Ride for today is cancelled

Snowing again :-(
Felix Angelov

Should we try today?

The radar shows light snow over the area where we were planning to ride. Should we take a chance and drive there and see how the roads look, or should we call it a day?
Let me know.

Felix Angelov

Ride for Saturday 12/29/2012

Tomorrow we will star at 10:00 AM from Panera Bread in Lake Bluff (Rt. 176 & Waukegan Rd.). We can park in the parking lot and wait inside. As of the last evening there was no snow on the ground north of Park Ave in Highland Park. We can take Waukegan Road to Old Elm, St. Mary Rd and do a loop around the Cemetery with an optional run on O'Plane to Gurnee. we can adjust the mileage depending on how we feel and how the roads are. If I am wrong and the roads are bad, we can have breakfast at Panera or Bluffington's.

Let me know if you are planning to come, so I can look for you. If anything changes I will post a cancellation before 08:00 AM tomorrow.

Felix

Christmas Day Ride

We will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 10:00 AM and do Panera to Panera. Panera will be closed, so we will stop at either McDonalds, Starbucks or a train station for bathroom break.

Happy Holidays!

Felix

Ride for 12/24/2012

We will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 10:00 AM and do Panera to Panera with a short stop at Panera on Rt. 176. If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the start time.

Happy Holidays!

Rides for this Weekend 12/22 & 12/23/2012

On Saturday 12/22/2012 we will start from Panera in Wilmette at NOON. We will do either Panera to Panera or St. Mary loop depending on who shows up and what the time constrains are. We will make a short stop at Panera in Lake Bluff for snack and bathroom break.

On Sunday 12/23/2012 we will start from Panera in Wilmette at 09:00AM. We will do either Panera to Panera or St. Mary loop depending on who shows up and what the time constrains are. We will make a short stop at Panera in Lake Bluff for snack and bathroom break.

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour prior to the start time.

We will have rides on Monday and Tuesday. Starting times will be posted on Sunday.

Happy Holidays!

The Saturday 12/15/2012 Ride is CANCELLED

The forecast is for 100% chance of rain in the morning and down to 60% in the afternoon. If you are interested in a ride in the early afternoon in case the rain stops, send me an email.

Rides for this weekend 12/15 & 12/16/2012

On Saturday and Sunday we will start at 09:00 AM from Panera in Wilmette. We will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the start time.

Ride for today 12/9/2012 is CANCELLED

The forecast and the radar are not looking good. I am cancelling the ride today. If you feel you might get lucky, show up at Panera and give it a try.

Felix

Ride for today 12/8/12 at Noon

Let's meet at Panera in Wilmette at noon and do Panera to Panera. If the weather still looks bad I will post a cancellation before 11.

Felix Angelov

Ride for today 12/8/2012 is CANCELLED

It looks like the morning will stay wet. I am cancelling the 9AM ride today. I am thinking about riding later today - it should dry out in the afternoon. If you are interested in riding any time after 12PM let me know.

Felix

Rides for this weekend 12/8 & 12/9/2012

On Saturday and Sunday we will start at 09:00 AM from Panera in Wilmette. We will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the start time.

Ride Start TIME CHANGE for Sunday 12/2/2012

Tomorrow we will meet at Panera Bread in Wilmette at Noon 12:00 PM. We will either do Panera to Panera, or the usual St. Mary Loop depending on how we feel. Food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette. This might be the last ride when you can wear shorts for the year.

Rides for this weekend 12/1/2012 and 12/2/2012

On Saturday and Sunday we will start at 09:00 AM from Panera in Wilmette. We will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the start time.

Rides for the Thanksgiving Week

On Wednesday we will have the usual EBC Fast/VF ride starting from the Wilmette Ice Rink at 08:30 AM. Destination Lake Bluff. Usually nice paceline on the Skokie Valley Trail. Breakfast at Bluffington's.

On Thursday we will start at 09:00 AM from Panera Bread in Wilmette and do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. Panera will be closed so bring food and water.

On Saturday and Sunday we will start at 09:00 AM from Panera in Wilmette. We will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the start time.

Rides for this Weekend 11/17 & 11/18/2012

Both days we will start at 9AM from Panera in Wilmette. We will do the usual St. Mary Road loop. Bring snacks to eat on the bike. Food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.
If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the ride.

Rides for this weekend 11/10 & 11/11

Both days we will start at 9AM from Panera in Wilmette. We will do the usual St. Mary road loop. Bring snacks to eat on the bike. Food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.
If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the ride.

Rides for Sat & Sun 11/3 and 11/4/2012

I am on call on Saturday and will not be able to ride, but you should meet at 09:00 AM at Panera in Wilmette and do the usual ride or do something different. The forecast is showing 40% chance of rain so check before you head over.

I will ride on Sunday at 09:00 AM and we will do the usual loop on St. Mary around the cemetery with a food stop at Panera (on 176 or in Wilmette) depending how we feel on that day.
If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the ride. Keep in mind the time change that will happen this weekend.
Felix

UPDATED START TIME Rides for this weekend 10/27 & 10/28/2012

We will meet at Panera in Wilmette at 9:00 AM and do the usual St. Mary loop. Bathroom break as needed, food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.
If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation no later than 8 AM on the day of the ride.
Felix Angelov

Rides for Saturday and Sunday 10/20 & 10/21/2102

We will meet at Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM on both days. Most likely we will do the St. Mary Road Ride with a loop around the cemetery. Bring food to eat on the bike. We will make a bathroom stop as needed and a food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.
If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the start time.

Rides for Saturday and Sunday 10/6 & 10/7/2012

Let's meet at Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00AM on Saturday and do the usual St. Mary loop.


On Sunday we are changing the ride. We will join the Turin Sunday ride. It starts from The Other Brother Coffee Shop in Evanston at 08:00 sharp. It is located on the corner of Sherman and Grove. 1549 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201. Not sure what the parking situation is around that area, so if you are driving plan to arrive a little earlier. Bring enough food and water as it is a non-stop ride. We will stop at Panera in Wilmette at the end. Let me know if you are planning to come, so I can look for you.

Felix

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the start of the ride.
Felix Angelov

Rides for Saturday and Sunday 9/29 and 9/30/2012

We will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM and do the usual loop on St. Mary and around the cemetery. If we feel like it we could do an extra loop back to Old Elm and St. Mary. Total mileage ~50 or ~70. Bring food to eat on the bike. Food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette. If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the beginning of the ride.
Felix

Sunday 9/16/12 Ride

We will meet at Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM and do the usual St. Mary Road with a loop around the Cemetery. If we feel like it we can do an extra loop on Waukegan Rd. to Old Elm and back to St. Mary for additional 20 miles. Bring food to eat on the bike. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette. Total distance ~50 miles or ~70 with the additional loop.
If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation before 07:00 AM on the day of the ride.

EBC Group Results From the 2012 Sub 5 Challenge

The group of riders from the Evanston Bike Club who participated in the Sub 5 Century Challenge had a very successful ride on 9/9/12. Although the temperature was near perfect, the windy day made the event much more challenging this year than it was a year ago.

Special thanks go to Trish and Robin who helped out the team all day, the spouses that came to cheer us on and to Melissa and Sharon who rode in the recreational version of this charity ride that raises funds for Parkinson's research

Ride detail can be viewed via Felix's Garmin results and the official result on Active.com

Saturday Sept 1 St Mary Loop and, Who Are We?

