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Ha, ha, very funny ... NOT! Tacks flatten tires at RAGBRAI

Some slackers desperate for laughs decided it would be really hilarious to throw tacks on a country road near Nevada, Iowa.

Well, dozens -- if not hundreds -- of participants on RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, aren't laughing. And neither am I.

Scores of RAGBRAI bicyclists had to detour to repair trailers Wednesday morning after pranksters spread tacks across Story County Road E41 -- an old alignment of the historic Lincoln Highway -- outside Nevada, the Des Moines Register reported. Nevada is about eight miles east of Ames, the home of Iowa State University.

"We changed 100 easily, and we didn't even do them all," bike shop owner Tom Letsche told the Register while pointing to a pile of inner tubes next to his equipment van.

Officials eventually managed to clear the tacks, but not before cyclists spent hundreds of dollars to buy new tubes at $5 a pop. The Register story did not mention whether there were any suspects.

Here's links to Des Moines TV station's coverage of the flat tire debacle:

• Story
• Video

Labels: Iowa, tours

Roger 2 comments links to this post 11:11 AM

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Tour de Belleville safety tips

For the third straight year, I offer these tips for those of you who are planning to do the Tour de Belleville tomorrow night. These tips can be put to use on other big nighttime rides such as the L.A.T.E. Ride this weekend in Chicago or the Moonlight Ramble on Aug. 16-17 in St. Louis:

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.
• Be a good ambassador. The way you behave will influence whether a newcomer will stick with the sport.

Good luck, have fun and ride safe!

Labels: safety, Tour de Belleville, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 8:33 PM

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Bicycle battles in Iowa

When supervisors in Crawford County, Iowa, banned RAGBRAI, the Des Moines Register's Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, it spurred a debate between counties concerned about liability issues and cyclists who are asserting their rights to ride on Iowa roads.

On Saturday, nearly 100 cyclists staged a protest ride against the RAGBRAI ban.

Crawford County supervisors voted to ban the annual ride last fall after settling a lawsuit with the family of a rider who died in 2004. The lawsuit claimed the county was negligent in its road maintenance, but since the case never went to trial, that was never determined.

"I don't understand what they are so upset about," Crawford County Board Chairman Dan Mulbauer told The Daily Nonpareil of Council Bluffs. "We are not against the riders. We need to have some liability protection. We can't afford another $350,000 lawsuit from someone saying our roads aren't good enough."

In response to the liability issue, the Iowa State Association of Counties drafted a sample draft ordinance that requires all bicycle rides to provide a certificate of insurance. It would require the sponsors of any qualified bicycle event to purchase a $1 million policy that also covers the county. Violators would face fines of at least $750.

You know cyclists are in trouble when you read the first section of the draft ordinance: "County roads are not designed for bicycles. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, bicycling results in more emergency room admissions than any other sport or activity. Large organized bicycle events that use County roads create a unique risk of injury to bicycle riders. Allowing such rides puts the County, and County taxpayers, at risk for lawsuits and large damage awards."

The draft ordinance (Word document) goes on to say: "The County wants to encourage large organized bicycle events, while at the same time protecting the County from liability. The County has a legitimate interest in protecting itself from liability for injuries associated with the use of County roads. The best way to do that is to require that large organized bicycle events procure insurance that includes the County as an additional insured."

On Tuesday, dozens of bicyclists persuaded Dallas County officials Tuesday to reconsider an ordinance that would require liability insurance for any organized bike ride with more than 20 riders that is based upon the group's draft ordinance, the Des Moines Register reported..

County supervisors delayed a vote on the proposal, which has met resistance from cyclists who say it would hinder cycling clubs and charity fundraisers that can't afford policies.

Labels: bicycling, Iowa, tours

Roger 2 comments links to this post 10:26 AM

Monday, June 23, 2008

Back from the Katy Trail

As you can see, the Missouri River keeps on rolling along -- albeit a bit higher than normal -- along the Katy Trail.

Yes, I did ride the Katy Trail last week. I hope to have the full article up on the Web site later this week, but here's a brief summary.

In some ways, it was the kind of ride where everything that could go wrong did. For example, I wasn't happy to find out that when I got to Hermann, Mo., last Monday that I had left my towel and comb at home. Ugh.

