Great Lakes - 1st Annual BFNIC Spring Classic Ride

WHAT: Open invitation to a ride for BF members and pretty much anyone who reads this post. Riding your vintage bike is highly encouraged but all bikes and riders are welcome.

WHEN: April 21, 2007. 8:00am, 10:30am depending on your route. Rain date is April 22, 2007.

WHERE: The location of the start of the ride will be the Crystal Lake Main Beach parking lot.

Map of Crystal Lake Main Beach parking lot http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=main%20beach%20crystal%20lake%2C%20il&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl

FORMAT: This ride will have a Metric (100 km) route, and a Half-Metric (50 km) route.

The Metric riders will start first at 8:00am. They will ride a 50 km route ending back at the starting point. The Half-Metric riders should be at the starting point, ready to leave with the Metric riders at 10:45 am. This larger group will then ride the second leg (50 km) and end up back at the start point. There is an alternative route to avoid the hills at the end of the second route. The hills are short but very steep, 39/25 gearing is recommended.

Loop 1 http://www.routeslip.com/routes/24756
Loop 2 http://www.routeslip.com/routes/24767
Loop 2, without hills http://www.routeslip.com/routes/25573

No-Drop rule for both legs (could effect start times but probably won’t – just be flexible). Faster riders will be allowed to ride at their own speed, but a sweep rider will be available for slower riders.

Only moral support is provided. You must provide your own fluid/food for the ride. There are optional stops on both legs. The idea is that you bring your own and leave it in your car. Each time we return to the car you will then stock up for the next 50 km ride.

Cue-sheets and maps will be provided. No road markings, but some of us know the route pretty well.

Currently we have no mechanical SAG support. If someone could bring a spouse or friend to help fill that role – it would be great!

WHY: This is meant as a social ride. It is an opportunity for Bike Forums members, friends and acquaintances to get together and meet, and ride together in a group. It is also meant as an opportunity for riders to challenge themselves in a “safe environment”. If you have never ridden a Metric before you will be surrounded by a lot of riders that have that can lend you support.

Feel free to bring non-BF riders as well, but remember this is not an “organized event”. This is simply a large group ride.

Please feel free to post any questions that you might have, and please spread the word to anyone else you think might be interested.

Sounds good, too bad I'm gonna be out of town. Gonna have to find someone else to ride sweep I'm afraid.

Suh....

...wheat!

Psimet, I hope you don't mind my blatant plagiarism. :o

Looking forward to the ride!

Is a 2005 Felt "vintage," yet? ;)

"1st Annual"

....like 'Completely Destroyed' or 'Totally Engulfed'

OK, now to make up for being a smart-arse, I'll drive SAG in my '84 Pinto.

"1st Annual"

Okay, if you want to get technical, it should be "Inaugural." It becomes "annual" the following year.

Sheesh. Just get your fake hip down here and ride for goodness sake. He posted an alternative to the little hill for you! :p

Hill?
Illinois?
Huh?

just checked and it is still my wife's freaking birthday. crap. poop. son-of-a-beach. i was even going to volunteer to sweep.............the front. :) later.

"1st Annual"

....like 'Completely Destroyed' or 'Totally Engulfed'

OK, now to make up for being a smart-arse, I'll drive SAG in my '84 Pinto.

I'm an expatriated Cheesehead, so I'm barely literate, what do you expect?

....the guy I work with on the air is a Harley rider. How about I get him to organize some of his buddies, and have them come down there to buzz back and forth through the peleton to make it fell just like a pro race for you guys!

I'm an expatriated Cheesehead, so I'm barely literate, what do you expect?

...you can take the Cheesehead out of Wisconsin, but you....oh....whatever that dumb saying is.

Kewwwwwlllll. :)

I definitely hope to make this ride. Vintage bike hmmm....
I have a '91, does that count?
Otherwise I have an 84 Schwinn Letour that's currently outfitted as a fixed gear. That might be fun too.

Kewwwwwlllll. :)
Holy poop....Drag lives! Long time, no Post.:D

As for Vintage...I will be riding my vintage 2005 Giant TCR. If there were some slow pokes going then I would ride my 1990(or 91 can't remember right now) BASSO fixed gear conversion. That's as close as I get anymore....

Is Vintage anything that is 25 years old, or will anything that has 25,000 miles work?

As for the plagarism...:D Didn't even notice...;)

On the Queen's birthday no less!

I'd love to do this one! Count me in!

Vintage bike hmmm....
I have a '91, does that count?
Otherwise I have an 84 Schwinn Letour that's currently outfitted as a fixed gear. That might be fun too.