Final weekend before the Sub5 and quite a few of us turned out for the scheduled training ride, even with the remnants of Hurricane Isaac threatening to overtake us along the way.  We shortened the ride to a single loop around the cemetery, no stops, with a total of 50 miles starting and ending at the Wilmette Panera.  As it turned out, Isaac brought only a few sprinkles.
It was a good fast ride with welcome sprints down Waukegan and Green Bay for the usual suspects to stretch their legs and have some fun.
As we sat at Panera I thought to myself, we might have matching kits but we are certainly a motley crew even so.  Imagine the typical cycling team, an array of slight and skinny guys with chiseled faces and stern looks.  Not here.  Instead of that we have the Bulgarian former wrestler, the small Asian physicist, the tall Polish body-builder from the south side...the carpenter with a pair of lederhosen, the Capo, the retired insurance agent, the old guy, the woman....our injured teammate from Mexico and a former cycling champ from Colombia....and that isn't even everyone !
4 Scotts, 3 Cervelos, 2 Treks,  2 Specializeds, a Bianchi, an Eriksen, a Look and an Orbea.

Rides for the Labor Day Weekend

This weekend we will do the following rides:

On Saturday 9/1/2012 we will start from Panera in Wilmette at 07:00 AM and will do the St. Mary Loop to the Viking Park with one additional loop (total of ~90 miles). There will be two short stops at the park for bathroom and water. Bring food to eat on the bike. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

On Sunday I am on call and will not be riding. You should plan to meet at Panera at 08:00 AM and maybe do a St. Mary loop around the cemetery with one loop back to Old Elm/St. Mary for a total of ~70 miles. This is just a suggestion. Maybe someone can come up with a better or different idea.

On Monday we will start from Panera in Wilmette at 08:00 AM and do the usual St. Mary loop around the cemetery for a total of ~50 miles.

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation at least an hour before the beginning of the ride.

Felix

Final Training Ride in Hampshire! 8-25-12

A somewhat diminished group (due to illness and vacation) gathered in Hampshire on Saturday to run the course one last time.  Weather was fine at the outset but the south(east?) wind and heat increased throughout the day.  We wished to have nailed the sucker but that was not to be - 4 riders did complete in 4:53 rolling time, with one other rider limping in some minutes later, maybe after 5:00 but who was counting by then?
The good news is that the group dynamic has really improved - all pulling well together and communicating quickly when needed.  People are getting used to each others' styles and we are adjusting our pulls to what can keep the pace yet not wear us out.  Also getting to know the route quite intimately -- and getting better at knowing when to "esch" - as in, form an echelon....
Rest stops were not as quick as desired but we picked it up a lot and started eating on the bike more.
We missed our absent comrades, especially on the third lap.  It was 100 degrees on the course by then with a head wind (Rule 5 I know) and with only 5 of us still standing (sitting) in the group I finally hit the wall at about mile 96.  The 4 others went ahead and I dragged myself home, feeling really feverish since I couldn't dispel the heat I was producing..  Never so glad to see that water tower!!!  Two others also still on the course a little further back pulled themselves the rest of the way home too against the grinding wind. 
The kits got a thumbs up when another group (strangely, going the other direction) called out "nice uniforms!" and Hugo joined us for one lap



All in all I think it was a surprisingly good day and bodes well for the big game. 

Felix's report:

First - the bad news. We did not finish with Sub-5 time ;-(

Second - the good news. Upon dissection of the Garmin data, I think we did fairly well. I started a new lap every time we got out of the parking lot on Big Timber and stopped it when we got back to the parking lot entrance. The times are as follow:

Lap # 1 Distance 33.64 miles Time 1:33:46

Lap #2 Distance 33.59 miles Time 1:37:23

Lap #3 Distance 33.53 miles Time 1:40:39

Total Distance 100.76 miles

Total Riding Time - around 4:51:52

The extra 0.76 miles which we rode since we did three full laps instead of the sligthly shorter 3rd one on the real ride, is probably worth close to 2:30 minutes.

 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/214873181#.UDlFZCYv5DQ.email

On the ride:
Felix
Mike
Phil
George
Herb
Bob
Dave
Hugo
Gary
Heidi

Sunday 8/26/2012 Ride

We will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM and do the usual St. Mary Loop. We will stop for food ath Panera at the end of the ride. Bring food to eat on the bike. If the weather is bad for biking I will send an email by 07:00 AM.
Felix

Saturday Hampshire Training Ride 8-11

Beautiful temperature in the 70's on Saturday, but very strong winds made this a tough ride.  We finished all 3 circuits with 5 hours rolling time - if we hadn't stopped to eat we would have ridden our first real sub5 --  Felix will post his Garmin and give an account of the ride.  But, as you see in the photo, it was the inaugural ride in our fabulous Sub5 kits!  Great design thanks to Melissa and Cons.  Motto on front of jersey very much needed to help combat wind fatigue....Mine was extremely comfortable.

On the ride:
Mike (taking the photo)
Felix
Phil
Martin
Cons
Bob
John
George
Heidi

and Rene joined us for the first circuit.

8/4 Ride Recap - We Could Not Beat The Heat

A large contingent from the EBC headed out to Hampshire for a training ride on the Sub 5 Challenge Course. The original plan was for three circuits of the 33.3 mile route. However, as the second circuit took a lot out of us. The heat approached 90 degrees and we had to combat a fairly windy day. We ended up deciding against a third circuit of the route.

The group included

Bob
Clay
Cons
Dave
Felix
George

Heidi
Herb
John
Martin

Michael
Phil
Randy

And the organizer of the Sub 5 Century Challenge Rene Boer joined us for the first circuit.

Rides for 8/4 and 8/5/2012

On Saturday 8/4/2012 we will do another practice run of the Sub-5 course in Hampshire, IL. We will start at 07:30 AM Sharp from the High School Parking lot. The plan is to do all three laps with minimum breaks in between. Bring enough food and drinks. We will again have a big cooler, courtesy of Herb, with ice where we can keep the drinks cold. If the weather is bad for riding I will post a cancellation by 05:30 AM on the day of the ride. If you are planning to join, send me an email or call me so we can look for you and make carpooling arrangements.

On Sunday 8/5/2012 we will do the usual St. Mary Loop starting from Panera in Wilmette at 08:00 AM. There will be a minimal break for bathroom/water 2/3 into the ride and a food stop at the end of the ride. If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation by 07:00 AM on the day of the ride.

Interesting Stretching Routine

http://manualforspeed.com/2012/07/stretching/

Ride Recap - Century Training in Hampshire on 7/29

Twelve EBC'ers went out to Hampshire today to go for a training ride on the Sub 5 Century Challenge route. We met up with nearly 40 other cyclists that were also on the ride.

The EBC group included:

Brian
Cliff
Dave
Felix
Gary
George
Heidi
Herb
John C.
Martin
Mike
Randy

Due to time constraints. only five members of the group were able to head out for a the third circuit of the 33.3 mile course. Martin, Mike, Heidi, Felix, Herb and I completed the 100 mile route in 5 hours of riding time. Martin and Mike got in a lot more than 100 miles, because they would pull ahead of the rest of the group, and then have to circle back to check on the directions. Even with all their extra miles, they still finished way ahead of the rest of us. Heidi also came in with a time of under 5 hours of riding time. She finished with a flourish with a sprint to the finish and came in well ahead of other riders in the group.

This was the fifth time our group has done 3 circuits of the route, although the first time this year. For some reason, today seemed to be the most difficult of the 5 attempts. Although individually, the wind, heat, and humidity were not oppressive, all three combined to make it a hard ride. Most of us limped into the finish on the course which saves its uphill climbs for the last 25% of the route. The small hills which are easily negotiated on the first circuit seem to become significant barriers toward the end of the third circuit.