At our final camping spot in Liberty Park in Sedalia, a heavy thunderstorm blew through town and knocked down my tent, drenching everything in it.

And yet, it was a rewarding ride. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources does a first-rate job of supporting cyclists, and it's hard to top the Katy Trail for scenery in this part of the world. The bluffs near Augusta and Rocheport are very scenic, but I also found the rolling plains between Sedalia and Clinton rewarding as well.

Flooding on the Missouri River did force a couple of detours, as I expected, but the flooding on the Missouri is nothing like the flooding on the Mississippi right now.

I really didn't have the opportunity to find Internet access during the trip, and that was a blessing in disguise. I found I really needed to take a break from the Internet, e-mail and blogging. I spent way too much time on this computer this spring because of organizing work I did for the Tour de Stooges and The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride, and it was great to spend time on a bike!

My mountain bike made it through the trail OK, although I probably would have been happier on a lighter hybrid or at least with less-aggressive mountain bike tires on the crushed limestone surface on the Katy Trail. I do now have a name for my mountain bike, a Raleigh -- Behemoth!

Another reason I was glad I didn't access e-mail or the Internet last week was because the parent company of the Belleville News-Democrat, McClatchy Newspapers, announced that it was eliminating 1,400 jobs nationwide through layoffs, voluntary departures and attrition. The News-Democrat will be cutting 12 jobs. I am grateful none of them are in our newsroom, but I feel for those who will lose jobs in other departments.

It is discomforting when you think about the troubled state of the newspaper industry. Recently, fellow bicycle blogger and journalist Jill Homer reported in her Up in Alaska blog that her newspaper in Juneau, Alaska, is indefinitely cutting retirement benefits.

Yes, a week away from reality did do me a lot of good!

Labels: bicycling, Katy Trail, Missouri, newspapers, tours

Roger 1 comments links to this post 11:51 AM

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Ride West on the Katy Trail

In a matter of hours, I will begin the Missouri Department of Natural Resource's Katy Trail Ride in St. Charles, Mo. Monday's trek takes us through the thick of Missouri's Wine Country as it passes through Augusta and continues on to Hermann.

This ride will mark at least a couple of firsts for me.

• This ride will be the first I've ever done on my mountain bike, a Raleigh M-80. Nearly all of my other major multiday trips have been done onroad bikes. The only exception was the 2006 BubbaFest in the Florida Keys, when I rented a flat-bar road bike. I'm on the mountain bike because the Katy Trail is a crushed limestone trail. I fully expect parts of the trail to be soft because of all the rain we've had here in the Midwest this spring, so a mountain bike should work just fine on the trail.
• It will be first time I've done the full length of the trail, from St. Charles to Clinton. I've done some of the prettier parts of the trail between St. Charles to Augusta, but I can't wait to see the entire thing.

Unlike the Mississippi River, which is now experiencing major flooding, the Missouri River is only seeing moderate flooding. I wouldn't be surprised if we have a few detours to navigate to avoid flooded areas, but most of the trail is open.

When I decided to take this week off, I was expected to do either the Katy Trail or the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure. Gasoline prices ultimately made me decide to stay closer to home.

Another factor, though, is a lack of miles compared with where I've been in previous springs. All the work I did on Tour de Stooges and The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery really ate into my training time, and when I did have time, the weather was either really bad or I was sick. My strategy for this trip is to go slow, stop often and treat the ride as a bunch of short segments instead of a long day.

I will try to write reports from the road when I can, although socializing will take a higher priority over blogging this week.

Wish me luck!

Labels: Katy Trail, Missouri, tours

Roger 2 comments links to this post 10:39 PM

Monday, June 09, 2008

Group rides: How's yours doing?

I've been wondering whether the high price of gas is affecting attendance at group rides this year. I know they've affected attendance of rides put on by the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society.

So far this year, our attendance only has been 50 percent to 70 percent of what it has been in the past. Our sister group under the Gateway Council of Hostelling International umbrella, the St. Louis Turbos/Turtles, also is reporting a sharp decline in ride attendance this year.

We're convinced that gas prices are the big reason for the major declines, and we certainly can understand that people may not want to drive 25 miles or more to do a 25-mile bicycle ride.

