Wednesday, December 23, 2009

More naked fun on bicycles

Days after writing about a naked protest ride in New York City somewhat thwarted by the East Coast blizzard, The Associated Press offers up another little gem about cyclists who wanted to make a statement.

Police picked up two naked men on a late-night bike ride in a New Zealand town but let them off with a warning: Put on helmets.


"They were wanting to experience total freedom," said Senior Constable Cathy Duder, who stopped the pair about 10 p.m. on a recent night in the beach resort town of Whangamata. The AP reported that she told them,: "You may experience total confinement. You should head home and get helmets."

The officer didn't see the men again, so it's not known how much "total freedom" they actually experienced.

Labels: bicycle rides

Roger 0 comments 9:23 AM

Sunday, November 29, 2009

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

Friday, November 06, 2009

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

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

Saturday, October 24, 2009

The joys of leading group rides

Tomorrow's Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society's Hidden Lake Winery Ride is the last one I have to lead for 2009. It seems I'm never completely done with bicycle ride planning -- I've already started some work on the 2010 Tour de Stooges on May 1 in Highland, Ill. -- but I'm looking forward to a bit of a break after having having led 7 Wednesday Evening Rides.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy leading group rides. I enjoy the challenge of exploring routes for us to travel. I enjoy drawing the maps for the ride. I especially enjoy the positive feedback when I've succeeded in creating a nice, scenic route.

But it does take a lot of work.

Yesterday, I drove my car over most of tomorrow route, which will take long-route riders from Hidden Lake Winery near Aviston, Ill., to Highland and back. I was fortunate to have had a lunch meeting in Highland, so I could kill two birds with one stone.

Most of the roads, as expected, were fine. But the problems came when I got near the winery. We've had quite a bit of rain the past couple of weeks, and a couple of creeks have overflowed their banks. Two roads near the winery -- Rocky Ford Road and Wellen Road -- were flooded. I quickly realized that even if the water susbsided by Sunday, they would be muddy messes unsuitable for road bikes.

So, late Friday and early this morning, I had to redraw the maps and redo the cue sheets. Even with programs like MapMyRide and Bikely, it still takes time to write the cue sheets and put the maps into a format suitable for prints.

I've learned over the years hat it really pays to visit the route a day or two before a group ride. You just never know for sure what you're going to encounter -- a fresh covering of gravel, flooding, bridge construction, etc.

You also totally can't totally trust the Google maps that are the engine for MapMyRide, Bikely and other similar programs. In rural areas, the road names on the maps and the road names on the signs -- assuming there are signs at all -- often aren't the same.

More than once thjis year while planning new routes for Winery Rides at the Lau-Nae Winery in Red Bud, Ill., I explroed roads that I thought were potentially good ones, only to find out the roads turn from a hard surface to dirt and gravel.

As our club's implies, there's work involved in making arrangements with restaurants and wineries to make sure they can accommodate us.

Leading a group ride requires a lot of work, but I find it rewarding. If you're in the St. Louis area Sunday, feel free to join us at 9:45 p.m. at Hidden Lake, 105 Wellen Road near Aviston,  for our ride. We'll have four routes ranging from 17 to 47 miles.

Happy trails!

Labels: Belleville Area Bicycling Eating Society, bicycle rides

Roger 0 comments 12:07 PM

Monday, September 14, 2009

Tour de Coal set for Sept. 26

The good folks at the Coal County Chamber of Commerce are putting on the 4th annual Tour de Coal bicycle ride on Saturday, Sept. 26, in Benld, Ill.

The goals of the ride are to promote bicycling in Macoupin County and to raise money for community projects in Gillespie, Benld and other nearby communities.

Routes of 15, 30 and 63 miles are available. The routes go past the sites of many former coal mines that were the lifeblood of those communities. In addition, the 63-mile route uses parts of old alignments of Route 66 and passes the gravesite of Mother Jones, a major labor leader in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The cost of the ride is $15 a person ($20 day of ride) and includes a $40 family special ($50 day of ride), and registration takes place from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Benld Civic Center, 201 E. Center St. in Benld. The community is approximately halfway between St. Louis and Springfield.

The start site of the ride used to be at Benld Elementary School, but mine subsidence earlier this year forced the school to be closed permanently, so the start site was moved to the Benld Civic Center.

For more information about the ride, visit its Web site, and you can register online at Active.com.

Thanks to events like the Tour de Coal and the Tour de Donut in nearby Staunton and thanks to the recently completed extension of the Madison County Transit Quercus Grove Trail to Staunton, bicycling has received quite a boost in Macoupin County. Bicycle enthusiasts are hoping to garner support for more bicycle trails that would link the Madison County trails to a bike trail in the Springfield area.

