Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - My longest ride yet

Today was a beautiful day in St. Louis. I rode on the Great River Road from Alton to Pere Marquette and back, 42.5 miles, my longest ride yet. Stopped and had lunch before I started back. Last week was my longest at that point at 33 miles. I hope to do my age, 52, next week or the week after. I feel great and right now feel like a kid again. Not sore at all. Been riding 3-4 times a week for three months now. Woohoo!

Congratulations. That's a really long* ride.

Way cool.....about same as my longest. My longest was 46 miles about a year ago. Too much stuff going on and too little time to ride has set me back. I'm trying hard to get back into it now. Did 30 last weekend.

thats a long way. congrats.

Woohoo! Nice job. :beer:


I'm aiming for a metric century before the rainy season starts back up.:eek:

I'm aiming for a metric century before the rainy season starts back up.:eek:

Cool! I hope I don't let the success go to my head and try to do more than I capable of, like a century. That's my ultimate goal. Probably shoot for that at the end of next summer.

Cool! I hope I don't let the success go to my head and try to do more than I capable of, like a century. That's my ultimate goal. Probably shoot for that at the end of next summer.

How will you know what you are capable of unless you try it?

Today was a beautiful day in St. Louis. I rode on the Great River Road from Alton to Pere Marquette and back, 42.5 miles, my longest ride yet. Stopped and had lunch before I started back. Last week was my longest at that point at 33 miles. I hope to do my age, 52, next week or the week after. I feel great and right now feel like a kid again. Not sore at all. Been riding 3-4 times a week for three months now. Woohoo!

Excellent. The riding 3-4 times a week for three months makes a huge difference, you just keep adding a bit at a time and before you know it... Bang, 42 1/2 miles and no problems. Excellent, just excellent.

I'm aiming for a metric century before the rainy season starts back up.:eek:Hopefully, I'll be right there with ya on that metric century. :)

I just rode the same ride over the week of July 4th (I have in-laws in the area, and I make frequest visits from Michigan). It's the second time I've done it. It is a beautiful ride ( it's called the Vadalabene trail). I also ride a Trek 7300, though mine's set up with a rear Aerospoke wheel (no more busted spokes!). At 48 yrs. old and 250+ lbs., it's about as far as I ride at one time. It does amaze me, though, that with this beautiful trail, on a holiday week, there is almost no one who uses it- I'm lucky if I see 5-10 bikes. Maybe I'll see you out there next 4th! Have you ever rode any of the Katy trail in Missouri? I've done about the first 25 miles or so in the past, would like to do the whole enchilada some day (270+ miles).

How will you know what you are capable of unless you try it?

Did he jump or was he pushed...?

Good job on the ride, snavebob. Did you map it? Love to see it. I assume it was pretty flat, being a long a river.

Did he jump or was he pushed...?

Good job on the ride, snavebob. Did you map it? Love to see it. I assume it was pretty flat, being a long a river.

Here's a link to one website that has some nice pics along the trail. http://www.bikingillinois.com/vadalabene.html

It is pretty flat except for one stretch of about a mile or so where you have to climb about 150 feet in elevation in about a half mile. Yesterday it felt like it was all uphill for 20 miles since I was riding into a 15 mph head wind. Unfortunately, I didn't catch a complete tail wind coming back since the wind had shifted to a cross wind. Though it was better than the head wind.

Being a weekday there was no one on the trail. I am surprised that more people don't ride it on the weekends. It really is a nice ride.

I just rode the same ride over the week of July 4th (I have in-laws in the area, and I make frequest visits from Michigan). It's the second time I've done it. It is a beautiful ride ( it's called the Vadalabene trail). I also ride a Trek 7300, though mine's set up with a rear Aerospoke wheel (no more busted spokes!). At 48 yrs. old and 250+ lbs., it's about as far as I ride at one time. It does amaze me, though, that with this beautiful trail, on a holiday week, there is almost no one who uses it- I'm lucky if I see 5-10 bikes. Maybe I'll see you out there next 4th! Have you ever rode any of the Katy trail in Missouri? I've done about the first 25 miles or so in the past, would like to do the whole enchilada some day (270+ miles).

I have biked or hiked the first 48 miles of the Katy Trail. It's a great trail for both. I camped up in Michigan last summer in Boyne City and Traverse City. Took a few bike rides up there too. Beautiful scenery along the lake. Made my longest ride of the summer, 27 miles, while up there. Then played 18 holes of golf after that on the same day! Played pitifully. Couldn't pick up anything from the fairways except with a handwedge. :rolleyes:

If you make it down here again just send me a pm and maybe we can ride the river trail. I am 52 and at 250 myself. Hope to see less of myself by next year.

I am a 270 lb rider at 6'2 and been doing the ALA Trek Across Maine for 3 yrs now. Its 65 miles a day for 3 years. Good stuff and ride harder than Flyweights. I love the decent passing them bye. Boy I wish the hills were the same senario