I really don't know if gas prices are affecting big single-day events. Many still are reporting nice crowds. The Tour de Stooges ride fell from 700 in 2007 to 550 this year. I think that was more tied to dicey weather conditions the day of the ride than to gas prices, although we did draw riders from fewer states in 2008 than last year.

I do, however, think they're having an impact on multiday rides. For example, both the Great Ohio Bicycle Ride and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Katy Trail ride have had to extend their registration deadlines, while the Cycle Across Missouri ride going on this year has less than half the riders it had in 2007.

I'd love to hear from you about the group rides you're familiar with.

Labels: bicycle rides, tours

Roger 5 comments links to this post 1:48 AM

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Two rides for worthy causes

In recent days, I've received e-mails about two worthwhile charity rides.

The first is the Ride for World Health. R4WH is a national, nonprofit organization that advocates for improvements in the quality and accessibility of global health care. Each year, by utilizing a cross-country bike ride as a vehicle of communication, R4WH addresses this issue through political advocacy, fundraising and its unique Coast-to-Coast Lecture Series.

The riders currently are in Utah, and they're expected reach the St. Louis area in early May. Dr. Tracy Hall, the leader of the GEARS bicycle club in Greenville, Ill., asked me to pass along this bit of information about the R4WH stop in the Greenville area :

Ride for World Health, a charity cross country bicycle tour, will be stopping
at Greenville First Christian Church (1100 Killarney Drive, Greenville, IL 62246) on Tuesday, May 13, about 1 p.m., on the St. Louis to Kinmundy (Ill.) leg of their trip. The group is made up of doctors, residents and medical students. Please come and have a listen to the short presentation and meet the riders. Some of the GEARS riders are planning on accompanying the riders after the presentation.

R4WH is writing a blog about the journey, and the group is accepting donations.

The second ride is the 2008 Equal Parenting Bike Trek. Starting Aug. 7, five fathers will be biking 758 miles over five days between Lansing, Mich., and Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of a child's fundamental right to be loved, guided, educated and nurtured equally by both fit and willing parents. After the ride, the fathers will speak at the Family Preservation Festival.

Robert Peterson, one of the organizers of the ride, has been pushing bloggers throughout the country to write about this event, and he has done a amazing job in getting the word out. The site says more than 70 blogs throughout the world has written about the event, and now you can count mine among them.

The ride is seeking donations and sponsors for the event, and you can find out more at the ride's Web site.

Labels: charities, cycling, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 3:00 PM

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride

the Gerry Frierdich Road to Recovery Bicycle Ride is now open!

The ride will take place Sunday, June 1, at Central Junior High School in Belleville, Ill. Registration will be from 7 to 10 a.m. The cost of the ride is $25 for adults, $15 for children 13-17 and $5 for children 5 and under. You can sign up in one of three ways:

• Through Active.com (Active.com charges a small processing fee)
• By mail, using this PDF form.
• You also can sign up the day of the ride.

If you're unable to attend the ride, but still want to make a donation, you can do so through Active.com.

In case you're not familiar about the story of Gerry Frierdich, Gerry was critically injured Aug. 19, 2007, when his recumbent bicycle was struck by a pickup truck on South Green Mount Road in Belleville, Ill. The driver of the truck, Keith Joseph McCoy, has been charged in St. Clair County Circuit Court with two counts of Aggravated Driving Under the Influence, a felony charge in Illinois. The case is pending.

The accident left Gerry paralyzed from the chest down, and proceeds from the ride will be used to pay for Gerry's future medical care and other necessities.

Gerry, a Belleville native, is a 1977 Cathedral Grade School grad and a 1981 Althoff Catholic High School grad.

After high school, he remained in Belleville where, for more than 20 years, he worked as an award-winning Master Photographer with Crafty Eye Studio in Belleville. Gerry has earned the respect of others in his field as well as the thousands he has photographed. Gerry’s name, face and talent are known throughout Belleville and the surrounding communities. He has set the bar through his photography by his ability to capture the best in each and every one of us.

Before the accident, Gerry not only was a cyclist, he was an avid golfer, runner, boater, skier, snowboarder and archer.

In addition to seeking riders, we are seeking sponsors for the event. To learn more about the event, including sponsorship opportunities, visit the ride's Web site.