The large size of the peleton starting out (close to 50 riders) made things a bit ungainly on the first circuit. A rider from another club lost his water bottle directly in Martin's path. It caused Martin to take a spill into a gully. Fortunately, there was no damage to either rider or bicycle. However, there was no communication to the front of the group that Martin had taken a fall, and the front of the pack did not stop.

Fortunately, the next biggest issue was a wrong turn that a number of us made on the second circuit due to a street with no marking sign. This led to a bunch of us getting in an extra bonus mile before we figured out our mistake..

It ended up being a good ride and provided great conditioning, but was not very successful in regard to our EBC team getting practice at riding together as a group

For detailed stats on the ride, check out Felix's Garmin data
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/204503156#.UBWscWRDehw.email.

Rides for 7/28 and 7/29/2012

On Saturday 7/28/2012 we will start from Panera in Wilmette at 08:00 AM and will ride to Lake Bluff. Total distance around 40-50 miles. There will be a food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

On Sunday 7/29/2012 we will do a practice ride on the Sub-5 Hour Century Course. The ride starts from the Hampshire, IL High School parking lot at 07:30 AM SHARP. We are planning to make three loops for a total of 100 miles. There will be minimal stops (2) between the laps for a quick bathroom break and snack/hydration. Bring your favorite food for eating on the bike. We will have a cooler with ice where you can store a limited amount of drinks/food. The drive to the starting point from Wilmette is around 75 minutes. Plan to arrive early enough so you can be ready to ride at 07:30 AM. If you are planning to go and you have not let me know yet, send me an email so I can keep you updated on the travel arrangements.

If the weather is bad for cycling i will post a cancellation by 07:00 AM on Saturday and by 5:45 AM on Sunday.

7/21 Ride Recap - 60 Miles to Viking Park

When I showed up for the ride and saw the group that was assembling, it occurred to me that the planned pace of 22 mph that Herb had posted might end up being surpassed. And my surmise came to pass, as the pace was 23 to 26 mph far more than it was 22 mph. Clay led us on a number of fast pulls heading north, and Big Mike practically pulled all the way home. The rest of the group was all a bit weary from yesterday's ride, but performed well when it came to be their turn to pull, and did extremely at hanging on to Big Mike's back wheel on the fast return trip home.

The group included:

Brian
Dave
Clay
Gary
Herb
Mike
Randy

7/21 Ride Recap - 80 Mile Wisconsin Border Ride

The day started out with perfect weather for a bike ride. While the morning heated up enough to turn it into a six water bottle ride before the we were through, we finished the ride well before the arrival of the hottest mid-day temperatures.

The group included:

Brian
Dave
Gary
Heidi
Herb
Martin
Randy P.

Both our ride and the 110 mile Bull Valley rides started from Panera Bread at 7:00 am. The Bull Valley group defined our ride as the short one. Thus, as new riders arrived, they were asked if they were going "long" (the Bull Valley Ride) or "short" (the Wisconsin border ride).

The mild teasing from the Bull Valley group might have served as a motivator to push the pace of our ride. We made it to Kenosha County with an average computer speed of 20.1 mph, even with the Three Sisters on St. Mary's Road and the rolling terrain on River Road slowing us up a bit.

We took River Road to Belvidere Road to Hunt Club Road to the border. Despite there being quite a bit of traffic on Belvidere Road and the south section of Hunt Club Road, the route worked out fairly well as the pavement was in good shape, and River Road and the west section of Hunt Club Road are both quite scenic.

At the beginning of the ride, Heidi requested that we take it easy on her. Turned out there was absolutely no need to do so. I think it may have been a couple of the other riders that were suffering a bit during a 25 mph pull Heidi led down Green Bay Road about 70 miles into the ride.

It turned out to be a very successful ride.

Sunday, July 22nd ride

On Sunday, July 22nd, we will ride from Panera Bread, Wilmette, at 7:00 a.m.
Depending on the size of the group, we will practice paceline riding, choosing 4-lane roads that allow us to take an entire lane for a double paceline. Pace will be ~22mph, depending on wind direction and grade.  Distance will be about 75 miles.  We will keep stops short, only for bathroom breaks and hydration.  Bring your favorite endurance food & drink mix. We'll stop at Panera in Wilmette after the ride.

Saturday 7/21 Ride to Wisconsin Border

On Saturday, we will ride to the Wisconsin border via Hunt Club Road, It will be the first time our group has taken this route. It should probably be about an 75 mile ride. We'll leave Panera Bread at 7:00 am. This will be a training ride for the Sub 5 Century, so the pace will be energetic. Although there will be a mid ride stop, you'll want to make sure you have a couple of full water bottles and an energy bar/ shot blox.

Saturday July 14 The Circuitous Route

Well, Saturday was a chaotic ride.  We met at 7 at the usual Panera with 9 riders, Cons being noticeably absent.  George brought along another friend and new rider for us named Mike (last name unknown to me) -- and Ian joined us as well.

Our goal was to practice pace lines and avoid the rain by going up and down Green Bay a few times until we saw what was going to happen with the weather - after one (or two?) loops Dave suggested we ride down McCormick instead.  All agreed and off we go, after which Cons called and said he arrived by mistake at 8 and was riding up to St Mary's on our usual route to find us.  Hahaha the one day we do something different...(trying to avoid Emerson's  "foolish consistency.. the hobgoblin of little minds...").
In a few words, we rode around in circles looking for Cons and Cons rode around in circles looking for us.  Finally reunited at the top of Walker Hill, successfully climbed by Felix, Mike, Cons and overachieving Ian (who rode up twice or maybe 3x).

Our training program got put aside for the day - we didn't really bother keeping to any kind of discipline and just rode as fast as anyone felt like, including a sprint up University.  .  Oh, and also George had flat tire issues on his tubular which resulted in a loaner wheel from Green Bay Cycles sometime during the ride.  We stopped as much as rode and ended up with 50 miles in about 4+ hours....

Footnote, when we left Walker for home I felt sluggish as if my tire was going flat, but just assumed that I was imagining excuses as usual.  Got on my bike to leave Panera and my rear tire was completely flat.  I  took off my bike shoes and socks and walked home.

Participants:
Felix
George
John
Rich
Dave
Bob
Mike (new rider, not Big Mike)
Ian
Heidi
Cons

Ride Change for Saturday 7/14/2012

After the majority of the responders voted for a local ride because of the weather forecast for tomorrow, let's meet at Panera in Wilmette at 07:00 AM and do the usual loop on St. Mary with at least one extra loop (70+ miles) and some paceline practice on Waukegan road with some cornering in paceline drills at a location of choice along the way tomorrow. Bring food, we will stop briefly for water at Panera on Rt. 176. There will be the usual food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

Rides for 7/12, 7/14 and 7/15/2012

On Thursday 7/12/2012 we are going to join the Higher Gear Bicycle Store in Wilmette ride. It starts at 17:30 SHARP from their store in
Plaza del Lago. The ride goes to Fort Sheridan and back with no stops. The pace is fast - the average speed with all stop signs and traffic lights is over 20 mph. There are sprints at well over 30 mph. There is plenty of free parking in front of the store if you come driving.