As a native of Macoupin County, I'm always happy to help boost bicycling in that area.

Labels: bicycle rides, Illinois, Tour de Coal

Roger 0 comments 12:10 PM

Sunday, August 16, 2009

World Naked Bike Ride photos!

No, sorry, they're not here. I had to work Saturday night and once again missed all the raw glory of St. Louis' second version of the World Naked Bike Ride.

However, you can find photos of the 2009 ride at the Riverfront Times. A word of caution: Many of the photos are not suitable for the workplace or children.

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 10:00 AM

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Upcoming St. Louis-area rides a diverse lot

If you live in the St. Louis area and can't find a bicycle ride the next few weekends, you're not looking hard enough.

The most provocative of the rides will be Saturday, Aug. 15 -- St. Louis's second version of the World Naked Bike Ride. Cyclists will start gathering at Tower Grove Park's Stupp Plaza at 7 p.m. and take off at 9 p.m. for a route that ends at the Atomic Cowboy. Cyclists are encouraged to "bare as your dare," although it should be noted that publicly exposing certain parts of the anatomy is against the law in St. Louis. The goal of the ride is to protest oil dependency, promote a comfortable body image and to raise awareness of cyclists. A slideshow from the 2008 ride is available at the Riverfront Times. (Note: Images on the site may not be appropriate for children or the workplace.)

If you're into scavenger hunts, the Urban Assault Ride on Sunday, Aug. 16, is for you! New Belgium Brewing is behind the ride, which requires teams of cyclists to take on physical and mental obstacles at checkpoints along the route. The ride begins at 9 a.m. in Forest Park, and proceeds will be used to benefit Trailnet and BicycleWORKS.

Also, Trailnet is doing its I Scream for Ice Cream Ride on Aug. 16 out of The Cyclery and Fitness Center, 2572 Troy Road in Edwardsville. Registration is from 7:30 to 9 a.m., and the routes of 22, 34 or 43 miles include a stop at Annie's Frozen Custard in Edwardsville. And as we all know, ice cream is the rocket fuel of cycling!

The following weekend is a big one for charity rides. On Saturday, Aug. 22, the 15th Operational Weather Squadron at Scott Air Force Base is putting on Miles for Marty, a benefit in honor of Master Sgt. Edward Martin, who suffered a massive stroke while on duty in 2006. Money from the ride will go to the Disabled Amercan Veterans. Routes of 6.5 miles on the base that can be repeated and a 30-mile route from the base to Freeburg and back are available.

Also on Aug 22, the Missouri Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America will hold the WolfRide 2009 at Bolm-Schuhcraft Park in Columbia, Ill. Routes of 50 and 100 miles are available, and the $45 registration includes food, entertainment and free massages after the ride.

For those of you who want to start riding at the crack of dawn, the Illinois Center for Autism in Fairview Heights is planning the Bike at Dawn ride on Sunday, Aug. 23. Cyclists will start registering at 5 a.m. at the Illinois Center for Autism, near Longacre Park in Fairview Heights, and take off at 6 a.m. on routes of 8 and 15 miles.

Summer festivals are a big part of the lifeblood of Southwestern Illinois Catholics, and one of the region's biggest church festivals is the Kirchenfest, the annual celebration at St. Paul Catholic Church in Highland. This year's Kirchenfest will include the first-ever KirchenRide, which will include routes of 17 and 40 miles in the rural countryside around Highland. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Aug. 23 with an 8 a.m. shotgun start.

The climax -- at least in terms of numbers -- of the St. Louis cycling calendar is the 45th annual Moonlight Ramble on Aug. 28-29 in downtown St. Louis. The ride routinely draws more than 10,000 riders, who take off on the streets of St. Louis shortly after midnight Sunday. Proceeds from the ride benefit the Gateway Council of Hostelling International.

No excuses! Get out and ride!

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 1 comments 11:21 PM

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Free ride ... and free food!

Very early in my journalism career, I learned the importance of the adage "free food is good food."

This Sunday, you can get free food and a free bicycle ride!

The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation, in partnership with the Gateway Council of Hostelling International, will be putting on the Bike the Bridges ride. The ride begins at 8:30 a.m. at the top level of the Gateway Arch Parking Garage in downtown St. Louis.

You can do a 4.5-mile ride across the nearby Eads Bridge, a 8-mile ride across the McKinley Bridge or a 26-mile ride across the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

Starting at 10 a.m., light refreshments will be served at the parking garage. You may be wondering who's paying for the ride and the free food. Well, it's the Great Rivers Greenway District, which provided a grant for the event.

