Great Lakes - BFNIC Century Report

Well the first BFNIC Cenruty has come and gone. So far it appears the preliminary feedback has been good. I have received a lot of "thank you"s for the route planning and organizing. The weather was PERFECT, and the turn-out was pretty good as well.

In the morning everyone had pretty good spirits despite the cold. Knowing that we were riding loops back to the same parking lot a lot of people (myself included) decided to wear many layers. (sorry if I get names wrong)

iab
http://img434.imageshack.us/img434/3589/dsc01998oa0.jpg

CyLowe97
http://img416.imageshack.us/img416/4319/dsc01999jk0.jpg

The whole group before leaving:
http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/144/dsc02004wi9.jpg
L to R:dekalbSTEEL, Voldemort, Scott (Kimbercop's Friend), Kimbercop, iab, shider, aham23, CyLowe97 (I'm taking the picture)

Me (does this kit make me look fat?):
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7726/dsc02005ob5.jpg

...continued...

We started rolling out, and right from the start I started feeling like the slow social ride aspect was somehow lost in translation. I didn't have any problems with the pace, but we started popping riders out the back like popcorn.

Maintaining my "no drop" ride had me dropping back to lend a hand. First Voldemort seemed to be struggling to keep the pace, but once he got warmed up he turned it on...never to be seen at the back again. Kimbercop was not riding like himself. Something was up, and his legs just weren't there.

He told me more than once to give him a cue sheet and leave him, but that just wasn't in the spirit of the ride...
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/6206/dsc02007vz1.jpg

In typical Midwest fashion we did get 2 "tractor ups" during the ride. This one had a huge disc attachment on it that just about shredded the lot of uf...
Hard to see...sorry.
http://img434.imageshack.us/img434/5929/dsc02006cb6.jpg
...continued...

At that point CyLowe had dropped back from the lead group to join Kimbercop and I. We still had sight of them, and realized a little late that they had blown through a turn on the route. After some quick thinking and discussion CyLowe rode up to their group to lead them on a 1.5-2 mile detour while Kimbercop and I went back and took the correct turn.

Kind of sneaky, but they needed the extra length to take some energy out of those legs ;) .

They caught us within a few miles. dekalbSTEEL exclaimed, "you didn't think this break was going to stay away did you?". Sadly...no I didn't, but it bought us some time and distance. We stayed together through the next couple of miles to my first surprise of the morning.

I got an idea to play on the whole "flat" trait of the route and create a "King of the Mountains" competition. To make it more interested I also created a "Queen of the Mountains" competition as well. We had gotten to turn before the "mountain" on the first route. I informed the group that I needed to know the first and secon as well as the last and secon-to-last riders to go over the "mountain".

We all rolled out from the stop sign at the turn together. Shider and Aham were off like a shot. It became clear that one of them had it. Now it bacame more about not being the last one over. Kimbercop and CyLowe were in the back, and then it happened. CyLowe dropped his chain while shifting to his small ring. Man his mechanic sucks (that would be me folks). As a result the final standings for the 1st mountain are as follows:

KOM:
1st - 100pts - Shider
2nd - 50pts - aham

QOM:
1st (last) - 100pts - CyLowe97
2nd - 50pts - Kimbercop

From there we had a long "descent" into Marengo, and the first stop, where it was every rider for themselves.

...continued...

Shots of the stop:
Aham and Shider plotting their next breakaway...
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3954/dsc02015zm9.jpg

dekalbSteel thinking about filling aham's bottle with lead shot to help slow him down...
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/6338/dsc02016wj9.jpg

iab taking his phone camera shots..."I don't care how many megapixels it is...with this tiny lens it will still suck."
http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/716/dsc02017nk1.jpg

CyLowe. I don't care how many times I post it, but that jersey rocks.
http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/4930/dsc02018uj6.jpg

...continued...

Rolling back into Hampshire after the first stop was going to have some up-hill. We took off like rockets after getting through town, and the group expolded again on the hills. At one stop sign CyLowe and dekalbSteel offered to ride sweep, that way I could go up to the front group to make sure they didn't miss any more turns.

I had to stoke the fire and burn 26-28mph to bridge it up to that group. :eek: I couldn't help but wonder how many matches I was going to have left by the end of the day if I had to keep floating around the group. When I made contact it was hammer down for everyone. I was starting to get iffy about the next turn (must have been a lactic acid fog ;)) so I decided to jump off the front to see where it was.