We hope you will be able to help out Gerry and spread the word.

Labels: accidents, Belleville, Gerry Frierdich, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 12:56 PM

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Billie Teneau faces life head on

The Suburban Journals has a nice feature today about Billie Teneau, easily the Gateway Council of Hostelling International's most dedicated volunteer. Here's a brief excerpt from the story:

"A tiny woman, Teneau (pronounced Tea-no) has a big presence. She does nothing halfway and believes in 'supersizing' almost everything she does."

The story focuses on Billie's 50 years of service as an actress and director with the Hawthorne Players, a St. Louis-area community theater group, but it doesn't talk about her contributions to the Gateway Council.

Let me fill in a few of the gaps.

This year alone, she will be one of the ride leaders for the Flat-as-a-Pancake Century Ride on May 31 in New Baden, Ill.; the Peach Pedal Ride on July 26-27 in Belleville, Ill.; and Cycle Across Missouri on June 8-13 in central Missouri. Those are just the major rides. She also leads lots of smaller rides for the Gateway Council over the course of the year.

She's always willing to lend a hand on other people's rides. She is a regular volunteer on the Tour de Stooges that I lead for the Gateway Council. After helping out with registration, Billie then goes out and rides the 30- or 42-mile route.

Billie truly is one of the unsung heroes of the St. Louis cycling scene. If you're on a bicycle ride in the St. Louis area and see her at registration or on the road, be sure to thank her for all she does for cycling in our community.

In the article, Billie is coy about her age, describing herself only as "being a senior citizen for years." I roughly know how old she really is, but in deference to Billie, I'm not saying a word. Let's just say that I hope I have a fraction of her energy when -- or if -- I reach her age.

Labels: cycling, Gateway Council of Hostelling International, St. Louis, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:09 AM

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Got $5,000 to spare? Then go to Italy!

Today, I read with great interest -- and great envy-- the St. Louis Post-Dispatch story by Scott Anderson about his recent Backwoods trip to the Tuscany region of Italy.

"Riding a bike offers a unique up-front and personal perspective on whatever strange land you might be visiting. On our ride, the best part was stopping and talking to the folks along the way," Scott wrote.

That also sums up the reason why I do so many weeklong tours, although not nearly as luxurious as the Backwoods trips..

Scott wrote in detail about his travels, and he had this to say about the hills of the region:

To an active bicyclist, 45 miles a day doesn't sound like a lot. And, to be sure, Backroads and other touring companies offer trips in Italy that feature more mileage and more elevation each day.

But you must consider the hills when planning a trip for Tuscany, because these are hills in the big sense of the word. In some cases, they stretch for several miles, with an angle of incline approaching 8 percent, with five or six "switchbacks" to help in the ascent. (For comparison, the Tour De France features hills in the 10 percent to 12 percent range of incline).

He took several wonderful photos, so I encourage you to go take a look.

I was ready to go right now -- until I saw the price tag. The ride itself cost nearly $4,000 per person. Air fare from St. Louis to Rome was $900 per person. The train trip from Rome to Florence was $100 per person.

I have no doubt the price is worth it. Tracy, a friend of mine from the Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society, loves traveling with Backwoods, and she takes trips (mostly domestic) with Backwoods each year. Maybe someday I'll save enough pennies to make that trip.

In the meantime, I will have to settle with more economical trips. In June, I plan to do either the Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure, the Katy Trail Ride or the Grand Illinois Trail and Parks ride. In late September-early October, I hope to be able to do Cycle North Carolina, and I hope I still have a few bucks available for BubbaFest in early November.

I foresee one of those weeks falling by the wayside, but I want to hit the road this year. I better start getting in shape now!

Labels: cycling, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:27 PM

Friday, January 25, 2008

Liability shadow hangs over RAGBRAI

Most Iowa communities want to be a part of the Register Annual Bicycle Ride Across Iowa -- better known as RAGBRAI -- because the annual bicycle tour brings thousands of dollars to their communities.

The 38th edition of RAGBRAI starts July 20 in Missouri Valley with stops in Harlan, Jefferson, Ames, Tama-Toledo, North Liberty and Tipton before ending in Le Claire on July 26.