At 8 a.m., a League of American Bicyclists instructor will be giving a Confident Bike Riding workshop at the parking garage.

Labels: bicycle rides, St. Louis, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Roger 1 comments 11:54 AM

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Riding the Mother Road a piece at a time

Few American highways have the lure of historic Route 66 -- the Mother Road -- and two Midwestern organizations are planning multiday rides this year on portions of the highway.

The League of Illinois Bicyclists will be putting on the 2009 Route 66 Trail Ride on Aug. 29 to Sept. 3 from St. Louis to Chicago. LIB is billing the ride as is a loosely-organized, (generally) self-supported bicycle tour meant to publicize and promote development of Illinois’ Route 66 Trail bicycle route.

No luggage transport will be provided. Cyclists should either carry their own or make arrangements for others to provide support. Also, no meals and SAG support will be provided. The good news is that registration is free for LIB members. Those not already members must pay a $25 fee for membership and registration.



What's an example of the promotion LIB is striving for? Macoupin County, Ill., cyclists are pushing for a portion of an old Route 66 alignment roughly between Mount Olive and Litchfield to become a bicycle trail. That particular alignment was a four-lane divided highway, but only two of the lanes are being used for vehicular traffic these days. The two unused lanes are in good enough shape that, with a little work, they could become a bike trail.

The second of the multiday rides is the Gateway Council of Hostelling International-USA's Cycle Route 66: America's Mother Road ride. The ride begins Oct. 10 in Afton, Okla., goes through a sliver of Kansas on an old Route 66, then makes through Missouri until ending Oct. 16 in Eureka, Mo., a St. Louis suburb.

The cost of the ride is $450 for HI-USA members and $500 for non-members (extra fee for people wanting a single room). While the registration fee is considerably more than the Illinois ride, you get a lot for your money. The cost of the ride includes vintage Route 66 motels, mouth-watering diner & cafe food (breakfast and dinner), rest stops, marked roads, luggage shuttle, mechanical/SAG support and a charter bus ride to the ride start.

Cyclists will have a choice of 335 or 375 miles. Be ready for some hills on his ride. Parts of the route have been used in the Tour of Missouri bicycle race, which is known for its undulating rolling hills.

If you're wanting to experience American history, these might be the ride for you!

Labels: bicycle rides, Gateway Council of Hostelling International, Illinois, League of Illinois Bicyclists, Missouri, Route 66

Roger 0 comments 12:08 PM

Ride of Silence

Tonight is the Ride of Silence, a slow-paced bike ride in honor of those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.

The Ride of Silence will take place at 7 p.m. at numerous locations nationwide, and St. Louis is no exception. The St. Louis edition of the ride begins at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park and is slated to go 10 to 12 miles, according to the Ride of Silence Web site.

Other Missouri communities hosting a Ride of Silence are Kansas City, Springfield, Sedalia and St. Joseph. Illinois communities hosting a Ride of Silence are Arlington Heights, Champaign-Urbana, Charleston, Chicago, Downers Grove, Evanston, Joliet and Peoria. To find out more details about those rides or about Ride of Silence in other states, visit the Ride of Silence schedule.

I won't be able to attend tonight's Ride of Silence in St. Louis because I'm riding with the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society tonight in Mascoutah, Ill. However, I do plan to ride in honor of Gerry "Chief" Frierdich tonight. Gerry continues to make great strides in his recovery from an August 2007 accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down.

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, safety

Roger 0 comments 11:47 AM

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Too bad I didn't have a camera tonight

Sunday evening, I had one of my most enjoyable rides I've had in a while. If I had not worked Saturday night, I might have been tempted to make it up to Trailnet's ride in St. Jacob, Ill., which uses some of the same roads that I plotted for the Tour de Stooges.

Instead, I decided to go to church, visit Belleville's Art on the Square festival and get a adjustment to my rear derailleur. By the time I got all that done, it was in the neighborhood of 5:30 p.m. I really needed to get a ride of about 30 miles in, so I hopped on my bike and started heading toward the MetroLink Trail and points east.

I wanted to hit one of my favorite cycling roads in the area, Funk School Road, an interesting road with mild hills southeast of Belleville. So after riding the trail all the way to Southwestern Illinois College. From there, I took the wide shoulder of Illinois 161 to Radio Range Road and took that to Illinois 158-177 and headed east to Renchler Road. I've always found Illinois 158-177 to be safe because it has 3 feet of pavement to the right of the white line. That's enough for me to feel safe, although I'm sure some riders may not be as comfortable on the road as I am.

