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Friday, November 03, 2006

Highs and lows of the 2006 cycling season

Now that the cycling season is all but over in the Midwest except for the diehards who try to ride year-round -- and those of us such as myself who will be riding on BubbaFest on Nov. 12-18 in the Florida Keys -- this is an appropriate time to go over the highs and the lows of the 2006 season.

BEST CELEBRITY RIDE: My ride with the Ditty Bops from the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis to Edwardsville, Ill., on July 29. Because of work, I couldn't go to their concert, but I decided I wanted to be a part of their 2006 Bicycle Tour, in which the eclectic folk/pop duo were riding their bicycles from gig to gig across the country.

Amanda Barrett, shown crossing the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi, and Abby Dewald, shown checking her map during a food and drink stop at Rosenthal License Service in Edwardsville, wrote about their cross-country adventure on their blog. On the brutally hot and humid day in which they rode from St. Louis to Litchfield, Ill., Amanda came up with their "ice burrito" invention, which helped keep them cool for the rest of the ride.

In the photo at the top of this post, Amanda, Abby and one of their cycling companions for the day were traveling on Madison County Transit's Quercus Grove Trail out of Edwardsville.

I wish I would have had more time to ride with Amanda and Abby. They had plenty of tales to tell about their cycling adventures, and they're both genuinely nice people who haven't let their celebrity status go to their heads. Amanda told me she'd like to go on weeklong rides similar to what I've done over the last 20-plus years, and I hope she will be able to fulfill her dream.

LOW POINT OF THE SEASON: Unfortunately, July 29 also turned out to be the lowlight of the cycling season. I had to part ways with the Ditty Bops in Edwardsville because I was supposed to go to work later that day.

I didn't make it.

While riding back to the bridge on New Poag Road near the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville baseball field, I managed to hit a 4 x 4 that was on the paved shoulder. It was a weathered block of wood that blended in with the color of the pavement, so I didn't see it until it was too late.

Fortunately, three EMTs happened to be driving on the road when I had the accident. They stabilized me until the ambulance came. I wish I knew who they were so I could personally thank them.

I then spent seven or so hours in the emergency room at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Ill., waiting on CT scans, X-rays and stitches. The ER had to call in a plastic surgeon to do the stiches on my left eyelid, so at least I can now say I've had a plastic surgeon work on me.

The injury to my left knee hindered my riding for several weeks, so it's a good thing BubbaFest is a flat ride.

TOUR DE STOOGES: The 2006 version of the Tour de Stooges in Lebanon, Ill., drew more than 500 people from 15 states. That still amazes me. But what amazed me more was the quality of the people. The volunteers who manned our rest stops said they had to pick up very little trash because the cyclists did such a great job of cleaning up after themselves.

BELLEVILLE AREA BICYCLING AND EATING SOCIETY: Speaking of quality people, the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society continued to mature as a group this year. We have more than 220 people on our mailing list, and our attendance was consistently high during the year. Sunday was our final ride of 2006, and I was reminded of what a good group we had. People really enjoyed the ride, and they stuck around to eat, drink and be merry. I do a lot of work for the organization, but I don't mind a bit because I know our riders are very appreciative.

TROUBLES OFF AND ON THE ROAD: Once again, the cycling community was unable to persuade the Illinois General Assembly to overturn an Illinois Supreme Court decision that makes cyclists permitted rather than intended users of Illinois roads. In every other state, cyclists are intended users. Municipal and township governments fear making cyclists intended users would increase their risk of liability and have been able to defeat pro-cyclist bills.

On the road, the organizations that lead group rides in the St. Louis area still aren't doing enough to teach cyclists the rules of the road. All too often, cyclists are riding three or more abreast on the road and refusing to ride single file when traffic warrants it, both violations of Illinois traffic laws. That makes it more difficult for us who live and ride in the Illinois counties of the St. Louis metro area because people tend to lump those of us who try to follow the rules with those of us who don't.

ON THE GROUND FLOOR: I had the privilege of helping create two new rides, the Tour de Coal back in September and the Tour de Grape, which will make its debut in May 2007. Tour de Coal, a ride put on by the Coal Country Chamber of Commerce in Benld, Ill., drew more than 100 people despite dreary weather. Tour de Grape will be a fund-raiser for the HavenHouse St. Louis, which provides lodging for the families of children receiving treatment in St. Louis hospitals.

The successes I've led and the mistakes I've made in running Tour de Stooges has really helped me with steering the rides in the right direction, and both rides have very enthusiastic workers who want to see their events succeed.

All in all, I think 2006 has been a positive year for me, and I'm hoping BubbaFest will be a great ending to the year.
Labels: cycling

Roger 1 comments links to this post 12:40 AM