Well everyone took it as a cue to pick up the pace. It was right into a hill and poor Voldemort had just pulled off the front. Everyone, including myself, shattered. I turned around to say, "you guys weren't supposed to follow", but it came out...."huff, huff, U, huff, huff, huff, shys, huff, huff...." Luckily we were only a couple of miles away from being back at the cars.

Sarge had already called to say that there were new riders waiting to join up with us for the next leg. Everyone made it in relatively close together. Kimbercop, CyLowe, and dekalb were all within 5 minutes of us getting there.

...next...loop 2.

This is an epic ride report. Will the second leg come out three years from now, a la George Lucas releasing the trilogy at three year intervals? ;)

This is good. :D

I can't wait...........keep it coming!!!!!!!!

We picked up a few, and lost a few riders for loop 2. Nothingman (who was wanting to do the whole century, but we forgot he was on, and he made it there 20 minutes after we left) was ready to go. We also picked up S_Dog and his buddy "Joe" as well as a JPW.

Joe brought the third Giant TCR to the group - sweet.
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/3032/dsc02027ra0.jpg

Waiting for the rollout...
Shider, iab, JPW
http://img423.imageshack.us/img423/2594/dsc02022ue5.jpg

Voldemort and dekalbSteel relaxing while Kimbercop and Scott pack up...
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/5369/dsc02020rl9.jpg

CyLowe winning kit points for bringing out his old school LeMond era Team Z jacket - Hip you gotta give him props for that....BTW - he refuses to wear it on the bike least anyone think that he was the world champ...
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1294/dsc02023fi5.jpg

iab - sporting the pith helmet for Hip's consideration.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/4615/dsc02025xq9.jpg

Voldemort sporting his Katrina Relief Fund "New Orleans" jersey complete with sublimated beads - I like the martini glass.
http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/4131/dsc02026ws9.jpg

S_Dog unloading that POS Scott....:rolleyes: ...it really is a beat to see in person. A-1 on that job.
http://img351.imageshack.us/img351/5115/dsc02024hc9.jpg

...continued...

Shots of the stop:
Aham and Shider plotting their next breakaway...


I don't know about Aham, but as for myself, any plotting or planning I had was distinctly related to taking it easy and hanging around mid-pack. I don't know exactly what happened but whenever we started moving my brain got over-ruled and the next thing I know, i'm pedalling like a maniac to stay at/near the front.

Great report so far.

Voldemort sporting his Katrina Relief Fund "New Orleans" jersey complete with sublimated beads - I like the martini glass.

I didn't even notice the beads.... that's clever. Great jersey, voldemort!

Loop 2 got rolling and it was back to old games. The speed picked up. I was starting to get worried because this loop was the roughest if the wind were to kick up. It is hard to explain why these particular roads were tough, but for me they have always been that way. If we were going to have a fractured group...it was going to happen here.

We got to the first major turn *said with evil voice* "Melms", and dekalb told me he was going to jet. His legs just weren't in it. I was totally shocked. I figured he would be one of the riders blowing us apart, but he mentioned that he had been short on the miles lately, and he had family members not felling good at home. I was sorry to see him go becuase we hadn't really had much of a chance to talk it up. Thanks Dekalb for helping sweep and for coming out!

http://img433.imageshack.us/img433/646/dsc02012xi8.jpg

Well the wind started kicking out of the South and while we did keep the group together for most of it, Joe started to falter. I dropped back to ride with him and provide a wind shield for him. We got to talking and I found out that Joe had just gotten out of the Army (101st - Airborne - Screaming Eagles) after serving 3 tours. Spent a lot of time in Iraq, etc. He said he knew he was going to use some of the money he had saved up to buy a bike when he got out, but had thought it was going to be a motorcycle. S_Dog helped him think about getting a bicycle instead. Now he's hooked.

This was only his 3rd ride...period. Even after "cracking" he was still hauling a 15-17mph pace behind me. I couldn't have done that after 3 rides. He kept apologizing for his speed, but all I kept thinking was "F that...thanks for serving."

We got to the second stop in Genoa and drenched the local biker gas station in lycra. In all the planning I had fogotten to bring food on both the 1st and second loops. CyLowe helped me out with some shot blocks on the first, and I got a Payday on the second. After that we were back into the country for the second KOM climb. Unfortunately I had only located the KOM points positions on the GPS and had not looked at them in person so all I could tell everyone was that it was where the RR corssed the road.

