Another good ride. The wind was not a match for us ;-)

4/30 Ride Recap -The Windiest Ride of the Season

Once again the wind was a big factor in our ride. We met up at Panera Bread in Wilmette with a huge group from the Evanston Bike Club heading to Cuba Road, our planned destination. However, with the forecast for the SSE wind to pick up from 14 mph to 24-26 mph by midday, a number of us talked Felix into changing our route so that the big wind would push us home. We made the somewhat dubious decision to ride south and take the Chicago Lakefront Bike Path. The logic of escaping the wind on the ride home by riding right into the teeth of it might have been a bit flawed. As we headed south, at times we struggled just to maintain a speed of 14 mph. However, we did make it to the the South Shore Club at the end of the path. The ride home with the wind at our back was swift. At one point, a rider who had fallen back a bit indicated "I was going 27.6 mph and you guys were becoming a dot." We had a couple of sprints that were over 30 mph on the wind aided trip home. Coming back along the Lakefront Bike Path at a wind aided speed and dodging all the other bikers, walkers, and joggers was quite the adventure.

A highlight of the ride was a stop at a French Bakery in Hyde Park that Rich led us to. Someone will have to help me out with the name of the bakery, but it must have been French because that was the only language the manager was speaking.

Sunday Morning Ride recap

I am back in Evanston for a few weeks on a spring break vacation (I work for a high school, so I still get to enjoy those lovely breaks!) and I am glad I carted my bike across the country in my ever breaking down car, as we had a lovely Sunday morning ride (somebody also mentioned it was Easter?). On this ride, we were tortured by a nice headwind from the north on our Panera-Panera ride, which kept the pace at around 20-21mph up the bike path. On the return trip, this played in our favor as we were able to maintain a 23-24mph pace without too much difficulty. We were also joined by a fellow New Yorker, Lauren, who kept up with the grueling pace Felix set for us.

VF Rides on 4/30 and 5/1

Dear All,

I will lead Very Fast Rides (20+ mph) on both Saturday 4/30/2011 and Sunday 5/1/2011. The rides will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette (1199 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette) at 07:00 AM.

On Saturday we can do the Cuba Road ride with an extra loop and meet Jim's Ride for the food stop in Long Grove. Total distance around 70 miles. On Sunday we can do the usual Panera to Panera ride with an optional 10 mile loop. Distance 45-55 miles.

If the weather looks bad, I will post a cancellation on the EBC listserve by 06:00 on the day of the ride. http://groups.google.com/group/ebclist/topics?gvc=1


If you have any question, send me an email at vikfel @ yahoo.com

Felix Angelov

Easter 2011 Ride Recap - 8 Riders x 45 Miles

Given that Easter, Orthodox Easter, and Passover all fell on the same day and there was another Evanston Bike Club ride departing at 9:30, participation was pretty good. In addition to the regulars, we had two guests from NYC, Lauren and Ian.

The ride ended up being a Panera (Wilmettte) to Panera (Lake Bluff) ride. Felix suggested that we push on and do another 10 mile loop, but was outvoted due to the requirement of a number of riders to get back home early from this holiday ride. Also the fact that we had to fight the wind on the way north might have been a factor in the lack of enthusiasn for the bonus miles. It definitely was more fun riding home with the wind at our backs. The motley crew in the photo includes our NYC guests standing 2nd and 3rd from the right  at the intersection of the Skokie Valley and North Shore bike paths at Hwy 176 in Lake Bluff.

I was surprised at how may cycle groups we saw durng our Easter morning ride. Someone in our group commented that the nice weather must have brought everyone out. His comment sort of indicates what a lousy spring we are having in Chicago, if a cloudy, windy 50 degree day is considered good weather.

Easter Ride - Two Good Alternatives

Our group will meet at Panera Bread at 7:00 am. There is also an Evanston Bike Club event ride meeting at 9:30 am, the annual Lake Forest College Easter Brunch Ride. The Easter Brunch at Lake Forest College is a fantastic value - highly recommended.

4/23/11 Ride Recap - 9 Riders x 55 Miles

What started out as a cold, damp day on wet roads turned into a beautiful day. The ride got off to a nasty start, with Dave Reesh breaking a spoke and getting a flat less than a mile into the ride. Fortunately, that was the only mishap of the ride.

We met up with a much larger group from the Evanston Bike Club (that included Dave's wife) at the Liberty Restaurant in Libertyville. Our group took a bonus 10 mile loop around Ascension Cemetery. As the sun came out on our ride back home, it did point out a benefit of riding in the Chicago area, when we get good weather, we really appreciate it. Ended up being a successful ride with a good belly filling brunch and a ride in the sun on the way home.

The most annoying aspect of the ride was coming across a woman with two large dogs off the leash on the Skokie Valley Trail. Fortunately, we slowed down to a crawl as we passed them, because one of the dogs wandered right into Martin's path. No damage occurred from the bump, but it could have been a really ugly event if we had not slowed down. Insanity to have dogs off the leash when walking by a bike trail.