"We've seen towns that get 20,000 to 30,000 people," T.J. Juskiewicz, the ride's director told the Des Moines Register. "That's a lot of dollars. The economic impact, some towns have told us, is $2 million."

But not every local government is thrilled about the ride. This summer's ride doesn't pass through Crawford County, where the county's board of supervisors passed a resolution in October banning RAGBRAI or "any event of like kind and nature," the Register reported.

The supervisors approved the ban after it paid a $350,000 insurance settlement to the widow of a RAGBRAI rider who died in 2004. The rider was thrown from his bicycle after hitting a center-line crack on a Crawford County road.

The Register goes on to report that many county officials want the Iowa legislature to address the problem this year by providing an exemption for future court cases involving bicycles on county roads.

To me, it sounds a whole lot like the 1998 Illinois Supreme Court ruling that made bicyclists permitted, rather than intended, users of Illinois roads. The ruling held that local governments are liable for bicyclists' safety because of road condition only on streets marked or signed as a bike route.

I certainly understand the counties' desire to avoid liability, and I certainly understand that some road conditions that are unsafe for cyclists, including a crack in the middle of the pavement, aren't necessarily unsafe for drivers of cars, trucks and tractors. But my experience cycling on roads in North America tells me that the roads that are substandard for bicycles often are substandard for motorized vehicles as well.

A better solution would be one being offered by Iowa state Sen. Bill Dotzler. The Register reports Dotzler plans to introduce a bill in the Iowa legislature that would enable counties to get state grants to repair the roads.

Of course, that would involve spending money, but spending money to make roads safer for all users -- including cyclists -- seems like a wise use of taxpayers' money to me.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Iowa, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:52 AM

Friday, January 04, 2008

More bands on bikes

In 2006, I wrote extensively about the Ditty Bops' Bicycle Tour, which happened to include stops in St. Louis, Chicago, Springfield, Ill., and Kansas City, Mo., but there's two bands that are taking the concept of bicycle concert tours a step further.

On Oct. 18, the bands The Ginger Ninjas and Shake Your Peace! launched the Pleasant Revolution Bicycle Music Tour. They are riding more than 5,000 miles and playing more than 90 pedal-powered shows from the foothills of the Sierras in North San Juan, California, to the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico. There will be no sag-wagons, and no buses hauling their gear: Everything -- including the 800 Watt human-powered public address system -- is being hauled entirely on bicycle!

According to the Ginger Ninjas' blog, the bands are supposed to be in Mazatlan, Mexico, today, and they're slated to be in Mexico City on Jan. 22-28. The tour is slated to end Feb. 11 in Palenque, Mexico.

"Our way of life threatens our way of life," said Ginger Ninjas frontman Kipchoge Spencer, described in the band's press release as a San Francisco Bay Area bike culture hero and co-originator of the Xtracycle Sport Utility Bicycle. "As people resonate with that point and start to contemplate giving up their cars and forsaking a lot of other conveniences they're accustomed to, on the surface it could seem like they're sacrificing and losing a lot. But the Pleasant Revolution is about realizing that by losing this stuff, we gain a life that's way more rich, humane, and happy. Anybody who stops driving and starts biking feels that. Biking doesn't feel like losing a car, it feels like you're getting your life back! The message of the Pleasant Revolution isn't: 'sacrifice til it hurts,' it's more, 'Drop the excess, and have the time of your life.'"

In the press release, the bands contend the tour will join other 2007 Bicycle Music Movement landmarks in what could be called "the year of the bicycle-based musician" – a year that witnessed a 600-mile, 25-show Shake Your Peace! Bicycle Tour of Utah in April and May 2007 (the first significant bicycle music tour to be accomplished without a sag wagon, and using a pedal powered PA system).

During the Ditty Bops Bicycle Tour, Amanda Barrett and Abby DeWald did indeed ride their bikes from city to city -- I had the pleasure of riding with them between St. Louis and Edwardsville, Ill. -- but a support van carried their equipment and other members of their entourage.

The Ginger Ninjas and Shake Your Peace! also cited the success of the San Francisco Bicycle Music Festival on Aug. 11, a 100 percent bike-powered and bike-hauled event that the musicians say heralded the arrival of the Bicycle Music Movement to the world. The bands said the event drew 10 bands, five public venues, a 400 Watt pedal-powered PA system and outrageous cruiser rides taking over the city's streets between each festival stop.