KOM 2:
1st - 100pts - aham23
2nd - 50pts - Shider

QOM:
1st (last) - 100pts - Joe
2nd - 50pts - S_Dog

Totals:
KOM:
150 - aham23
150 - Shider

QOM:
100 - Joe
100 - CyLowe97
50 - Kimbercop
50 - S_Dog

The ride back into the forest preserve was rough. Nothingman dropped back to chat with S_Dog, Joe, and myself. It is a long steady incline that never seems to end and it was rough. We all pulled in fairly close to each other.

...continued....yeah seriously....continued...

Back at the cars we gained a few and lost a few. Drag was there to meet us, as well as Velodev. Joe and S_Dog decided to cut it short due. They both wanted to keep going, but in all fairness that last leg had done a job on Joe. Next time. Nothingman was out for the next leg as well.

The stop got expensive as first aham knocks over his Giant TCR (crash! - "WTF"), then Drag pulled a clipless fall over right in the middle of everything. His timing was perfect. I felt sorry for him because we have all done it, but this was his first organized ride and he was in front of a group of guys that he felt had a lot of experience.

I think most of us wanted to laugh because he wasn't hurt, we had all been there, and it was funny. Instead no one moved. Almost like we weren't sure how to salvage his pride. After we ascertained he was OK there were a few, "Well...at least you got that out of the way"s.

The whole group between loop 2 and 3. Keep in mind that some of us had over 70 miles of hard riding in at this point...
http://img426.imageshack.us/img426/6839/dsc02029lx0.jpg
L to R:Shider, CyLoew97, Joe, S_Dog, Me(Psimet2001), JPW, Voldemort, Velodev, Drag, aham23, and Nothingman.

Loop 3 looked promising. While I didn't pre-ride the route, I remembered most of the road being flat (wrong), and most of the riders had 70 miles in already so we wouldn't have much of a problem keeping together. What I had forgot was that the wind was out of the South and this leg was almost all South for the first half.

There was climbing and it quickly blew us up again. It was at the top of "Tower road" (called tower road because it is the highest point around for a couple of counties and there is a huge communications tower perched on top of it) that I had placed the last KOM points location.

I didn't see who was in front, but I was definitely last.

KOM 3:
1st - 100pts - Shider
2nd - 50pts - aham23

QOM 3:
1st (last) - 100pts - Psimet2001
2nd - 50pts - CyLowe97

Totals:
KOM:
250 - shider
200 - aham23

QOM:
150 - CyLowe97
100 - Psimet2001
100 - Joe
50 - Kimbercop
50 - S_Dog

After the top the groups got back together, except for aham and Velodev (shider may have been with them as well), and we got a good paceline going. All of a sudden I see JPW (or Shider can't rememebr for sure) pull off and notice Drag is pulling. I had a feeling this was his first time pulling, and I knew his heart was probably pounding (more from nerves) and he was soaking up the moment. It was a strong pull. Right on the money.

.....continued....

At this point we got to the end of our travel South. There had been a lot of other riders out on the roads due to the Pumpkin Pedal Ride, but it lookedlike the riders that were on the road past our turn were ours. We sat for a while as I dug out my phone to call up to aham.

"Did I miss the turn??!"
"Yup."
"**%#$**^&*@! - Crappy directions!" ;)

It gave us a much needed break as we waited for aham and veldev to join back up. From there it was a short jaunt West until the road finally turned North for the final leg. As soon as we turned you got hot because the wind wasn't blowing over you anymore. That's always my first sign that the hammer of Thor is about to come down.

We got tight and really started to open it up. I asked about .5 miles in if we still had everyone (I was second or third wheel at the time), and got back a "no, we lost a few." CyLowe was with them so I felt OK to stay with the group. We found some sections with sweeping turns and just opened it up. Even aham had to pull off the front after cashing out.

http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/8392/dsc02013sm3.jpg

We got into Burlington and looked for the stop I had planned. On the weekends Burlington is a major crossroads for a lot of motorcyclists, and yesterday being so beautiful the place was just packed. I joked that we should head into the local "biker" bar, because we were bikers, but everyone knew that wasn't going to happen.