For the definitive answer, absolutely positively NO bikes made after March of 2007, I have got to draw the line somewhere.;)

I would also recommend the fixie, I may actually have a slim chance of beating you for KOM.:D

Wish I could make it but am staying South untill around May. Have a good ride. Thanks John

<SNIP>I would also recommend the fixie, I may actually have a slim chance of beating you for KOM.:D

...like razor thin....:D With our luck he'll bring the fixie and still be waiting for us at each turn.;)

Hmmm... Note to self, bring team Cinzano pump to ride.

...like razor thin....:D With our luck he'll bring the fixie and still be waiting for us at each turn.;)

What a bunch of jokers. I know everyone was taking it easy on me last time (it being my first century and all. :o ) The fixie currently has a 53x17 on it which definitely would set me back on the hills. It also has time bull horns which are great for short trips but anything over 20 miles starts to be hard on my back so it probably be the 14 speed again.:D

I'm definately down for this one. The long hiatus from my bike and these forums must now come to an end. Me thinks mother nature owes us a mild spring for the hell that was January/February.

good to see some folks back on the board!

The fixie currently has a 53x17 on it

That is a pretty monster gear for a fixie. I just finished the build on mine and I think 46/17 is enough. Maybe I am a swissy, but it give me an excuse to post a picture:D .


More pictures can be seen here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=278837

http://www.h3odesign.com/Misc_Images/Olmo%20002.jpg

hmmmm... I'm doing an Imperial century 8 days after this... But you're only about 6 hours away... I have it on the calendar so if the weather looks good and my training keeps pace, I'll make the drive from Minneapolis.

So let me get this straight. 1000 ft. climb is the "no hills" option, and 1182 is the hill option. Well, I suppose committing to this ride will force me to get my butt (and bike) in gear, so to speak, and start making time to ride. I doubt that I can stay with you guys who ride 20-22 mph in your sleep (not this early in the season, anyway). I was kind of hoping you'd all be riding vintage 1960's era banana-seat, high-handlebar 20-inch/one-speed "stingrays" so I could keep up.:D Either way, I plan on being there if at all possible.

I doubt that I can stay with you guys who ride 20-22 mph in your sleep (not this early in the season, anyway).
Don't worry. I'll be there 'sweeping' the route. I'll be going slow because I'm good at sweeping.... Yeah, that's the ticket!

After my pathetic performance on Sunday I might end up the sweeper by default. Then again it's amazing how much faster you ride in a pack. Especially one led by a genetic freak...not pointing fingers....aham...;)

After my pathetic performance on Sunday I might end up the sweeper by default. Then again it's amazing how much faster you ride in a pack. Especially one led by a genetic freak...not pointing fingers....aham...;)

Good, then I will have someone to ride with.

Kenal0

I may be joining you guys at the back of the pack. I'm going to try and make this ride, but I will have just returned from vacation (no riding for 17 days). Hmmm.

you guys are killing me, cause it is still my wifes birthday the weekend of the ride!! :(

my thought on all the "posturing" is this: forget this talk about it being early in the season, cold & rainy, my first ride of the year, my injuries, my this and that....because once the BFNIC gets together someone will shoot off the front at 20 plus mph and we all will follow.

that being said; i have not been out yet. i just ran a half marathon with 4200 feet of elevation change & i cry every time i move, it may be crappy weather out, SO i may volunteer to sweep if i can make it. :)

later.

you guys are killing me, cause it is still my wifes birthday the weekend of the ride!! :(

Hey numbskull! Organize a ride in your neck of the woods on a different weekend.

Start a thread and there's the chance that someone will show up....

Hey numbskull! Organize a ride in your neck of the woods on a different weekend.

Start a thread and there's the chance that someone will show up....


BUT i want to go to this ride!! :p

BUT i want to go to this ride!! :p
I wonder if this is what Tom Danielson sounds like when they tell him he's going to ride the Vuelta, but not the Tour de France.....

you guys are killing me, cause it is still my wifes birthday the weekend of the ride!! :(

my thought on all the "posturing" is this: forget this talk about it being early in the season, cold & rainy, my first ride of the year, my injuries, my this and that....because once the BFNIC gets together someone will shoot off the front at 20 plus mph and we all will follow.

that being said; i have not been out yet. i just ran a half marathon with 4200 feet of elevation change & i cry every time i move, it may be crappy weather out, SO i may volunteer to sweep if i can make it. :)

later.

Of all the half marathons available, you could not find one that is a little flatter?
How did you do anyway?
Kenal0

Of all the half marathons available, you could not find one that is a little flatter?
How did you do anyway?
Kenal0

i know!! the march madness half was advertised as a challenging hilly route, but i guess i glanced over that part?? some of the hills would have been tough on a bike.

13.1 Miles
My Finish Time = 1:49:17
Average Pace Per Mile = 8:20.

i am soooo ready to start riding though. later.

Download and print cue sheets and maps here:

http://www.h3odesign.com/Cue_Sheets.pdf

i know!! the march madness half was advertised as a challenging hilly route, but i guess i glanced over that part?? some of the hills would have been tough on a bike.