Above, I've the video of the Ginger Ninjas for their song "Dick Cheney (Needs More Love)." I hope to post some more songs soon. Enjoy!

Labels: cycling, music, tours

Roger 1 comments links to this post 10:18 AM

Thursday, January 03, 2008

Happy New Year!

OK, I'm a little late with this, but I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year! With the coming of the new year, it's time to reflect on 2007 with a best/worst list:

BEST EVENT OF 2007: By far and away, the Tour of Missouri was the best event of 2007 for those of us in the Midwest. At first, I wondered whether Missourians would embrace the race, but big crowds at all the finish lines in the event proved that Missourians and the Midwest would come out for world-class cycling. Especially impressive was the fact that the final stage in St. Louis drew about 55,000 people despite the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams also were playing in downtown St. Louis that afternoon. The fact that Tour of Missouri was the U.S. swan song for the Discovery Channel team no doubt was a factor in the large crowds, and it was most fitting that George Hincapie, Lance Armstrong's longtime lieutenant, won the race.

BEST/WORST WEEKLONG RIDE OF 2007: The West Shoreline Tour in Michigan. It was my only weeklong tour of the year. The ride was great because of the scenery and because I managed to miss an August heat wave in St. Louis that week. The ride wasn't so good because I didn't get enough training in beforehand, meaning I rode much slower and with more rest breaks than I what I was used to.

BEST SINGLE-DAY RIDES OF 2007: One of them was my first significant ride of 2007 back in March, when I and three other friends did a 40-mile trip from Alton, Ill., to Pere Marquette State Park. Another was the "Donut Trail" ride, an informal ride with three other friends that toured some of south St. Louis's best doughnut shops. And, of course, the Belleville Area Bicycle and Eating Society's winery rides at Hidden Lake Winery near Aviston, Ill., and Ravissant Winery in Belleville, Ill., always rank among my favorites.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2007: The Tour de Stooges drew more than 700 riders last year, about 200 people more than our previous high! It still continues to amaze me that people from 14 states attended the ride. I'm a bit nervous about the 2008 ride because we had to move the ride from its longtime home at McKendree University in Lebanon, Ill., to Highland, Ill. However, even well-established rides such as the Hilly Hundred in Indiana have had to move because the ride outgrew their facilities, so we're confident the move will be a good one for the ride.

BEST TREND OF 2007: The willingness of the Illinois General Assembly to pass bicycle-friendly legislation. In a year not known for productivity in state government, lawmakers did approve a bill that requires motorists to give three feet of clearance when passing cyclists, allows cyclists to use their right arms to signal a right turn, among other things. The legislature also passed a bill that requires driver's education courses in Illinois to educate people about their obligations to share the road with cyclists. The most impressive triumph was the legislature's ability to override a veto by Gov. Rod Blagojevich of a "Complete Streets" bill, which requires bicycle and pedestrian ways to be considered when constructing roads in urban areas in Illinois.

As for 2008, it looks like May will be a hectic month for me. In addition to Tour de Stooges, I will be working with friends and relatives of Gerry Frierdich, the Belleville cyclist critically injured when his recumbent bicycle was struck by a pickup truck in August, for a fund-raising ride. Gerry is continuing his long recovery at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, but the good news is that he may be able to return to Belleville later this month.

Despite the organization work that goes into those rides, my goal is to balance that out with more cycling miles in March, April and May so that I will be ready for weeklong tours in the summer and fall. I haven't determined which rides I'm doing, but I should know by February.

I hope all of you will be able to reach your cycling goals for 2008!

Labels: cycling, racing, Tour of Missouri, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 9:55 AM

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Finally, photos!

On a truly dreary day with the threat of freezing rain, I couldn't think of anything better to do than scan in my photos from the 2007 West Shoreline Tour made it to the site before the BubbaFest photos did.

Someday, I'll buy a digital camera. Yes, I am aware the quality of digital cameras have increased while the prices have decreased.

But for now, I'm still happy with film.

If you're as tired of the cold, icy weather that has hit much of the country as I am, take a look at the BubbaFest photos and think warm thoughts!