We found some shade and waited for everyone else to filter in. We weren't waiting long. All of us got some liquids and food and lamented over the wind. The last 10-15 miles were finally upon us!

The groups held together for most of the lest leg, but by the time we made it through Hampshire again it was every man for themselves. I limped back to the forest preserve in about 3rd spot. My wife, son and in-laws were there waiting to meet the group. I want to especially thank Sarge for volunteering to be available for SAG. I'll have to take him out for dinner to help thank him.

My final stats as follows - keep in mind that for everyone it was a different ride. Different turns, different speeds, and different amounts of waiting. It made it unique for everyone.

Distance: 102.08 - my computer is off, it should have been around 104
Riding Time: 6:09
Max Speed: 35.1
Avg Spd: 16.5
Total Time: At home on Heart Monitor, but somthing like 7:58 - a lot of stopping and chatting.

I thought htis route was 1200 feet of climbing, but it seemed like a lot more. With the motion based data coming back it is looking like it was more like 3400 feet of climbing. The world may never know for sure...

Voldemort celbrating his first century with a "recovery drink"
http://img304.imageshack.us/img304/4552/dsc02031sh7.jpg

Aham after tearing up over 100 miles of pavement...
http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/3438/dsc02032gl1.jpg

Drag handing out Cliff Bars. No takers, dekalb's cookies were just too good! Thanks dekalb, Drag, and Nothingman for bringing food to share!..
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8859/dsc02033ac1.jpg

All - in - All I think it was a great ride. I appreciate all of the compliments about the route. After putting in this much time my only fear was that no one would show. To the contrary we had a good turn out and I think a lot of new people have realized that there are a great bunch of BF members in the are to ride with.

We'll have to start planning a get together sometime in the winter. Doesn't have to be riding, but something like a pot luck, or hike or something....

It's getting time for me to pick up my son from daycare so I'll have to post some final thoughts and the formal KOM, QOM awards later tonight. Turns out Shider is thinking he wasn't in front on the last climb...

Let's hear some thoughts. Who had the best bike? What was the best kit? Who was unstoppable? Why weren't there any WI riders??;) :D

Thanks for the post-ride recap Psimet!

Since this will be the official register, I'll repost my comments from the other thread here:

I don't think the weather could've been better (okay maybe less wind on some routes).

First, off, a hearty THANK YOU to the entire BFNIC crew, especially Psimet for doing all the event legwork. (Thanks to your father-in-law for the SAG role too!)

I've only been on the bike since the last weekend in August and I was able to accomplish a lot of FIRSTS on this ride:

1) First time I rode a distance far enough that it actually had a name: HALF-METRIC! Woo-hoo! I know. I know. What's the big deal, but again I've only been riding a few weeks, and my longest ride prior to today was only 21 miles. I don't think I could've shared the event with a nicer group. Thanks for pulling me along fellas!
2) First organized group ride.
3) First pace-line. That was a paceline right?
4) First time as lead bike of a paceline. Not that I meant to pull, but I just happened to be the second bike in line when the first guy rolled out. It was a short lived mile and a half experience but will be cherished nonetheless.
5) First mid-ride stop at a gas station for refreshments. Never rode far enough to need to stop anywhere. LOL!
6) And, lastly, first Christening of my Litespeed as it fell and kissed the asphalt . . . with me clipped into it. Just my luck, a decade of riding MTBs on wicked trails that require multiple spontaneous clipless exits and I can't unclip in a parking lot at 1mph in front of a dozen seasoned cyclists who I just met. (My wife got a kick out of this.) Anyway, anybody know where I can get a replacement left Ultegra brifter cap? For cheap?

Some things I learned:
A. These boys are FAST! I could barely keep up with them, if at all!
B. I really need to get a lot more miles in these legs, but that's no surprise. I was in upper Zone 4 and Zone 5 nearly the entire time. Clearly puts things into perspective and provides me something to shoot for.
C. Paceline riding requires a series of quick strokes and minor jabs at the brakes.
D. For the first time, I didn't find riding in the drops all too uncomfortable, at least not as much as I remember. My other road bike has a farther drop from the seat to the bars, so that obviously had something to do with it. I also figured out I may need to mildy adjust the angle of my bars.
E. Don't bother riding clipped in while in a small parking lot (see #6 above).

It was a privilege to meet all of you BFNIC gents and am looking forward to the next one!