13.1 Miles
My Finish Time = 1:49:17
Average Pace Per Mile = 8:20.

i am soooo ready to start riding though. later.

Very impressive!

Kenal0

Download and print cue sheets and maps here:

http://www.h3odesign.com/Cue_Sheets.pdf

Now, I'll have to come up with a new excuse for getting lost on the ride. :D

Now, I'll have to come up with a new excuse for getting lost on the ride. :D
...I don't know...the 10th turn say to take a left on "???".

BTW - theose cue sheets rock. What did you use to make them?

...I don't know...the 10th turn say to take a left on "???".

BTW - theose cue sheets rock. What did you use to make them?


The ??? is in a new development that is not on any map and I can't remember the name. It will be fixed by the ride. I was lucky enough to remember Founders Blvd (turn 9), which is also not on any map, damn new subivisions.

The cue sheets came from RouteSlip.com and I edited them in Adobe Illustrator. You can fold the sheet in quarters and still see the whole route.

I managed to slip out of work a little early today and get out for while for my first ride of the spring. The good news, great weather!
The bad news, the first flat tire I can remember getting in years.
More good news, I had stopped when I heard a funny noise, and the tire exploded while I was stopped, NOT while I was riding.
The bad news, since it was a blowout, there was a 7-8 inch rip in the tube so I couldn't patch it.
The good news, it happened IN downtown Batavia, not in between towns along the river. (I had ridden down to North Aurora, and was on my way back).
Good news, for some reason I had decided/remembered to grab $10 before I went out riding, so I had money to buy a new tube.
The bad news...St. Charles, Geneva, and North Aurora have bike shops...but not Batavia.
The good news...I was within walking distance of O'Brien's bar :beer: (always wanted to use that smilie), had $10 to get a beer, and a cell phone to call for a ride.
Okay, one last bad news. I probably gained (from the beer) whatever calories I had lost riding.

The good news...it was a verrry tasty and aptly named, Fat Tire Ale (a fat tire bike might have preveted the blowout, but then again I wouldn't have had the beer.) And obviously, it was fate and I was meant to have that beer. After all, there's a lot more mileage along that trail that's NOT near a bar.

At least I finished my first double century of the season before the flat. WHAT? You mean 200 tenths doesn't count?:D

<4 week out thread bump>

Everyone keeping the date in mind, right?

Everyone getting at least a few miles in their legs before then, right??

CyLowe....ride this weekend. Mother-in-law volunteering to "parent" one day so I can ride. Boy=crying. more later....

Hey guys, I also definitely hope to make this ride, I am getting a new ride the first week of April, hope to get it all dialed up and have few miles on it before then, so who again is sweeping the rear? <--I might take this position by default :)

Less than three weeks to go! I just replaced the cassette and chain (after briefly considering upgrading to brifters with 9 or 10 speed) and it is so much quieter now. It feels a lot more efficient too. :)

I went out on my first ride ever with the local bike club in town. It started off extremely windy and after cruising downwind for 15 miles or so they stopped to have breakfast. While we were inside, the wind picked up and it started to rain. Half the group called for a ride home while the rest of us braved the weather. I can't believe I actually rode in that.:eek: If I had been sitting in my living room watching the rain get driven sideways in waves there is no way I would have ventured outside. None the less, even with the rain drops stinging my face, I still had a good time! Wierd. Now I just have to clean my bike again.

So, (in order to tie this back to the original topic) who's making the call on the whether the weather justifies postponing to the rain date?

So, (in order to tie this back to the original topic) who's making the call on the whether the weather justifies postponing to the rain date?
Tom Skilling? Jerry Taft? Brant Miller? Mary Kay Kleist? Maybe we should do a poll... :p

Glad you made it back in one piece yesterday. Psimet and I almost braved it on Sunday, but better sense won out. God, I hate the trainer. I intentionally worked from home today so I could go out and ride at lunchtime, seeing as the rest of the week looks like rough weather.

Tom Skilling? Jerry Taft? Brant Miller? Mary Kay Kleist? Maybe we should do a poll... :p

Glad you made it back in one piece yesterday. Psimet and I almost braved it on Sunday, but better sense won out. God, I hate the trainer. I intentionally worked from home today so I could go out and ride at lunchtime, seeing as the rest of the week looks like rough weather.
Sucked...I was all ready to go too...bottles are still in the fridge and the shoes and bike are all set in the garage.

...more gym and running....maybe a quick ride with the trailer and family tonight....before finishing Kimbercop's bike of course.:D

this weekend's weather totally has me bumming today too. i was ready to rock and roll. too much wind and rain though. i still kind of wished i would have given it a go yesterday. i mean what is was just a little 25 mph wind. how bad could it have been on the open country roads of Will County?!? :) later.