4/17/11 Ride Recap

The wind was even more fierce than we expected it to be, while due to a bright sun being out, the wind chill was not nearly as uncomfortable as we feared it might be. Weather.com's forecast that the wind would be 20 mph out of the WNW seemed to be on target. We did a Panera to Panera ride which is mostly north-south, so it was a crosswind for much of the ride. On the way back from Panera Bread in Lake Bluff heading east, no one pushed on a pedal during the 150 yards to the bike path. The wind was at our backs, and we  coasted all the way to the bike path as the wind blew us east at a surprisingly fast pace.

While we were at Panera for the mid ride stop, we decided that we should give Hugo lessons on how to strip off apparel when overdressed if the weather warms up during a ride. We had one of the longest stops in history for a clothing adjustment.

Rides Planned For 4/16 and 4/17

I will lead rides on Saturday 4/16/2011 and Sunday 4/17/2011. Both rides will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM. Destination will be determined on the day of the ride. Distance 45-60 miles with one food/restroom stop in the middle. If the weather is unsuitable for riding, cancellations will be posted by 07:00AM on the day of the ride. 
Felix 

The First After Work Ride

The after work rides got off to a rather inauspicious start. Wednesday was a chilly, breezy night, with gusts blowing out of the north that reached 20 mph. The winds (or maybe good sense on the part of others) held participation down to just four riders, Felix Angelov Jr, and Sr. Paul Sumner, and me. The ride north directly into the wind on a chilly spring night was not particularly pleasant. Heading north from Wilmette on Sheridan Road dodging all the potholes during rush hour traffic was a bit dicey. We achieved our goal of riding to Fort Sheridan, but once there were ready to turn back without even touring the fort. However, the change in direction re-vitalized the ride. It was really fun riding with a big wind almost directly at our back pushing us home. Also, we came back through the Skokie Lagoons, a better route for biking.

Despite the inaugural after work ride only being mildly successful, it may become a regular event. Better weather and longer daylight hours should make for more fun rides and bring out more participants.

After Work Ride On Thursday (4/14) - 6:00 pm

 I will lead a "After Work" ride on Thursday 4/14/2011. We will start at 18:00 from Panera Bread in Wilmette.
Destination - Fort Sheridan via Sheridan Road.  Approximate distance 25 miles.
No food stop during the ride, maybe a stop back at Panera at the end. If you are going to ride home after the ride consider having lights as it will be getting dark after 19:30. For those driving, check the parking time before you park near Panera. I am not sure when the free parking starts there during the week.
If you are planning to come for this ride, please send me an email, so I can look for you. Try to be on time, as a deley in the start can make us ride in the dark at the end.
Felix

This Weekend's Rides

The first nice weekend of 2011 brought a lot of riders out of hibernation. Not only did the size of our group get bigger, but we saw lots of other groups of bike riders. We had 10 riders on Saturday and 8 on Sunday. Saturday's ride included a trek to the Cuba Road "rollers", and meeting up with another group of riders from the Evanston Bike Club at the Deerfield Bakery. Most of the calories that got burned off during the ride were replaced during the stop.

The Sunday ride was a 40+ miler from Panera in Wilmette to Panera Bread in Lake Bluff. We regained our capability to refer to the ride as a 20+ mph ride without resorting to puffery. Much of the ride going north was at a mildly wind aided 23-25 mph pace. On the way back home, the pace was above 20 much of the way, despite having to fight the wind.

A highlight of the Sunday ride was admiring Hugo's new Serotta bike frame. It was the first time he had it out for a spin,  and more than a few of us developed a case of bicycle envy.

Rides on 4/9/11 and 4/10/11

Rides planned for Saturday 4/9/2011 and Sunday 4/10/2011. Both rides will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM. 
Destination will be determined on the day of the ride. Distance 45-60 miles with one food/restroom stop in the middle. On Saturday we could go west on Cuba road and then stop at the Deerfield Bakery to meet Heidi's group. If the weather is bad,    a cancellation will be posted by 07:00AM on the day of the ride. 
Felix

The Pardon The Interruption Ride On 4/2

We welcomed two new riders to our group today, Dave Reesh and Tom Winger. It seemed odd going for a ride without Felix leading the group (he had to work). He missed a ride that was interruptioned by numerous delays due to two flat tires and a stop at the Higher Gear bike shop. And on the way back via Green Bay Road, it seemed like we caught red lights at every intersection from Winnetka to Wilmette.

The strong wind blowing from the northwest had a big impact on our speed. As shown by the blue data  below from Martin's power meter, heading into the wind on our way to Bluffington's, we struggled to get up to 20 mph. On the way back to Wilmette with the benefit of a tail wind. we were well above 22 mph much of the way with a few stretches above 25 mph. The yellow (power) and green (RPM) data points show that the difference in speed on the way back was mostly due to the wind, as about the same amount of power was expanded during both segments of the ride.