I enjoy riding in the early evening. The photographer in me gets into the lighting that time of day, plus much of the scenery is very green because of all the rain we've had in the area. The rain has kept farmers out of their fields, meaning that some of them were blooming with wildflowers. Very nice!

I love Funk School Road not just because of the small hills, but because of the curves that make it interesting. The same goes for Jefferson Road and Reinneck Road.

I was a bit concerned when the sun hid behind some clouds that had formed before sunset, but I made it back in Belleville with a little bit of daylight to spare.

This is the time of year I love riding in the St. Louis area. We're a bit cooler than normal this spring, but the temperatures usually are perfect for cycling. The wildflowers and the lush greenery are a bonus.

If you live in or the near the metro-east, I recommend this ride. Enjoy!

Labels: Belleville, bicycle rides

Roger 1 comments 11:51 PM

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Phil Keoghan is riding across America

I've always liked The Amazing Race more than any other reality show on TV, and host Phil Keoghan has given me another reason to enjoy the show.

Phil is in the midst of a bicycle journey across America. Phil is riding to raise money for the National MS Society, and you can donate money to the cause through his site.

Phil has made his way into Nebraska and is riding today between Holdrege and Sutton. He will ride through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio on his way to his final destination, New York, where he's expected to ride May 9. His journey began March 28 in Los Angeles.

Phil is doing a video blog of his journey, and you can view it here.

You actually can ride with Keoghan if you want, but you have to sign a waiver to do so. Here's the starting points for Midwestern cities:

4/16 Sutton, NE 4/17 Lincoln, NE 4/18 Omaha, NE BIKE MS 4/19 Atlantic, IA 4/20 Des Moines, IA 4/21 Iowa City, IA 4/22 Davenport, IA 4/23 Rochelle, IL 4/25 Chicago, IL BIKE MS 4/26 Plymouth, IN 4/27 Fort Wayne, IN 4/28 Lima, OH 4/29 Columbus, OH 4/30 Dennison, OH

I'm sure he'll enjoy your company on his amazing ride! I only wish I could get away for a while. I have to pay the bills, you know, plus I have to get ready for Tour de Stooges.

Labels: bicycle rides, television

Roger 1 comments 2:16 PM

Friday, April 10, 2009

Pedaler's Jamboree on the Katy Trail

The other day when I was posting a reminder about registration for the Tour de Stooges (May 2 in Highland, Ill., by the way!) at the STLBiking.com forums, I saw this interesting ride on Memorial Day weekend on the Katy Trail.

Off Track Events is billing the Pedaler's Jamboree as Missouri's first-ever bike powered music and camping festival. Cyclists will make a 75-mile round trip over two days, May 23-24 from Columbia to Boonville and back, on the Katy and MKT trails.

In addition to the easy riding on the trails, event organizers also are promising free music at various stops along the trails, free entry to a beer garden in Boonville to listen to music, free pickup and drop off at gear at Boonville and rewards for self-contained cycling.

The cost of the ride? $30 if you sign up by May 16 and $35 if you procrastinate. Children 11-16 are half-price, and children 10 or younger are free. It will cost you an additional $10 to camp in Boonville, and there are hotels available in Boonville if you'd rather not camp.

Big Smith, a Springfield, Mo.-based band with a large following in the Midwest, will be the headline performer May 23 in Boonville. Below is a sample of Big Smith's music:

Labels: bicycle rides, Katy Trail, Missouri

Roger 1 comments 12:50 AM

Sunday, March 22, 2009

On the trails of Madison County

Yes, that's me in the rear view mirror of Doug Kaufman's bike as we rode 37.5 miles on the trails of Madison County.

Doug's birthday was more than a month ago, but several of his good friends got together today for a ride on the trails of Madison County. Since I know the trail system very well, I got to pick today's route.

Joining us on today's ride were Roger "The Answer Man" Schlueter, Brad and Kathy Weisenstein, and their youngest daughter, Rose.

We started on the Nature Trail on the southern edge of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. I first wanted to take the gang on a 31-mile circuit on the Nature, Schoolhouse and Goshen trails, but I was quickly vetoed on that idea. It turned out the rest of the folks didn't want to ride to Granite City, despite my assurances that most of the Nature Trail was nice.

Instead, we headed up to Edwardsville to the Goshen Trail, shown at left, and I decided we were going to hop on the Heritage Trail and take that to Marine.

Things started out well, but Doug noticed my seat seemed a bit low. It was. When we got to the Heritage Trail intersection, I decided to try to fix it. I got the seat where I wanted it, but I put too much muscle into tightening the bolt. It broke.

Fortunately, we were close enough to The Cyclery bicycle shop in Edwardsville to get a new seat post attachment. It added a bit of distance to the ride, but that was OK. Soon, we were on our way to Marine.