On Saturday 7/14/2012 we will ride the Sub-5 Hour Century Challenge course in Hampshire, IL. The ride will start at 07:30 AM from the Hampshire High School. We will do the entire distance - 3 laps, 100 miles with minimal breaks in between each lap. Bring water, sports drinks, snacks, food, sun screen etc. We will have a cooler with ice where we can keep some of the drinks and food. It takes a little over an hour drive from Evanston to the starting location of the ride. Plan to arive 10 minutes earlier and be ready to roll at 07:30. If you are planning to come and have not responded already, let me know so I can look for you. If you need driving directions send me an email. The address is:

1600 Big Timber Road Hampshire, IL 60140

On Sunday 7/15/2012 we will start at 08:00 AM from Panera in Wilmette and do the usual St. Mary ride with a loop around the cemetery. Short water/restroom stop at Panera on Rt. 176 and food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

7/7/12 Ride Recap - 52 Mile Cemetary Loop

 After the string of 100 degree days, it turned out to be a surprisingly pleasant day for a ride. The shift in the wind to the northwest was definitely welcomed.

Phil Procida joined the ride for the first time this year. He indicated that riding with our group will help him get in shape for a 110 race in Tucson in the fall that he would like to win.

The rest of the group included

Big Bob
Cons
Gary
Tom
Felix
Martin
Joe
Dave
Heidi
Phil
John
Randy

We held together in a double pace line reasonably well during the ride.

As we were going through Highland Park, we witnessed another cyclist getting written up for a ticket. This is more evidence that the police are cracking down on bike riders.

In Glencoe, we were passed by a couple of cyclists that rode at an uneven pace after passing us. This set the group off on a fast pace in order to catch the two riders. Felix and Martin reeled them in and passed them back.

By the time we returned to Panera Bread in Wilmette, it had actually become pleasant if sitting in the shade, where we recapped an enjoyable ride.

July 4th Ride re-cap

7 of us started from Panera this morning:
Cons
Rich
Herb
George
Dave
Big Bob
Felix
Martin and a friend of his rode from Deerfield and met us on the way on Green Bay road.
The temperature was in the mid 80s at the beginning of the ride and was climbing up steadily. We did the usual loop on St. Mary and around the Ascension Cemetery. Bob continued to Lake Geneva on his own. We stopped for water at Panera on Rt. 176. On the way home the temperature topped 100 degrees and we had to ride more conservatively. We made it to Panera in Wilmette with an average speed for the 50 miles at 20 mph. Considering the heat and the stop signs and traffic lights, we were cruising at a decent pace.

Rides for the week 7/4, 7/5, 7/7 and 7/8/2012

On Wednesday 7/4/2012 we will start from Panera in Wilmette at 07:00AM and either do the usual St. Mary Loop or just ride to Bluffington's in Lake Bluff.

On Thursday 7/5/2012 we are going to join the Higher Gear Bicycle Store in Wilmette ride. It starts at 17:30 SHARP from their store in
Plaza del Lago. The ride goes to Fort Sheridan and back with no stops. The pace is fast - the average speed with all stop signs and traffic lights is over 20 mph. There are sprints at well over 30 mph. There is plenty of free parking in front of the store if you come driving.

On Saturday 7/7/2012 we will start at 07:00AM from Panera in Wilmette. We are going to do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the Ascension Cemetery. We will add an extra loop back to Everett , St. Mary, Cemetery, Waukegan and the total will be around 70 miles. There will a water/restroom stop at Panera on Rt. 176 and food stop at the end of the ride at Panera in Wilmette.

On Sunday 7/8/2012 we will start at 08:00 AM from Panera in Wilmette and do the usual St. Mary ride with a loop around the cemetery.

Last Year's Practice Rides on the Sub 5 Course - Summary

I was checking into our practice rides on the Sub 5 course from last year:

Here are the dates with links to the recaps

7/16 - 2 Circuits of the Course
http://ebc20mph.blogspot.com/2011/07/sub-5-hour-century-course-ride.html

7/31 - 2 Circuits of the Course (on a hot day)
http://ebc20mph.blogspot.com/2011/08/71-sub-5-hour-century-training-ride.html

8/6 - 3 Circuits of the Course
http://ebc20mph.blogspot.com/2011/08/8611-ride-recap-training-ride-on-sub-5.html

8/21 - 3 Circuits of the Course
No summary of this ride

8/28 - 3 Circuits of the course
http://ebc20mph.blogspot.com/2011/08/sub-5-hour-century-ride-recap-82811.html

Thus, we traveled out to Hampshire 5 times for practice rides, with the first jaunt being on 7/16. Notably, we did not step it up to 3 circuits of the course until 8/6.

7/1/2012 Ride Re-cap

Despite of posting the ride for 8AM I was convinced that it was starting at 7. When I arived at Panera and saw nobody there, I checked the posted time and I realized my error. I could have slept one more hour. Shortly after Alvin Spector showed up and we had a little chat. He did not want to wait until 8 and went to ride by himself.  One by one the usual suspects started to roll in. We had a new rider -Richard, the husband of Tracy (the nutritionist who gave us the lecture at the last EBC meeting). There was another EBC Show and Go ride at 8 that was planning to ride Panera to Panera.

At 8AM we started with:
Mike
Joe
Martin
Dave
Cons
Richard
Felix

We decided to practice riding in a single paceline at 22-23 mph. We were mostly succesful. Despite of being a fairly small group, we were not particularly smooth. There was some surging after stops and corners, there were few jerky moments when the pace slowed down for road obstacles and we had to react at the last moment. Once we got to the bike path and later on St. Mary we kind of settled in the pace and were smoother. We did the usual loop around the cemetery and on the way back from on Waukegan Road from Buckley to Rt. 176 we decided to pick up the pace as usual. Mike did a hard and fast pull and then Martin took over. I was hanging for my dear life, at some point I looked at my heart rate and it was 188. We made a short stop at Panera for water. At that point it was getting hot and we decided to skip the extra loop. The other EBC group was rolling in as we were getting ready to get back on the road. They had a flat on the way.
We did the usual ride back via Waukegan Rd, Everett, Old Elm, Fort Sheridan, Sheridan Rd, St. John's, Roger Williams to Green Bay Rd. On Green Bay Rd. we picked up the speed slightly and arived at Panera as a group. Despite of the high humidity it ended up as a nice ride.

6/30 Ride Recap - 60 Mile Loop to Rt 120

We extended our usual Lbertyville loop by taking River Road to Rt. 120. before turning back and heading for home.

The group included:

Dave
Herb
Martin
Mike
Randy P
Rich

Rich made a valiant attempt to stay with the group, but was still too sore from last week's crash to complete it with us.

While at Panera Bread in Wilmette, the group agreed to set a goal of maintaining a steady 22 mph pace for the entire ride. However, somehow by the time we got to Winnetka, 22 mph was no longer the speed limit, but had become the minimum. speed. We even took the three little hills on St. Mary's at 22 mph, with Dave setting the pace by pulling us up the first of the sisters. By the time we were headed back home down the Skokie Valley Bikeway, the minimum speed had popped up to 24 mph (and considerably faster than that on some of Martin and Mike's pulls).

During the ride, we caught up with a "shop ride" group that we rode with a few times in the spring. As we passed them on Waukegan Rd heading toward 176, they sped up to 25 mph to try and hang with us, but due to being able to draft off Mike and Martin, we left them in our dust. I was having trouble keeping up with Martin and Mike, but was highly motivated to stay well ahead of the other group. The other group got stuck at a light, and we were able to get so far ahead of them that they were out of sight by the time we got to 176. I have to admit that we were rather pleased with ourselves for showing up this other group.

