Great Lakes - Starved Rock Cycling, Pumpkin Pie Ride, 10-03-2010

Anybody familiar with this ride (http://www.starvedrockcycling.com/pprpage.htm)?

I'm thinking I'll do the metric century, possibly the imperial,
depending on how my knee is doing by then.

Any ride reviews appreciated.

Cheers,

Kelly

Conflict in my schedule, but I'll keep it in mind for next year. I've never heard of it before.

bump...

Their (Starved Rock Cycling) reply to an inquiry regarding a map for the 62 & 100 mile routes:

No, but the the two routes are the same until the last two loops, which you can choose to do if everyone is feeling good, we are in process of finalizing the map, will not be done til the ride. First rest stop is at about 21 miles. Then another 18-20 mile loop. Then another short loop before the 100 milers go out and finish. So 62 miles can actual do additional miles and to end up with a little under 80, all loops come back to a main rest stop.

I've always thought about riding this ride but I usually wimp out based upon the weather getting cooler! One of these years I need to give it a shot.

I've done this ride many times and it can be a great end of season ride, but the weather doesn't always cooperate. The ride takes place along the Illinois river valley and there is very nice scenery (and a few hills to boot ;-). A nice bonus at the end of the ride (at least in past years) is that pumpkin pie is served...

Barring horrible weather, I'm in. It looks like I'll be heading out there on my own. If anyone wants to share the ride from Chicago, I'll have an free seat in the car and an free slot on the rack.

Just a quick ride report for someone searching next year....

Relatively well run ride with little bumps, that some might call hills. Mostly flat, though.

The ride ran in a clover leaf pattern from Ottawa to Sheriden. There, 2 loops brought you back to Sheriden and the the third took you back to Ottawa via a slighly circuitous route (compared with the direct path followed by the metric riders).

Rest stop food was the typical -- cookies and fruit, but augmented with apples with caramel or peanut butter and a hot potato soup. A word on the potato soup -- it was simultaneously the absolute worst canned/dried soup ever and yet, the absolute best tasting, best rest stop food you could desire. I know, odd. I guess you have to ride the ride on a cold morning to believe me. Really.

Instead of the post-ride pasta meal, hot beef sandwiches were served around noon time at the primary rest stop. That would be 40 miles in for the metric riders and about 68 miles in for the century riders.

The route had some pretty roads and a few hills that sustained 8% for a while. It is not the fault of the organizers that Mother Nature tossed in some strong winds. Whipping over those flat farm fields, going north was a slog; whipping over those flat farm fields, going south saw you in your biggest gears and soft spinning down the road. Ahhh...

It was a nice ride. I'd do it again.

I totally agree about the soup :lol:. I did the metric. When I made it back to the rest stop the second time they had just got power back in the gazebo so the soup was cold. I was devastated.

It was cold cold cold to start, especially into that damn wind, but the ride back was pure awesome. All in all I really liked the route. It was even scenic in parts!

I showed up missing, been sick for over a week now.:(

Sounds like a nice ride, looking forward to trying it next year.

Cheers,

Kelly

Edit:
So how was the punkin pie?