Ride?

Ok, we haven't been able to ride the last two Saturdays due to rain. Here is the good news, rain is not predicted for next Saturday, the bad news is a high of only 37 degrees is predicted. So I leave it up to your input, on when, how, and where we ride. Options include a ride starting out at Babler with Hills that John emailed. Other choices include either of our last two weekends cancelled rides. That would be the hilly route into St. Albans or the city loop that does Holly Hills and Grants Trail.

Saturdays Ride - Jan 28

Time to think of Saturdays ride. Thought we might mix the terrain a bit, with the Holly Hills Loop. We should be able to get in 40-50 miles. Some city flat miles, changing to a few hills as we climb up Holly Hills and head to Webster. Of course we can get in two coffee stops. Let me know your thoughts.


See comments for more details!

Official Start Time at My House 10 am for Saturday's Ride.

Holly Hills to Grants Trail Link...if we ride

Bike Tour of Colorado

Mark, Roark, Ron, (and Dan)

I have Dan and Nick's applications and money for the BTC, so we are half way on the 6. I just need to be able to hook up with the three of you Saturday. I was thinking before / after the ride Roark is proposing at Roark's house? If you are not doing the Saturday ride let me know, because we need to hook up somewhere. Mark if you'e not riding, maybe you can get something to Roark Friday? Ron, if you're not riding maybe I can see you Satuday after the ride? (ASAP).

I think I have now been converted to a hotel guy. Roark seems to have a pretty good plan. I'm willing to go all 5 of us in one room too. I think it won't be too bad, and it will be cheaper too. We will still wind up with 2 days of camping, which should be the right amount of fun too.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with NONE of the meal plans. I spoke to Nick, the guy who is our number 6 who did it last year, and he is not getting any meal plan either. Last year he did the dinner plan. He said it was good, but you didn't have much choice (you ate what they cooked), and it was a touch pricy. I think if we aren't out on the road forever (up early), we should be into camp in time to find a restaurant for dinner before the crouds are too bad. I think this way we will get more of the local flavor / variety. I'm sure we can wing it on lunch (but have power bars just in case). And I think breakfast we can wing it too, but it should be even easier if we are at some hotels. Even if we need to go the pop-tarts and instant oatmeal (and a microwave) route, I'm sure breakfast will work itself out. But I'm really thinking we'll find some restaurants in the towns before we head out, or maybe even things at the hotels.

That's about it for now. Call me if you need to work out a meeting place. 314-239-6229

Mike

Saturday Jan 21st Ride

Folks,

Its time to start thinking of riding this Saturday. Unfortunately, my wife is working and I can't abandon the kidlets all day Saturday. I was thinking about a short 20-25 mile loop starting from my house. Of course there will be time for some coffee. I could just break off at some point from a longer ride and head home.

Now for future considerations I have been working on a new Hill Training Ride into St. Albans. It looks to be VERY hilly.

Sunday's Ride

We haven't even made it till Saturdays ride, but the question is about Sunday.

I will be spinning with Cheri & Brain on Sunday Morning. I assume Mark will be joining us as well. That said I can ride in the afternoon, everyone at my house is out. If the weather is bad Saturday my plan is to move Saturday's ride till Sunday say at noon. If the Saturday ride goes off, then I plan an easy ride of some unknown flat route Sunday.

Roark

Start Time For Saturday's Ride

We need a start time for Saturdays ride. Since no one has suggested one, I am, 10 am. The start point is of course my house. We will be heading to the Chain of Rocks Bridge and back. We will either do the out and back option via downtown St. Louis, or loop out back via Bellfontaine neighborhood, using Johns route. If we ride out and back its flat. If we loop though Bellfontaine there will be some hills the last part of the ride. Not to worry I know coffee shops for both route options. Either way, figure about 50 miles.

Roark

PS: Based on Mikes request to find an alternative to the riverfront trail over to the Chain of Rockes Bridge I have consulted Google Earth. The route to follow is from Washington Ave - > N on Leonard K Sullivan -> W on Biddle Street -> N on North 1st Street -> W on North Market Street -> N on North Broadway -> East on East Grand Ave -> North on Hall Street -> East on Riverview Drive -> Down to Chain of Rocks Bridge

PSS: Some Zig - Zagging might be needed, no telling how good the roads are in industrial sections of North St. Louis

.

I thought that I would try to map out our route on Mappoint. I've also included the written version. This is pretty close to the route we took. (Mike and Roark can correct any of my errors.) It shows 47.5 miles. I logged 50.0.....pretty close. I've put it in a 'photo album' so it's on a web site. We may even be able to use this type for upcoming rides since you can print the pictures for the turn by turn directions.

Cheri

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/clopatin/album?.dir=/cf33&.src=ph&.tok=phftBREBKlWstsak

Weekend (1/14/06 - 1/15/06) ride(s)

Thought that I would start a new string of blogs to discuss this weekend's rides. Anyone have anything in mind? Sat is supposed to be rain. Sun is supposed to be sunny with high of 45. Should be eagles at Old Chain of Rocks Bridge if interested in that route.

Cheri

Sunday Ride January 8th

Folks,

I thought instead of all those emails, we would just blog our weekly rides, and our coffee shop evaluations. So this is it, the first post.

Just for the record, Sunday was a good day for riding. I spun with Mark, from 9 am - 10 am.

We all set out from my house at 11:30 am for a hilly St. Charles loop of 39 miles. We had eight riders; the only ones I knew though were Mike, Ron, Dan, Brian, and myself. I don't lead rides without a coffee stop, so we tried the Crooked Tree Coffee House at 559 1st Capitol Drive in St Charles.

The food was good, and even better they had eight types of coffee. I only got to try four flavors before I over caffeinated, choclaterazzmatazz will have to wait till next time. Service was a bit slow, but I thought the food was alright. We finished back at my house with 39 miles.

I might be crazy but that ride wasn't enough, Cheri gave me a call, that with temperatures hovering about seventy degrees, she wanted her chance to ride once Brian got home. Off I want again with the caveat, that my legs were worn out. With lights blinking in the rear, and headlights lighting the front I put in another 13 or 14 miles.

Just so you know we have only begun to try each and every one of the St. Louis regions indepdant coffee stops.

Roark