Labels: cycling, photography, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:31 PM

Friday, September 21, 2007

Catching up

Tour of Missouri on Versus: Highlights from the 2007 Tour of Missouri will be shown from 3 to 5 p.m. CDT Saturday on the Versus cable TV channel. If you missed the live video feeds last week, it will give you a great chance to see how hilly Missouri really is, not to mention to see Discovery Channel's last race in the United States. The two-hour show also will be broadcast from 3 to 5 p.m. CDT Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Floyd Landis: It was a shame, but not all that surprising, that Floyd Landis lost his 2006 Tour de France title. I really don't know what I can add to what's already been written in The Associated Press, VeloNews and other sources.

Late-night cycling in Collinsville: The 19th annual Italian Fest Paisan Pedal Push will begin at 11:59 p.m. Saturday for a short, leisurely ride through the city of Collinsville, Ill. The event begins at the Collinsville Memorial Public Library, 318 W. Main St. The cost of the ride is $12, and registration will close at 11:45 p.m.

Legislation update: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich used his amendatory veto on a bill that would require bicycle and pedestrian ways to be given full consideration in the planning and development of transportation facilities, including the incorporation of such ways into state-funded transportation plans and programs in urban areas. Blagojevich said he would sign the bill if the wording is changed from "shall" to "may." The League of Illinois Bicyclists says the amendatory veto "gutted" the bill.

Break-in at Old Chain of Rocks Bridge: Bill McClellan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a column in today's paper about a Charlotte, N.C., couple on a cross-country ride to raise awareness of brain injuries. Unfortunately, someone broke into their support van, which was parked Wednesday at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge parking lot in St. Louis. Here's an excerpt from the column:

Ben and Lee Ann Berry parked their van at the Chain of Rocks Bridge and pedaled toward the Arch, By the way, at the entrance to the bridge, there is a banner. "It is quite possible that your unattended car will be broken into while you are away including your trunk."

While Ben and Lee Ann were away, somebody broke into their van.

The thief or thieves took Ben's computer, Lee Ann's cell phone and her purse, which had her credit cards, her personal identification and a number of coupons from the Cracker Barrel Restaurant chain, which is one of the Berrys' sponsors.

Sadly, break-ins aren't anything new at that parking lot. Trailnet, which maintains the bridge, provides secure vehicle parking at the Missouri entrance, but it's available only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. until Nov. 1. After Nov. 1, the Missouri entrance will only be open for vehicle parking during special events.

Labels: advocacy, cycling, Illinois, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, racing, safety, television, tours

Roger 2 comments links to this post 10:58 AM

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Tour de Coal coming up soon

Once again this year, I'm honored to be a part of planning the Coal Country Chamber of Commerce's Tour de Coal bicycle ride.

This year's second annual Tour de Coal will be Saturday, Sept. 22, at Benld Elementary School in Benld, Ill. For those of you who don't know where Benld is, it's about halfway between St. Louis and Springfield, Ill., not far from Staunton, the home of the original Tour de Donut.

Once again, the ride will feature three routes, a 15-mile family ride, a 30-mile mid-range ride and a 63-mile metric century. Most of the route will be on flat-to-rolling rural roads surrounding Benld and nearby Gillespie, and the metric century will use a portion of an old Route 66 alignment between Staunton and Mount Olive.

Day-of-ride registration will be from 7 to 9 a.m. at the school, but you can save money by pre-registering for Tour de Coal. You can either register through Active.com or fill out a form at the Web site, print it and send it to the address listed at the bottom of the form. Forms also are available at many St. Louis-area and Springfield-area bicycle shops.

Registration is $20 per person and $50 per household of three or more on the day of the ride, but it's only $15 per person and $40 per household if you sign up in advance.

Proceeds for the ride will be used by the Coal Country Chamber of Commerce to help improve Gillespie, Benld and other neighboring communities.

I get a lot of satisfaction out of organizing the Tour de Coal, but it's different from the satisfaction I get from leading Tour de Stooges. The big reason why I enjoy organizing Tour de Coal so much is because it's allowed me to reconnect with my native county and learn things about it.