I took a bit of ribbing for my pronunciation of Marine. It sounded a bit like "Maureen" to them. Maureen is a friend of ours who was invited to come along, but she didn't. "Maureen's in St. Louis," my friends reminded me.

The Heritage Trail between Glen Carbon and Silver Creek is a bit rough because it is an oil-and-chip trail maintained by the village of Glen Carbon. Between Silver Creek and Marine, it is an asphalt trail maintained by Madison County Transit. Despite the rough trail, everyone enjoyed the scenic trail.

We stopped for lunch at the Parkview Cafe in Marine. We got there shortly before closing time -- 2 p.m. -- but the folks there were happy to serve us!

We had a pleasant surprise on the way back. Most of the time during the spring, the wind blows from the west or the south in this part of the world. Today, the wind was coming from the east and made our ride a lot more enjoyable.

On the way back, my friends told me I had a wardrobe malfunction in my bike shorts. Fortunately, it was warm enough to take off my jacket and wrap it around my waist to hide the malfunction.

"Make sure you destroy those shorts when you get home," Doug said.

Rose was a real trooper today! By the time we returned to the Goshen Trail intersection, Rose was game. Even though she's an eighth-grader, she agreed with the rest of us that we wanted to take the Heritage Trail to downtown Glen Carbon, then ride the Nickel Plate Trail back to Edwardsville. That added about 3 miles to the ride.

It wasn't the fastest ride I've ever done, but it was one of the more enjoyable. It's always fun to ride with Brad, Doug and Roger, and having Kathy along was great. Kathy rode with her aunt on the 1985 version of the Bicycle Across the Magnificent Miles of Illinois ride that went from Chicago to Edwardsville, the first weeklong ride I ever did.

"This bike likes to go far," Kathy said while on the road. Here's hoping that Kathy's able to do a weeklong ride again sometime in the near future!

In honor of his birthday, Doug treated us to cans of guava juice at the end of the ride. Cheers!


From left, Doug Kaufman, Roger Schlueter, Roger Kramer,
Brad Weisenstein, Kathy Weisenstein and Rose Weisenstein.

Labels: bicycle rides, Illinois, MCT Trails

Roger 1 comments 9:23 PM

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

2009 St. Louis World Naked Bike Ride

For those of you who love to ride in the buff -- or as bare as you dare or as the St. Louis Police Department lets you -- St. Louis' version of the World Naked Bike Ride will take place Saturday, Aug. 15. Last year's event, the first time the WNBR had taken place in St. Louis, drew about 300 people.

The goals of the event are to promote alternatives to motorized transportation and to promote a healthy self-image.

In case you need a reminder, here's what's considered lewd and indecent conduct in St. Louis: "The exposure of one's genitals, buttocks, vulva, pubic hair or the female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola."

Labels: advocacy, bicycle rides, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 8:57 PM

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Guess who's finally going on RAGBRAI?

I've been on plenty of the Midwest's great weeklong bicycle rides -- West Shoreline Tour, TRIRI, GOBA, etc. -- but I haven't done the granddaddy of them all.

Until this year, that is.

I will be doing this year's version of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, better known as RAGBRAI!

I signed up today through the St. Louis-based Touring Cyclist bicycle store chain, and it's a good thing I did. I called Touring Cyclist's main office and asked if there were still spots, and owner Donald Humphries had an ominous message for me:

"I don't mean to pressure you," he said, "but I only have two spots left and I've had six people call today."

Make that one spot. I immediately filed out the application form, which I've had for several weeks and put off filing out -- procrastination is one of my worst traits -- and went up to the Touring Cyclist shop in Fairview Heights, Ill., to make a down payment.

There's still time to sign up for RAGBRAI. The paper registration deadline is Sunday, and the online registration deadline isn't until April 1. However, fellow cyclists who have done RAGBRAI have told me going with a group is the way to go to avoid prolonged luggage searches and long shower lines.

Touring Cyclist had room for 57 people, and I'm No. 56. That definitely beats the heck out of being No. 58!

Dawn Weber, the manager of the Fairview Heights shop, always has been amazed that I've never done RAGBRAI, given the number of other weeklong rides I've done in 11 states and 2 Canadian provinces. Frankly, I have too. It's not been for a lack of trying, but I've never been able to get that week off work because of our vacation seniority system until this year.

I'm really looking forward to RAGBRAI. I just hope the vandals who plagued last year's ride by throwing tacks on the road stay home, or better yet, behind bars.

Labels: bicycle rides, Iowa, RAGBRAI

Roger 1 comments 6:48 PM