:)

QOM: 150 - CyLowe97

Hey, I was riding sweep, man!

;)


Amazing report. I'm still gathering my thoughts on the ride. You pretty much said it all above.

:beer:

I updated/posted a link in the general roadie forum to link to this thread.

:)

Cylowe - Thanks for pulling me on the last climb. I really didn't know how long that hill was gonna go. I actually thought it was gonna be another mile or so until I saw you pull off. Thank goodness!

Great report! Sorry I had to bail. It was a great ride while it lasted for me. I am going to have to nominate myself for best MATCHING kit. When you can coordinate jersey, socks, helmet, gloves AND bike, that's saying something!
And I'm also going to have to nominate myself for biggest A$$ of the day! Can you tell I haven't been riding much?:eek:

Let's hear some thoughts. Who had the best bike? What was the best kit? Who was unstoppable? Why weren't there any WI riders??;) :D

My 02, realizing I was there for only the first two legs:

Best bike - Kimbercop's Pinarello (I love anything Italian) or Nothingman's Litespeed.
Best kit - Nothingman's green and black, less is more.
Unstoppable - That's a no-brainer, aham23 and Shider (alphabetical order, not 1 and 2).
No riders from WI - Lost their passports to cross the Cheddar Curtain.
And a special shout-out to best masher - Scott, that was damned impressive

Great report! Sorry I had to bail. It was a great ride while it lasted for me. I am going to have to nominate myself for best MATCHING kit. When you can coordinate jersey, socks, helmet, gloves AND bike, that's saying something!


Sure, easy to say for someone matching colors. Just try pulling something together in black, white and gray. That's no easy task. ;) :)

...ah the judging is underway fellas....my other 'official' award thread....waiting for any additional pictures in that thread....Nice job by all.

--No WI riders?
Well, I was there in spirit....couldn't make it. As for any others...perhaps in mourning about how good the Bears are and much the Packers suck this season?

--CyLowe....QUEEN of anything is NOT a good thing. I think it was those socks! :)

Missed you guys....maybe one more outta La Grange yet this fall?

Nice job guys!:D Thanks for sharing the pics. I'm voting for Voldemorts outfit, its just the combination of the beads and those neon yellow/green campy socks that did it for me. :) I was busy over at Pumpkin Pedal. Great day to ride...hope to see you all at the next one!:D

sounds like you all had a great time! i love the idea of KOM/QOM points! just makes for an additional fun thing to do!!!!!!!

way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!

Curious to have a chat with your friend Aham. I have a US 40 jersey. But, my US 40 jersey is like 2000 miles west of yours, like strung out across Nevada. Guess, mine would never be labeled Rain. Mine is more like 'loneliest road.' What is this rain ride about. ?

RAIN = Ride Across INdiana. One way. One day. 160 miles or so.

RAIN = Ride Across INdiana. One way. One day. 160 miles or so.
Could it be like the US 40 ride across Nevada. We had no red lights for three whole days. Couple stop signs, tho.

Could it be like the US 40 ride across Nevada. We had no red lights for three whole days. Couple stop signs, tho.

I believe it is the same old US 40. It cuts right across the middle of Indiana. Unfortunately there are many more people along it in Indiana though so we have to detour around Indianapolis.

Last year's report:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=211221

Hey Psimet, You just dont do anything with half effort!! :) Great post, pics, and write up. This is just classic stuff man. I love it.

For the record I think I did go over The Roller on Tower Hill first. I was with Velodev. However, I dont think anyone knew it was part of the KOM comp. There were two times Shider and I sprinted up a roller for the KOM. It was the first and the last, which we thought was around those railroad tracks that I never spotted. The second KOM points were as we left some town and Shider had no idea. I grabbed his wheel then went past him just at the top. If he would have known he would have taken that one too. When we rode together most of the day and he dropped me on every roller out there. He clearly was the KOM in my mind and deserves the prize!

Let's hear some thoughts. Who had the best bike? What was the best kit? Who was unstoppable? Why weren't there any WI riders??;) :D

Best Kit = dekalbSTEEL. He had the water theme down pat from the jersey to the socks to the case of 24 Hinkley Spring he brought to share. Plus, I really like cookies.

Best Bike = Well my favorite was kimbercops Penny. The blue tires get me every time. Close second was S_Dog and his Scott. Carbon Fiber, black and yellow beauty. The matching black & yellow carbon fiber cages were sweet.

Unstoppable = Psimet2001. You organized the ride with a unique format and pulled it off perfectly. You had Sarge for SAG, Cue Sheets, Maps, KOM/QOM comps, and you didnt get mad when those boobs hammered it off the front and got lost. Finally you post a most epic write up with pics a day latter.

WI Riders = Chasing the Knave all day? I really dont know.

Later.

Best Kit DekalbSteel wins hands down. Matching socks and gloves, it just all worked.

Best Bike I love kimbercop's Pinarello. It's a total classic. I really liked nothingman's Litespeed and Shider's oldskool Trek as well.

Unstoppable Tie between Ahem23 and Shider. Those guys were way in front and probably could have ripped us up even more if they wanted to.

WI Riders Maybe we smell?


Friggin fantastic time. Many, many thanks to Psi for organizing, riding a dynamite sweep for us stragglers, and picking some pristine roads. I wish I could have chatted with more of you, but my slow butt was hanging off the back the whole time (50 QOM points...woohoo :rolleyes: ). Thanks also to DekalbSteel for the delicious cookies. On a side note, I have never seen a road littered with that many grasshoppers before....I think it was about 15 miles into the second loop. They were hopping all over the place to avoid our wheels.

Let's do it again next weekend :eek: .

First, great weather, great ride, great planning, great write-up. Thanks, Psimet. Second, thanks big-time to Shider and Aham for some heavy duty pulling:) . And to everybody else who did pulls too, but it seemed every time I looked up it was one of those two. I'm pretty shocked I was even able to hang in there most of the time. Although you guys did just about kill me at that pace:D . I have this reallly bad habit of not accepting my limits.:rolleyes: I probably should have been riding with the second group most of the time, but its like following a friend down a double diamond ski run when you know you're more of a high intermediate. That's the first long ride I've done on a road bike. No wonder I almost died when I tried it on a mountain bike and then a hybrid (why I ever spent money on a hybrid I'll never know:o ). And I just got that thing last fall, and didn't put a computer on it until last night (it took me two months and this ride being eight hours away to get me to find time). I didn't even know I COULD go that fast without riding off a cliff.:p ANyway...thanks to everybody. I had a great time.:D Survived, barely.

Why weren't there any WI riders??;) :D

Confusion over the KOM points in the flatlands of Illinois? ;)

Perhaps conflicts with the first Cyclocross race in Wisconsin? :rolleyes:


Nope, we were all at the Pearl Izumi outlet after discovering its existence! :D

Almost forgot, but here (http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.mb?episodePk.pkValue=1449378) are my garmin stats for my lone loop (number 2).

Just for reference, my heart rate at the rest stop never got "down" to ahem's average heart rate for the whole century :eek: . I'm pretty sure that ahem is a robot...

I believe it is the same old US 40. It cuts right across the middle of Indiana. Unfortunately there are many more people along it in Indiana though so we have to detour around Indianapolis.

Last year's report:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=211221
Our US 40 tour had no cities to detour. Our tour leaders told us, US 40 ends in San Francisco. THink it starts in Baltimore. It was my favorite tour, I've ever completed. It was more like 460 miles. Not to be done in one day. My jersey has a big US 40 posted on it too.

What? Did nobody pay attention to Drag's Litespeed Tuscany?

Y'all can have the CF Scott (droolworthy, to be sure!), the Italian Pinarello and steel Bianchi, but I'll be drooling over the Ti frameset. Drag, you're going to be happy with that bike for a long long time! :) Way to go on your longest ride of your brief roadie career.


So.... who's got next? I'm already formulating routes out in the same area for next Spring, but we're going to need some variety in location.

So.... who's got next? I'm already formulating routes out in the same area for next Spring, but we're going to need some variety in location.

I can tell you that there are a lot of good riding road to the west of that area. A good place to start if you don't already have them is to get maps from here:
http://www.dot.state.il.us/bikemap/bikehome.htm
You can order a set of paper maps for free (Your tax dollars at work!) or struggle with the fairly poor on line version. They have coded each section of road for suitability for bicycle riding. The only issue I've had is when expansion joints (a personal annoyance) or other surface considerations ruin the road.

I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I had a great time and look forward to seeing all of you again.:D

Looks like a good ride all.

Best Bike: I have a few honorables in this category...
1. I have to say it was shider. Mainly because I used to ride the exact rig (but different frame). Full Shimano 600 group, Look pedals, Modolo bars, same neon-yellow tape (just like my old rig) - Hard to see, but CyLowe...recognize those pedals in this picture??

EDIT:BTW Shider was riding a 7spd x-21 rear...monster...
http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/8884/oldbasso2small6qs.jpg

Here's that frame with the 600 setup...
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/4342/bassoparisroubaix002sd1.jpg
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/1102/bassoparisroubaix005bl1.jpg
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7241/bassoparisroubaix010qr3.jpg
http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/7757/bassoparisroubaix013sf0.jpg

2. Dekalb's Bianchi. Beautiful...between that and Kimbercops Pinnarello I am starting to get a Campy itch that I might have to scratch...

3. Drag's Titanium beast. Beautiful rig. I thought I was going to go blind from the glare...;)

4. JPWs Specialized - man that's a beautiful rig.

Honorable mentions for Scott's Schwinn Traveler complete with panniers, and Joe's Giant TCR (welcome to the GOA (Giant Owner's Association)

It seems to be customary to give a short right up celebrating one’s first century. Here are a few notes from mine that can be added to the overall report:

As I’m driving to the meeting point my truck’s outside thermometer is registering 40 degrees and I suddenly realize that although I have packed everything I thought I might need, I didn’t have any kind of jacket with me. By the time I arrived it had warmed up to 46 and I was feeling a little more comfortable. Anything above 45 and I still end up sweating so I knew as soon as we got going I’d be all right. I felt a little weird with just my jersey on surrounded by guys in jackets, tights, and full fingered gloves but, hey, to each his own.

We pulled out as a group and although I’m sure we all meant to start out slowly it wasn’t long before we were hammering away at 20+ mph, a speed I generally reserve for down hill. I was a little nervous about riding in a group. Sure I’ve read the threads on BikeForums about group and paceline riding but reading and doing are two different things. I felt more comfortable riding near the front where I could get a better view of the road ahead and this of course put me among the faster riders. Before the ride I had told myself that I was going to take it easy, especially on the first leg, because I didn’t have any experience riding over 70 miles and I can count the number of rides over 50 miles on one hand. Somehow though, that all went out the window when I got on the bike. It was a great day for riding and I felt really strong. Before I knew it, I was pulling at the front and still managing the pace.

This is going great I thought, and then someone pointed out that we were off course and we’d add an extra mile to get back on the route. Sure I had the route in my pocket but I like everyone around me assumed that someone else was paying attention to where we were going. It wasn’t long before we rejoined those that had stayed on course and then Psimet2001 pulled the group together to announce the first King of the Mountain (later aptly renamed King or the Rollers). We made the turn and started towards the hill. It wasn’t much and I was near the front so I thought I’d have a go. Ok, I’m a competitive person. I’m not obnoxious about it, but if there’s going to be a race, I’m going to go for it. At the same time my reasonable side keeps reminding me that we still have 80 or so miles to go. On the other hand, what’s a little anaerobic sprint going to hurt and besides, there has to be a downhill on the other side right? When a couple other riders started to accelerate I started cranking and quickly found myself in the front. I don’t mean to sound immodest. As I’ve stated the only time I tried riding with a group (chance encounter) this year I couldn’t catch up to them until they waited for another dropped rider and then they promptly dropped me on the next hill. So here I am out in front pedaling up the hill with this dreadful sense that I have to be doing something very wrong; just like the guy who starts his sprint 100m too early and gets swamped by the rest of the sprinters well before the line. Much to my surprise I make it up the hill first and find a slight dip followed by another short hill. Not knowing whether it was the first or second summit (to use the term loosely) I worked hard up the second one and maintained my lead. That causes some burn but also some sense of pride too. After turning onto a more major road, that pride was wiped away when coasting down a long hill, someone goes flying past me at greater than 10mph differential. I just tighten my tuck a little and remember there is a long way to go.

The first leg completed at what I considered a very fast pace and we returned to the pits for refueling. The next leg started out slowly again until we found our legs and the pace picked up. I tried riding at the back or middle of the pack again and once more found it far more comfortable to be nearer the front. About halfway through the second loop we were doing a long stretch south into the wind. Aham23 led the way as he did for most of the ride and I did my best to maintain the pace after he pulled off. After a mile or so of this I felt my right calf trying to tie itself in a knot. Fearful that this was going to be the end of my ride at mile 52, I backed off quickly and found that the two of us had gapped the rest of the group by a significant distance. I tried to hang on his tail but quickly found that this was not going to happen without immense pain. As he pulled away from me I tried to let him know he was by himself but he just disappeared into the distance as I tried to spin myself back into some sort of comfort. Luckily by the time the rest of the group had caught up to me I was just about able to hang on to them. That calf, and later, the same knee didn’t feel right for the rest of the trip but they got me through. In fact they’re still giving me fits today on my commute.

The rest period between the second and third legs was significantly longer which allowed all of us to eat something and rest up a little. I’m not sure if it was in the second or third leg but I owe whoever was behind me an apology for the skunk road kill. I didn’t see it until I was nearly on top of it and a quick swerve of avoidance didn’t leave me with enough hands or time to indicate the hazard. The rest of the miles piled on and I was still feeling pretty good except for my right calf/knee and my hands. It felt like the heels of my hands were bruised and every expansion joint nailed it home. The worst part of this was that no matter what hand position I used it always had the same effect. Coming back onto Allen road brought feelings of relief mixed with the knowledge that we had another couple of miles all slightly up hill before we were finished. Once again Aham23 pulled me along and I completed my first century! Yippee me! Now let’s do another one, just not for another week or so, so that I can recover.

Again thanks for all the effort put in to organizing the event. The directions and maps were great even if I didn’t read them all the time and a few of the street signs were missing.:p

Thanks to those who brought and shared food, the cookie was delicious even if I don’t know what the white bits in it were.:D

Also, a big thanks (sarcasm) for proving that I can get along just fine (on fairly flat roads) with my downtube shifters. How am I ever going to justify a new road bike at this rate?;)

I'd like to reiterate what a great outing this was. :)

You guys are a class act! Thanks for allowing me to ride in the paceline and I apologize to anybody attempting to follow my squirly rear wheel.

A special thank-you goes out to Cylowe97 and JPW for pulling me along at the very end.

On top of that, I do now believe a century is very doable. Probably not at the pace we did this weekend :rolleyes: , but certainly something I see as part of my personal goals for next year (if not this one).

Thanks again to all of you gentlemen! You guys rock! :D

Hey, I'm starting to think about stringing together a year where I ride a century every month. Let me know if anyone is interested in doing one in November...;)

Psimet -

Come on. Admit it. You're a masochist, aren't you? :D


Wow. A century a month for a year. Now that's an achievement!

Hey, I'm starting to think about stringing together a year where I ride a century every month. Let me know if anyone is interested in doing one in November...;)

November could be reasonably done, but Jan. and Feb. would be interesting. Me thinks some traveling would be in order on those months.

November could be reasonably done, but Jan. and Feb. would be interesting. Me thinks some traveling would be in order on those months.

Studded tires and mountain bikes! Bring it on...

... but they needed the extra length to take some energy out of those legs ;)

Yeah, I appreciate that. I don't know what I would have done without those extra miles.:rolleyes: My real goal was to do a 107 anyway, so that helped me out a lot! :D

Studded tires and mountain bikes! Bring it on...Mountain bikes?

Did someone say MOUNTAIN BIKES? :D

Hey Guys. Thanks for a Great Ride. I hope we can do it again. John

After turning onto a more major road, that pride was wiped away when coasting down a long hill, someone goes flying past me at greater than 10mph differential. I just tighten my tuck a little and remember there is a long way to go.


Thanks to those who brought and shared food, the cookie was delicious even if I don’t know what the white bits in it were.:D

Also, a big thanks (sarcasm) for proving that I can get along just fine (on fairly flat roads) with my downtube shifters. How am I ever going to justify a new road bike at this rate?;)

1. That was me! (I told you guys I was going to be flying on those downhills;) )

2. The cookies were cranberry, pecan, white chocolate chip from Shawn's Cafe in Sycamore.

3. You don't need any justification to buy a new bike, just do it!

Great ride all! Sorry I didn't get to chat with everyone. Hope to make that up next time around. Shider, I don't think I have ever seen anyone work those dt shifters like you can! At one point, I saw you shift both the front and rear derailleur simultaneously with a simple flick of your hand. I recall we were moving at a pretty good clip and that maneuver was flawless!

nm