I grew up in Brighton, which is in the southwestern corner of the county, but Brighton normally doesn't have a lot of connection with the rest of Macoupin County because the village is so close to the Alton-Wood River area. Brighton also doesn't share the coal mining heritage that much of the rest of Macoupin County has.

I've learned a lot about the rich ethnic heritage of the Benld-Gillespie area, and the big reason for that were the coal mines that once operated in the area. There are at least 20 coal mines near the Tour de Coal course, but only one of them is operational today.

Benld is best known for the Coliseum Ballroom, which hosted acts such as Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington in its heyday. Benld is also home to The Holy Dormition of the Theotokos Russian Orthodox Church, the only church in Illinois under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow and All Russia. Tours of the church will be available during the Tour de Coal.

Being involved in the Tour de Coal also has allowed me to become active with the ITS Trail, a bicycle trail under development between Staunton and Benld. A long-term goal of bicycle trail advocates in the region is to develop a network of trails that would link St. Louis and Springfield.

We hope to see you in Benld on Sept. 22!

Labels: cycling, Illinois, Tour de Coal, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 10:38 AM

Monday, August 27, 2007

Shoreline West page updated

This sunset taken in Elk Rapids, Mich., was one of the highlights of the 2007 Shoreline West Tour, which I had the pleasure of riding earlier this month.

I invite you to read my account of the ride and new photos from this year's ride. I also rode Shoreline West in 1997 and 2004, and my accounts of those rides also are on that page. The 2007 account is near the bottom. You can skip past the earlier rides to get to the 2007 ride, but reading the accounts of the previous rides -- if you have time to read them -- helps put the 2007 ride into context.

Labels: cycling, Michigan, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 1:19 AM

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Tales from the road

ELK RAPIDS, Mich. -- I feel so much like a drama king when I do the League of Michigan Bicyclists' West Shoreline Tour.

When I first went on the ride 10 years ago, I didn't even make it 10 miles before a major mishap put me on the sidelines for a few days with stitches and bruises and knocked out my friend Vicky (Mohler) Dye from the ride with two broken ribs.

Three years ago, the drama wasn't so dramatic. I only had a flat tire to fix within the first 10 miles. No big deal.

This year's drama falls somewhere between that. About 10 miles into the start of Sunday's ride, my right crank and chainrings fell off my bike! Fortunately, I was in a flat portion of the course and could stop the bike without falling down. It turned out that I broke the right section of my bottom bracket in half. Fortunately, the ride's mechanic was only a few miles away, so a SAG driver took me over to him, and I was back on the road within 45 minutes.

Overcast skies much of the week obscured many of the great sights along the Lake Michigan shoreline, but those clouds help keep down the temperatures considerably. I truly feel for you in the St. Louis area this week, but that heat is a prime reason I try to do a ride in Michigan, Wisconsin or Canada whenever I can.

Despite the relatively cool temperatures here, I struggled with dehydrations issues yesterday and today. I managed to do all 63 miles from Frankfort to Traverse City on Wednesday, albeit at an excruciatingly slow pace. I opted to do only 20 miles today, and I'm still not feeling all the great. I wonder if I have a bug that's contributing to the problem.

Despite the setbacks, I'm still enjoying the time in one of my favorite places to visit and with some of the regular Bubba's Pampered Pedalers crowd.

Labels: cycling, Michigan, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 11:48 AM

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Time to hit the road

There's plenty of reasons why I on my way to my third-ever West Shoreline Tour and my seventh ride of two or more days in Michigan in the past 15 years. But there's one that really stands out:

According to Weather.com, the average high temperature for the next 10 days in Belleville, Ill., is forecast to be 96 degrees. The average high temperature for the same period in Traverse City, Mich., is forecast to be 84.2 degrees.

For those you who will be in the St. Louis area, keep cool the best you can and drink lots of water.

I'll try to keep you updated on the ride when I get access to a computer and Internet access, but blogging will be among the lowest of my priorities in the coming week.

Labels: cycling, Michigan, tours

Roger 0 comments links to this post 8:53 AM

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Who says you have to train?

My older sister, Teresa Parod, her son, Julius, and two of his friends, Kyle Enochs and Nate Walters, recently completed the Cycling the Erie Canal ride in New York.

I'll let Teresa describe the ride in her own words: