Biking, Beer, and Fried Cheese Curds

I just finished a week on the POWWOW Fox Valley Tour.  This tour is one of those underpublicized gems.  This is the second year in a row I have done this tour, primarily for two reasons:  it's not hot in Wisconsin in June and you get to sleep in a bed.

I covered around 370 miles over six days.  We started in Watertown, followed by stops in Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and Green Bay.  We came back through Oshkosh and Fond du Lac on our way back to Watertown following alternate routes.

I hesitate to say that this is an easy tour, considering the first four days were very windy.  We passed through several wind farms and that should have been a clue.  The third day from Oshkosh to Green Bay was probably the hardest at 69 miles with the first 45 being directly into the teeth of a constant 20-30 mph wind.

I said that you get to sleep in beds.  Each night we lodged at a college dormitory.  Not luxurious, but plenty of hot showers and air conditioning.  Breakfast and dinner were in the college cafeterias (included in the price) while lunch was found at various establishment on the routes and often accompanied by local Wisconsin brews.

There were about 45 riders on the tour and most had been back several consecutive years.  This was an older crowd, primarily in their 50's and 60's, but there were both older and your participants.

The course was generally on lightly travelled, but well-maintained farm roads.  My only criticism of the ride is the route markings.  Instead of road markings, there were arrows stapled to telephone poles and road signs, and not always obvious.  I hope the organizer will improve this for the next ride.

Plenty of SAG support was available, but traditional rest stops were not included, although the SAG drivers carried water.  Intermediate stops were on your own at Kwik-E-Marts or taverns.  Although I didn't find barbecue, I did find lots of local Wisconsin beer, bratwurst, and fried cheese curds.

Check this out for next year. 

http://www.wisconsinbicycletours.com/foxvalley.php



Andrew (one of the SAG drivers) and myself.  I shaved the side of my head for a Mohawk, but it just didn't turn out the same.



Biathons Are Great! (Except for the Running)

I finished my first real biathlon this morning in Highland, Illinois.  The race entailed a 5 mile run followed by a 15 mile bike segment.

Well, it was hot and windy.  I was nowhere close to my target time of 1:30.  I thought it should be pretty easy to knock out 9-minute miles and then a 20 mph average on the bike.

It wasn't that easy.

My run time ended up being about 3 minutes slower than target and the bike ended up about 3 minute slower.  And I had forgotten about the transition which added another two minutes.  The weather conditions were hot and windy.  Hot made it tougher on the run, windy made it tougher on the bike.  After about 3 miles, I was really wishing the run had been a 5k.  I was overheating and slowing way down.

Once I got on the bike I felt light and fast.  It's much more of my natural habitat.  The windy sections made it slower, but the stretches of road where we were going directly into the wind are where I had done most of my passing of other competitors.

The Lion's Club of Highland did a good job with the race.  And as a bonus, I managed to finish in the top half of the competitors - by one person.  Good day overall and now for a nap and some barbecue and beer.

A Frosty Race

Spring is here.  Yeah, right.  This year I joined the Metro Tri Club here in Edwardsville, Illinois.  One of the two events that they put on each year is the Tracks n Treads off-road biathlon.  This is a 5k run on the SIUE cross-country course (not an easy route) followed by 9 miles of tight, technical single-track.

Due to the weather this year, the single-track portion of the race had to be run on an alternate course.  It was still fairly tough. 

Who was the winner this year?  Old Man Winter.  It was 35 at race time and 34 at the finish.  At least we got the race in before it started to snow.  I am going out tomorrow to find the lying groundhog who said it would be spring soon, as I watch the inches of snow pile up outside.

I did fairly well in the race considering my size and age.  I ended up in 34th place out of 62 participants.  The run definitely kept me from placing higher.  The good news is that I would have finished in the top three in my age group had I been 8 months older.  I guess there's always next year.

2011 Event Update

You may have noticed a new tab at the top of the page.  I am planning to compete in several races this year, mostly for fitness motivation purposes. My friend and occasional running/cycling buddy Kate had posted her race schedule on here blog and I thought it was a good idea.

Ride Across the State, Part 1

We are approaching Blue Monday.  January 24th has been officially declared the most depressing day of the year.  Worst weather, no holidays coming up, too many bills from the holidays.

Let's look past Blue Monday and start looking forward to the happy days of summer and bike touring.  Here's a summary of past rides I have done.  I'll follow up soon with some other rides around the country.

Bike Ride Across Georgia, June 4-11 - This ride has been running continuously since 1980 and usually draws about 2000 riders.  The route varies each year.  This year's route will start in Atlanta and finish in Savannah.  Georgia's weather is usually still mild this time of the year.  Lodging is in gyms or in tents, although a few hotel rooms are available.  About 60 miles a day over moderate terrain, although some years include days in the north Georgia mountains.

RAGBRAI, July 24-30 - RAGBRAI is the granddaddy of the cross-state bike tours.   The ride started in 1973 and has now grown to an official 10,000 riders with an estimated additional 5000 riders just jumping in, despite being in Iowa.  The tour always starts on the west side of the state and finishes on the Mississippi River.  Patience is a virtue on this ride.  With 15,000 people, you will wait in line for nearly everything, including showers and kybo's (port-a-johns). Many of the towns you stay in have fewer residents than ride participants and tent space is at a premium.  But it's a big party and a lot of fun.  Everyone who likes to bike should ride this one at least once.  Around 70 miles a day over flat to moderate terrain.

Bicycle Illinois, July 9-16 - This ride is almost the exact opposite of RAGBRAI.  This is a six day ride from Cairo to downtown Chicago.  About 50 people are on this ride and lodging is in schools or rec centers.  There are no lines.  Average 85 miles a day, with century options each day.  Although Illinois is flat in some places, much of the first three days are fairly hilly.

POWWOW Fox Valley Tour, June 12-17 - This is not really across state, but it's a nice tour.  This ride starts in Watertown, Wisconson and travels to Green Bay and back over the course of the week.  About 100 riders participate and enjoy housing in college dorm rooms with beds.  Many of the riders have done this ride 10 or 15 times.  Average 61 miles a day over moderate to flat terrain.

Katy Trail Ride, June 20-24 - This ride is sponsored by the Missouri State Parks and takes place entirely on the Katy Trail, a crushed limestone rails-to-trails conversion.  The ride is limited to 300 riders.  This is a very scenic trail and a well-run tour.  Average 45 miles a day on flat terrain, although riding on the trail is not a fast as riding on a paved road.

St. Louis Area Bike Swap and Expo

Sunday, January 30, 2011
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Every winter, St. Louis hosts the Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet at the Gateway Center in Collinsville, IL.  This year's event will take place on January 30th.  Admission is $5.

Last year, I bought a wheel and a jersey.  I also got a chance to talk with several local clubs and vendors.  For more information, see the website at http://www.trailnet.org/swap.php.

This year, I'll be looking for a 58cm steel frame to build into a single-speed for general riding around town.  I'll probably try to pick up a few other parts as well.

They also have the famous "bike corral", where people can place used bikes on consignment.  If you're looking to pick up a decent used bike at a reasonable price, this is not a bad place to start.

2011 Event Planning

Here's the list of events I plan on participating in during 2011.  These are mostly around the southwestern Illinois area, but there are a few exceptions. It's unlikely that I'll be able to make it to all of these, but I'm going to give it a shot.  I may add a couple of additional events as I find out about them.  Note that some dates are approximate.  Maybe I'll see a few of you out there.

March 19 - McKendree University Spring Fling 10 miler, Lebanon, IL
March 26 - Tracks n Treads Off Road Biathlon, Edwardsville, IL
April 30 - Kentucky Derby Half-Marathon, Louisville, KY
May 7 - Tour de Stooges, Highland, IL
May 21 - St. Louis Brevet, 200k, Edwardsville, IL
May 30 - Highland Biathlon, Highland, IL
June 11 - Route 66 10k, Edwardsville, IL
June 12-17 - Fox Valley Bicycle Tour, Watertown, Fond de Lac, Oshkosh, and Green Bay, WI
July 4 - Hillsboro (IL) Biathlon
July 9 - Tour de Donut, Staunton, IL
July 23 or 30 - Mud Mountain Trail Run, Edwardsville, IL
August - Wood River (IL) Triathlon
August - Edwardsville (IL) Criterium
August - Kiwanis Fun Day Bicycle Ride, Mt. Vernon, IL
September 24 - Tour de Coal, Benld, IL
October - Watershed 5k, Edwardsville, IL
October 22 - Berryman Epic Mt. Bike Race, somewhere between Potosi and Steelville, MO
October - New Baden (IL) Biathlon
November - Great River Road 10 miler, Alton, IL
December - Pere Marquette Trail Race, Grafton, IL (I would have to be insane to run this one again, but I've got until September to decide.)