. Fortunately for us, St. Louis Hills was open, and then we made our way to Drive-In Donuts, 6525 Chippewa St. and devoured some more donuts.

The fifth shop we pass on the Donut Trail, O'Fashion Donuts at 5120 Southwest Ave. in The Hill neighborhood, had never been open when we've passed it on previous Donut Trail Rides. Given that history, we were going to skip it and turn on Marconi Ave. to head back toward Forest Park. But I noticed there were cars parked by the shop, and urged Thomas to lead us to the shop.

Lo and behold, it was open! I enjoyed a custard-filled donut, and Thomas thorough enjoyed his cheesecake donut.

So, which shop has the best donuts? They're all were good, but an informal poll I took indicated World's Fair Donuts had the best!

Combine the tasty donuts with good company and some colorful trees, and you have a recipe for a enjoyable bicycle ride.

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 3 comments 11:09 PM