Heading west on Everett, we took the sidewalk over the overpass. It was probably a good thing, because there was lots of traffic heading east.

It was a successful ride, and thanks to the front that came in yesterday, the heat was not too much of a factor, although it was starting to ampt up by the end of the ride.

Thursday 6/28, Saturday 6/30 and Sunday 7/1/2012 Rides

On Thursday 6/28/2012 we are going to join the Higher Gear Bicycle Store in Wilmette ride. It starts at 17:30 SHARP from their store in Plaza del Lago. The ride goes to Fort Sheridan and back with no stops. The pace is fast - the average speed with all stop signs and traffic lights is over 20 mph. There are sprints at well over 30 mph. There is plenty of free parking in front of the store if you come driving. I will post a cancellation an hour before the ride if the weather is not good for riding (including temperature above 100 degrees).

On Saturday 6/30/2012 we will extend our usual ride on St. Mary Road by staying on River Road until we run into Rt. 120 (Belvidere Rd). The ride starts from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 07:00 AM. The total distance will be around 60-65 miles. We'll take a mid ride break at Panera Bread in Lake Bluff and may make a quick pit stop at the Lake Forest train station. A cancellation will be posted an hour before the ride if lighting or heavy rain is in the
forecast.

On Sunday 7/1/2012 we will start from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM. We will do the usual loop to the Ascension Cemetery in Libertyville. If the weather is not too hot and the group feels like it we will do an extra loop (Waukegan, Old Elm, Everett, St. Mary, Buckley, Waukegan). We will stop briefly for water at Panera on Rt. 176. Without the extra loop it will be around 55 miles, with the extra loop it will be around 75 miles. I will post a cancellation an hour before the ride if the weather is not good for riding (including temperature above 100 degrees).

Hello All,

I would like to setup a time to take some riding action shots of the group. I would need a ride to where ever we would do it. Also, I want to avoid Midday (harsh Light) so late afternoon or very early morning would be preferred. I would also like to take some group team photos once the jersey's are in as well. I would like your input for date(s) and places.

Randy W.

Police Crackdown on Cyclists?

Both the Judson Group and the Plaza Group got pulled over today for blowing through stop signs. In both cases the violations were pretty egregious, but it is something to keep in mind. Previously, I had not paid too much attention to the rumor that there was going to be a concerted effort across the suburbs to rein in bike groups going through stop signs and red light. It may just be coincidence that both groups got pulled over on the same day, but something to be aware of on future rides, particularly going through Winnetla. The Judson Group got pulled over in Winnetka. I presume it was at the corner of Oak and Greenbay. The Plaza Group was pulled over in Barington Hills.

6/23/2012 Ride Re-Cap

The day started with nice weather, a good group of riders. We took the usual route for the typical Saturday ride to St. Mary Road with a loop around the Ascension Cemetery. We were riding in double (non-rotating paceline). We were able to stay close together and maintain decent pace for a good part of the ride. As we were getting more comfortable with each other in the paceline the speed was going up. With about 15 miles to go we had an unfortunate accident. We had three riders go down at about 27 mph with two others narrowly escaping the crash. One rider seemed to be injured the worse. He was taken to the Lake Forrest hospital and was found to have broken collar bone and shoulder blade in addition to several areas of road rash. His new carbon bike also sustained the worse damage - a broken chain stay. Another rider had a lot of road rash and several badly bruised areas, but was in good spirit and declined to have a trip to the ER for check up. He also discovered that his carbon handlebars were broken too. The third rider had some road rash and damaged front wheel, he also declined to be taken to the ER and appeared to have avoided major injury. It was a quiet ride back home with generous spacing in the paceline. The injured rider that was taken to the ER was released home after being tested for additional injuries.
As they say biking is inherently dangerous activity. We will all use this unfortunate accident to learn and become better and safer riders.

Here are some pictures from the scene. The broken bike pictures are too graphic to be posted.

Rides for Thursday 6/21, Saturday 6/23 and Sunday 6/24/2012

On Thursday 6/21/2012 we are going to join the Higher Gear Bicycle Store in Wilmette ride. It starts at 17:30 SHARP from their store in Plaza del Lago. The ride goes to Fort Sheridan and back with no stops. The pace is fast - the average speed with all stop signs and traffic lights is over 20 mph. There are sprints at well over 30 mph. There is plenty of free parking in front of the store if you come driving.

On Saturday 6/23/2012 we will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. The ride starts from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM. The total distance will be around 50-55 miles. There will be no food stop during the ride, so bring snacks to eat on the bike. We will make a quick bathroom break somewhere during the ride. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera Bread in Wilmette.

On Sunday 6/24/2012 we will do the Swedish Days Century Ride. The start/finish point is behind Central High School, near Burlington, Illinois. The school is located on Plato Road, 1 mile west of IL Route 47 and approximately 8 miles south of I–90 (44W625 Plato Road, Hampshire, IL 60140 for Internet maps). From here all routes travel the quiet and scenic paved roads of rural Kane County. The terrain is mostly flat, with an occasional hill. There are frequent rest stops, stocked with beverages and various selections of fruits, breads, and homemade cookies.

The plan is to start riding at 07:00, so plan to arrive there with enough time to register (you can register online ahead of time until Thursday). See the link on the web site http://www.fvbsc.org/swededays.html

We will ride as a group in a paceline trying to complete the entire ride under 5 hours ride time. We will stop briefly at all 4 rest stops.

If you are planning to join, send me an email so we can plan for travel or meet at the start.

Barrington Hills Ride Recap

We had a total of 12 riders for most of the ride. We started with overcast skies, but it felt hot and humid from the very beginning. The pace was not very hard and were riding in a double paceline for a good part of the way to Cuba Road. We made a needed stop at the Walgreens on Cuba Rd. for water and Gatorade and continued. It was feeling pretty hot already despite the temperature showing to be in mid 80s. We made the loop to Old Sutton and Penny and came back on Otis. We saw the other fast EBC group as we passed through downtown Barrington. We were doing mostly single paceline for the rest of the ride. We had to make one more water stop at Panera at Milwaukee and Deerfield. The temperature was in the 90s already. Cool Randy aggravated his sciatica and was having trouble keeping up with the group. He was offered to be put out of his misery by an anonymous EBC rider and he almost accepted the offer ;-)
We made it back with an average speed of around 19 mph for the entire 85 mile ride. I was glad I was not doing the Horribly Hilly Hundred ride in Wisconsin like Mike (125 miles with 10,000+ feet of climbing).
For the future long rides we will have to start practicing more strict paceline riding since we are not quite ready to maintain the target pace for the Sub-5 ride.

Higher Gear Ride recap

Four EBC riders - Heidi, Hugo, Clay and I joined Fred and several other riders for the usual Thursday evening ride to fort Sheridan. Martin is still recovering from his surgery, Cons is on a business trip out of state, Randy Randy is working late at his new job, Mike is in Wisconsin getting ready to do the Horribly Hilly Hundred ride, the Northwestern Riders are either done with school and gone home or are training or competing some where else. The ride started at a steady pace with a decent double paceline. We all stayed together to the S-turn just before Fort Sheridan where we split into two groups. The pace picked up, but there were no sprints and no rabbits to chase. On the way back the pace felt faster with mostly riding in a single pace line, there were only two short sprints - one just south of South Ave and the usual one at the end of the ride on Sheridan road. Kudos to Heidi for staying with the group the whole time!

Rides for Thursday 6/14, Saturday 6/16 and Sunday 6/17/2012

On Thursday 6/14/2012 we are going to join the Higher Gear Bicycle Store in Wilmette ride. It starts at 17:30 SHARP from their store in Plaza del Lago. The ride goes to Fort Sheridan and back with no stops. The pace is fast - the average speed with all stop signs and traffic lights is over 20 mph. There are sprints at well over 30 mph. There is plenty of free parking in front of the store if you come driving.

On Saturday 6/16/2012 we will do around 80 miles - either North to the Wisconsin border, or West to Barrington Hills. The ride starts at 07:00 from panera Bread in Wilmette. We will decide the direction on the morning of the ride based on the wind. There will be no food stop. We will stop for bathroom and water as needed.

We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera Bread in Wilmette.

On Sunday 6/17/2012 we will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. The ride starts from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 07:00 AM. The total distance will be around 50-55 miles. There will be no food stop during the ride, so bring snacks to eat on the bike. We will make a quick bathroom break somewhere during the ride. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera Bread in Wilmette.

Ride Recap - Weekend of 6/9-10/12

On Saturday, we rode 68 miles to the Cuba Marsh. It was a day on which the wind was our friend, as it was out of the southwest and picked up a bit as the morning progressed, thus giving us a bit of a push home coming back east.  We got in some practice at rotating double paceline riding on Deerfield Road going west. On the way home, going east on Deerfield Road we took advantage of the wind at our backs for an energetic 31 mph sprint.

The group included:

Bob
Cons
Brian
Dave
Gary
Herb
Hugo
Mike
Randy

Sad to say, this ride is not quite the same now that the Apple Haus is closed. We attempted to check out the new restaurant that has replaced it, but they were do not not open till 11:00 am. Instead, we stopped for a mid ride break at Panera Bread in Deerfield. Given the heat, it was definitely a two stop to refill water bottles type of day.

On Sunday, we did a 51 mile loop around Ascension Cemetery. We kept up a good pace on the ride, with an average bike computer time of over 20 mph. The group included:

Dave
Felix
Gary
Heidi
Herb
Joe
John
Martin
Randy
Rich

We were certainly loyal Panera Bread customers. The ride started and finished at Panera in Wilmette, and we took a mid ride break at a Panera in Lake Bluff.

There are three spots on this ride that have become the regular locations for sprints: 1) the overpass on Everett; 2) Waukegan Road from Buckley to Rt. 176; and 3) Geeen Bay Road (usually starting around Tower Road, but sometimes in Glencoe). However, there is construction on the the Everett Road overpass, so we had to take that a bit slowly today (and the construction will be ongoing for a couple more weeks). We still were able to get a good work out in on this ride, due to chasing Martin down Waukegan and Felix down Green Bay. It turned out to be a successful ride, and we completed it before the nasty heat of the day arrived.

Rides for the Weekend of 6/9 -10

On Saturday, we will  ride to Cuba Marsh. Tentative plan is to turn back for home at Quentin Road, making it a 60 mile ride. However, if the group is feeling good, we could extend the ride for some bonus miles .Departing Panera Bread in Wilmette at 7:00 am. Given the projection that the temperature is headed to 90 degrees on Saturday, seems likely that 60 miles may be satisfying enough.

On Sunday, we'll head north to Libertyville. We'll do the usual St. Mary's loop around Ascension Cemetery. 52 miles - departing from Panera at 7:00 am.

Memorial Day: The Butter Burger Century

You will see Randy's mention of being wimpy by only riding to Gurnee on the hottest Memorial Day in Chicago history.  He is correct about the wimp status.   One of the EBC20mph members (myself) joined the EBC Butter Burger Century (to Pleasant Prairie) to get in some longer miles, and it turned out to be an epic ride. Almost no wrong turns.  It was a good group with no slackers, and the ride up was very quick (20+) with a decent tailwind. Culver's was glorious as usual.  Enjoyed the blackberry sundae with hot fudge on the side.  But then the heat and headwind came down like a hammer on the way home. It was almost laughable.

At Culver's the ineffable Jim Springer joined us and regaled us with his usual bon mots.  His tires are minimum 3" wide, his bike weighs 47 pounds, and his lights probably add another 10.  He had started riding at 3 am and already had completed 140 miles prior to joining us.  Between he and John Chisholm and the pulsingly hot pavement it was quite something.

 

Trish (Lambrecht) was the drug lady, handing out electrolyte pills like candy, and one after another were dropping from the heat….we stopped several times on the way home for more water, root beer, whatever liquid was available.    Everyone hung in there however, and even those who had some trouble lived to tell the tale.  It was a good group that showed no lack of resolve.  I am sorry or glad to say that i don't know the final mph but it was not slow.  There are times when not having a garmin is a good thing.

I love these neverending worlds of pain rides.  Sounds crazy but is true. 

On the ride from the 20 mph group:

Heidi

On the ride from EBC
John (ride leader)

Cliff

Karen

Trish

Jim Heller

Julianne

Dale

Ed Barker

 

 

Rides for Thursday 5/31, Saturday 6/2 and Sunday 6/3/2012

On Thursday 5/31/2012 we are going to join the Higher Gear Bicycle Store in Wilmette ride. It starts at 17:30 SHARP from their store in Plaza del Lago. The ride goes to Fort Sheridan and back with no stops. The pace is fast - the average speed with all stop signs and traffic lights is over 20 mph. There are sprints at well over 30 mph. There is plenty of free parking in front of the store if you come driving.

On Saturday 6/2/2012 we will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. The ride starts from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 07:00 AM. The total distance will be around 50-55 miles. There will be no food stop during the ride, so bring snacks to eat on the bike. We will make a quick bathroom break somewhere during the ride. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera Bread in Wilmette.

On Sunday 6/3/2012 we will do the Udder Century. We are going to do the 100 mile route. We are going to meet at the start location at 06:45 and be on the road at 07:00 SHARP. Consider pre-registering on-line or getting there with enough time for registration. If you are planning to join us, let me know so I can look for you. Here are details from their web site:

TIME: Registration and start from 6:30am to 10:00am 100-milers must be on the road by 8:00am!	START LOCATIONDonley's Wild West Town, 8512 South Union Road, Union Ill.MAP to Donley’s Wild West Town
RIDES: 32, 50, 62, 75 and 100-miles WHAT'S INCLUDED: * Marked routes * Map and cue sheets * Emergency Sag services * Food and drink rest stops * A heifer-ty pasta dinner served from 11 AM to 5:30 PM * Free Pass to Donley's WildWestTown! (with cow wrist band) * Free Starbucks Coffee at Registration!	FEES: On Line $22.00 by June 1st By Mail $27.00 by June 1st Day of Event $30.00 Kids 6-12:$10.00 Kids under 6:$ Free! Pre-registration closes 12:00am June 1, 2012

I will post a cancellation on the listserve an hour before the rides (two hours for the Udder Century) in case the weather is bad.

Memorial Day Weekend Ride Recap

Saturday - We basically got rained out on Saturday. Given the threatening weather and early start time, I was the only rider to show up at 5:55 am at Panera Bread. I rode up to Highland Park to join George Ammerman's ride. I stayed dry on the ride up to Highland Park, but as I got farther north, the sky got ever darker with lots of lighting just a few miles in front of me. The skies opened up and started pouring just as I pulled up to Once Upon A Bagel. George, his friend Mike, and I drank coffee for 45 minutes waiting for the skies to clear. They didn't. The skies were darker to the north, so at 7:15 am, we decided to throw in the towel on the idea of riding to Kenosha and rode back to Evanston,
.
The planned 8:00 am ride was moved back to 10:00 am due to the weather. A group of us met at Panera Bread for this ride. However, just as we were about to start, more bad weather rolled in. Thus, there was another round of coffee drinking. After a couple of cups of coffee, with the roads in Wilmette starting to puddle up, we gave up on this ride. However, we probably gave up a bit to early. George and Mike had a good ride up to Fort Sheridan, and Felix (who got a ride home in Hugo's car) and I discovered that once we got back to Skokie and Glenview that the roads in our home towns were dry.

Sunday - The 52 mile Sunday ride had the largest number of cyclists to date for a 20+ MPH group ride. We had 14 riders in the group, and picked up a couple more at our stop at Panera Bread for a total of 16 of us on the way home.

On the trek north to Libertyville, Felix was successful in keeping the group together in a reasonably tight paceline traveling at a steady 22 mph. Aside from a couple of planned sprints, we probably held together about as well as on any previous ride. And even on a 28 mph sprint Martin led down Waukegan Road, we held together surprisingly well.

The ride south was just the opposite in terms of sticking together as a group. We were holding together fairly well on Green Bay Road until a couple of riders from the Pony Shop that we had passed decided to speed up and pass our group. Well, this provocation undid the discipline of the the group. Of course these two riders had to be chased down. The ride from Glencoe to Wilmette basically turned into an all our sprint, with the group getting widely spread out. But importantly, Mike and Martin succeeded in chasing down the Pony Shop riders, and a bunch of us were also on the verge of doing so until they veered east on Scott Street.

The numerous long sprints on this ride ended up leading to the average computer speed of the ride (including stops) being 20.15 mph. Thus, despite the disciplined pace going north, it still ended up being as fast a ride as we have taken all year.

The group included:


Cons
David K.
Felix
Gary
George
Heidi
Herb
Hugo
Joe
Martin
Mike
Randy P.
Rich
Tom

Monday - We met up with a large group from the EBC at Panera for their Butter Burger Century. However, our group was either wimpier or wiser than the main EBC group. Given the 92 degree heat and the winds that were blowing out of the south at speeds that were predicted to top 20 mph, we decided to shorten up the ride. Eventually, we determined upon Viking Park in Gurnee as a destination. It ended up being about a 62 mile ride. As we headed home riding into the wind and with the day started to really heat up, I don't think there was anyone in our group that regretted our decision to "go short". We proved ourselves to not be total wimps by coming home riding against the wind at a pace that according to my bike computer was almost as fast as our pace going north with the wind.

Our group included:

Cons
Felix
Herb
Randy P

Also Heidi and Dave R, rode with us for an extended portion of the ride, but joined the main EBC group for the Butter Burger ride.

7:00 am Start Time For Sunday 5/27/12 Ride

We're going to change to start time of Sunday's ride to 7:00 am from 8:00 am in order to beat the heat. We're also going to increase the distance to 52 miles due to the limited miles today due to the rain. We'll practice both single and double pace line riding. See you at 7:00 am at Panera Bread.

Another Ride for tomorrow 5/26/2012

I will lead a VF (20+ mph) ride to Lake Bluff tomorrow. We will start at 08:00 AM from Panera Bread in Wilmette. There will be a snack/restroom stop in the middle of the ride at either Bluffington's or Panera on Rt. 176 and Waukegan Road.

If the weather is bad I will post a cancellation on the listserve by 07:00 AM tomorrow.

This is in addition to the Ride Randy is doing with George Ammerman

Felix

The Bone Ride

Three EBC members - Gary Pickens, Mike Maliska and I decided to do the annual "The Bone Ride".
 It is a ride from Milwaukee, WI to Madison, WI and back. The full ride is about 158 miles (253 km). We decided to do the more sensible "Wimp" version, which starts from Pewaukee, WI and goes to Madison and back. Total distance of 130 miles (209 km). We drove to Pewaukee, parked the cars and started getting ready. I had everything set the night before - shoes, helmet, gloves, computer, water bottles, glasses, sun screen etc. As I put the helmet on, I realized that I had taken my 12 years old son's helmet. The helmet would not fit my head no matter what I tried. I started panicking. I did not want to ride without helmet for 130 miles in a big group ride, but did not want to miss the ride either. Luckily Gary had noticed a bike store down the block that was open at 08:00 AM. They did have helmets for rent. After getting one that fit my head, we were just waiting for the main group to pass by so we can join them. At that time there were easily 30-40 riders like us. The main group showed but, but just few hundred yards from where we were, there was a road block. A freight train had derailed and it was blocking the road. The whole group of close to 200 cyclist had to turn back and start looking for alternative route. After few wrong turns we got on track and started cruising along. We split into two large groups, so we can make it easier for the cars and trucks to pass us. The weather was sunny, with fairly strong and steady side wind. The groups were not as organized and disciplined as I had expected and there was constant yo-yo effect - the group would accelerate and decelerate all the time, particularly going uphill. The terrain was mostly rolling hills. The pace was all over the place, but our average was around 21 mph until we reached the outskirts of Madison. I finished my two water bottles about 30 miles into the ride and at mile 60, with 5 miles to go I was running on fumes. I decided not to try to keep up with the group on the hills, but to go on my own pace and keep them in sight. As we entered Madison the speed dropped down because of traffic lights and turns and I was able to re-join them. We went by the Capitol Hill and down a street with whole bunch of small restaurants and fast food places. Because of the train delay, instead of arriving in Madison at noon, we were about 35 minutes late and had less than an hour for rest. We quickly found a Jimmy Johns sandwich place and started eating and drinking. I was in damage control mode, knowing that it was going to be a long and hard ride home. I ate a whole sandwich and drank as much coke as I could. A 1:30 PM the whole group gathered in front of the Yellow Jersey bike store (a block away from where we ate) and we had a group picture. We started riding back home. This time I decided to go to the first group, so when I drop back there would be a group behind. Mike joined me, Gary stayed with the group behind. The wind was getting stronger and the temperature was rising. I finished my two water bottles in the first 20 miles. On one of the longer hills I decided not to go in the red zone and dropped back. There was a small group of 7-8 riders who did the same. At the top of the hill it was clear that I was not going to be able to catch the main group. The few of us started doing a rotating double pace line, picked up few more stragglers and we were able to keep the group in front of us in view. The pace line was not very smooth, we constantly kept picking the pace up, got to 26-27 miles per hour and everybody burned out. The pace went down. The second big group with Gary in it, passed us. I was  very dehydrated at that time and did not even think of jumping in the back of the group. It was all about finishing the ride at that point. About 90-95 miles into the ride I knew that without water I was not going to make it. I saw one of the SAG vans in a park on the side of the road and stopped. Mike saw me stopping and turned back. The SAG people gave us each a bottle of HEED (electrolyte drink). I think I drank the whole thing in less than 3 seconds. I felt much better. We started again and over the next 10 miles we picked few more stragglers. With about 20 miles to go, I was getting even more dehydrated. Another SAG van stopped by us as we were waiting at a highway crossing and gave each one of us one more bottle of HEED. That did the trick. We formed a group of 3-4 riders and took pulls into the wind. We made it back to Pewaukee after 130 miles and 6:40 in the saddle. Up to that point I had no worries about Gary, as he was ahead of us. To my great surprise he was not there. As I was returning the helmet, Gary called with bad news. He had dropped back from the group and had made a wrong turn with about 10 miles to go. Fortunately, he quickly realized the mistake and was a able to get directions. At the end he ended up with very little "bonus miles"
We all went to a nearby Ice Cream place and drunk as much Coke as we could.
That was the longest and the hardest ride I have done. On arrival home I ate almost half of a big water melon and went to bed early. After stepping on the scale before going to bed I realized that I had lost 15 lbs despite of drinking close to 2 gallons of fluids after the ride. I was not making any urine until the late afternoon on the day after. This was the worst case of dehydration I have ever had.
Overall it was a good experience. I cannot even imagine doing the additional 30 miles.
I am looking forward to the next club meeting with the Nutritionist. For a long ride like this, nutrition and hydration on the bike is of paramount importance.
Here is a link to the Garmin file:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/181701510#.T77TnJGbqsI.email

Felix

Ride Schedule for Memorial Day Weekend

Saturday - We'll join George Ammerman's ride to Kenosha. Two options:
1) meet at Panara Bread in Wilmete and ride up to Once Upon A Bagel in Highland Park; or
2) drive to Highland Park and start your ride from there.

For those joining me in riding to Highland Park, we will depart at 5:55 am sharp (so plan to arrive prior to 5:55). While most of the ride to Kenosha and back will be at a pace of under 20 mph, the portion of the ride from Panera Bread to Highland Park will be at a 22-23 mph pace. Detail about the ride are provided at the bottom of the post:

Sunday - We will follow the standard Panera Bread in Wilmette to Lake Bluff route via the Skokie Valley Bikeway. Ride will depart at 8:00 am. - 45 mile ride, Revised as of 5/26. Ride will depart at 7:00 am - 52 mile ride.

Monday - We will start out on the Butter Burger route departing at 7:00 am, although we might shorten the ride up at bit if the temperature goes up to 90 degrees. As our group learned last week, even 70 miles becomes a challenging ride at a 22 mph pace when the temperature gets up around 90 degrees.

Saturday Ride Details

Remote start at Once Upon A Bagel (OUAB) in Highland Park.  Pace is fast, but less than 20 mph.  Distance from OUAB up to the southern border of Kenosha and back to Evanston is about 75 miles. I usually arrive back in Evanston before 11:30.  Eat a big breakfast and bring energy drink, energy bar, banana, etc. to eat while riding.  Only one or two very short stops for bathrooms and water if needed. 

Meet at OUAB at 6:00 am for breakfast or at 6:30 am ready to ride.  Check radar if the weather is questionable.  I will not email any cancellation, but you can email me up to 5:00 am on the day of the ride.

George Ammerman

http://www.georgeammerman.com

Ride Recap 5/19 and Arlington 500

On Saturday we did a 52 mile loop via St. Mary's to Libertyville. It was the largest group of the year for the 20 MPH+ ride. The group included:

Big Bob
Brian
Cons
Dave
Felix
Gary
George
Heidi
Hugo
Herb (met us at Lake Cook)
Martin
Mike
Rich
Randy P.

The ride was originally proposed to not have a long mid ride break, however, when George flatted within hailing distance of Panera Bread, that quickly changed, despite the fact that George was able to quickly re-inflate his tire.

A highlight of the ride was Heidi's speedy pace. She mentioned that it was her fastest ride to-date.

The low light of the ride was Hugo cracking a rim on his wheel after hitting a pot hole. Herb deserves a good Samaritan award as he volunteered to head to his house and then came back and picked Hugo up in his truck.

On Sunday, we rode in the Arlington 500 event on their 69 mile course. The 69 mile (500 furlong) route did not seem particularly ambitious when we signed up for the event. However, the combination of a hot day, lots of rolling hills, and a strong breeze made it a very long 69 miles. We were a worn out group by the end of the ride. The riders from the EBC included:

Big Bob
Cons
Dave
Felix
Mike
Gary
George
Herb
Randy P.

The Arlington 500 is laid out very efficiently from a need for volunteers standpoint. There is one only rest area that comes 17 miles into the course. From the rest stop, the route includes three separate loops that all return to the rest area. It was well stocked and the volunteers were friendly, making this a successful ride.

Here is the Felix's Garmin data from the Arlington 500.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/180334432#.T7lUaJCvZk4.email

Rides for Thursday 5/17, Saturday 5/19 and Sunday 5/20/2012

On Thursday 5/17/2012 we are going to join the Higher Gear Bicycle Store in Wilmette ride. It starts at 17:30 SHARP from their store in Plaza del Lago. The ride goes to Fort Sheridan and back with no stops. The pace is fast - the average speed with all stop signs and traffic lights is over 20 mph. There are sprints at well over 30 mph. There is plenty of free parking in front of the store if you come driving.

On Saturday 5/19/2012 we will do the usual ride on St. Mary Road with a loop around the cemetery. The ride starts from Panera Bread in Wilmette at 08:00 AM. The total distance will be around 50-55 miles. There will be no food stop during the ride, so bring snacks to eat on the bike. We will make a quick bathroom break somewhere during the ride. We will stop for food at the end of the ride at Panera Bread in Wilmette.

On Sunday 5/20/2012 we will do the Arlington 500 ride. We are going to do the 69 mile route. Here are details from their web site:

http://www.cyclearlington.com/events/a500_12/ah500_2012.pdf

Date: Sunday, May 20, 2012

Starting Location

Barrington High School

West Parking Lot

616 W. Main Street

Barrington, Illinois

Registration Time

Starts at 6:30 a.m. for all riders/all routes

Closes at 9:00 a.m. for 54 and 69 mile riders

Closes at 10:00 a.m. for 28 and 42 mile riders

Registration Fee

$10.00 for pre-registration mailed before

May 14, 2012. Use the form at the right.

No pre-registration after May 13th

$15.00 on day of the ride.

Terrain Mostly level with some moderate hills.

Let me know if you are planning to ride it with us so I can keep you updated about what time we plan to start and where to meet.

Felix

Ride Recap - 5/12 -13/12

On Saturday, we rode took a 55 mile ride to Naval Station Great Lakes. The ride included a detour at Fort Sheridan for a bit of hill climbing.

The group included:

Cons
Doug
Gary
Mitch
Randy

This was Mitch Dudek's first ride with the Evanston Bike Club. When we got down to the lake at the bottom of the hill at Fort Sheridan, he quickly dismissed our attempt to convince him that the first ride initiation included jumping into Lake Michigan. Aside from the fact that Mitch was not as naive as we had hoped he would be, having him on the ride was a nice addition to the group.

We took a rest break at Panera Bread in Lake Bluff and came home via the Skokie Valley Bikeway. Unlike most of the other groups riding on Saturday, we managed to avoid the rain. Some of the credit for making it home before getting rained upon was due to Cons 26 mph pull coming home down the Bunny Trail.

Sunday's ride was a 40 mile Panera to Panera ride. There was a 9-10 mph wind blowing from the NE, so the trip home was a lot easier than it was holding onto a 22 mph pace on the trip north. The group included:

Cliff
Dave
Felix
George
John C
Martin
Randy

Coming home via Green Bay Road, Martin had gotten quite a bit ahead of the group. Felix decided the we should be able to catch him if we were smart about taking short pulls. However, the stop lights on Green Bay seemingly decided to foil our attempt. Every time we got up a head of steam, we would hit another red light. At one point, we were within 300 yards of catching Martin and gaining behind a 30 mph pull by Felix, and of course Martin  made a light and we did not. Dave led one last valiant attempt to catch Martin, but once again we were held up by a light. However, we stayed close enough that due to a detour Martin made to put his bike in his car, it allowed us to make it in the door of Panera slightly before Martin did. (When you are racing against Martin, you have to take your victories where you can get them, however feeble.)