My toes.....

....were the last thing froze on sunday. This years addition of 'Winter Worlds' turned out to be a sunny and balmy 40+ degrees. With the last couple of weeks of arctic weather this was a heat wave.
For me the race is usually a way to clear out the cobwebs that are next to impossible to get rid of just training. It is clear that isn't the case for everyone. But, considering the number of tan-lines I saw the race was a little lack luster after the first 3 miles. True to form the attacks went at mile zero, before most could get out of the parking lot. I don't mean to degrade the race in down playing its toughness, but this year my handlebars were not keeping my head from getting caught in my wheel to hide from the wind. The wind may well have been a huge factor. The break once established was able to take its time and hold it despite the efforts to bring it back. Not sure who they were working for, but they gave it a go for at least half of a lap.
What did I see? Steve Tilford can attack alot, Kurt Fletcher is clearly the best on the climbs (and may well have made the most powerful moves), Jeff Schroetlin can pull for a long time, Bill Stolte can motor, Several people (maybe this includes me) were fairly jittery in the first race of the year, Buddy is a bit overzealous with inforcing the yellow line rule (came close to stepping into the group several times) and there are again questions about the finish. Why in a race like this is it not possible to close down both lanes for a few minutes to spare the lives of a few bicycle riders. This is not a question for the promoter. I guess law inforcement does not understand the dynamic of bicycle racing. Thats easy to believe when you look at our official that doesn't understand the pack dynamic of swelling. Be careful Buddy somebuddy is going to pile into you one day.

The Four O

Here is a little something Chris Martel put together. It has been suggested he may wear too many layers when riding. Maybe we really don't know what he looks like at all.

Uh Oh! Its Chris's birthday. You guessed it #40!!!

Snow Bunnies

It got a little ugly this past sunday. I love riding in the snow. It is an ethereal experience I usually take offroad. This day was a road trip, and it was eventfull. We saw the B-Team Big Sharkers on the flats. We questioned there tactic of staying in the windy flats, but hey I am not their coach.

If it gets too warm the roads are going to melt the white stuff and leave you coated in a sheet of ice. Well after about 3 hours that became a reality. As MP2 pointed out, at least the wind couldn't get through the sheet of ice.

Malibu

Not the town the car.

When I was a sophmore in highschool I began racing bicycles with the Gateway East Freewheelers. My then and now teammate Kurt Fletcher said I was so annoying it was funny. Cocky and full of myself. Has anything changed? Do I remind you of anybody on our team? I guess kids don't change our perspective changes as we get older.

To the point. At the end of my first year of racing I was heading home in the rain when a Chevy Malibu pulled out in front of me. I hit the car at what I recall was a high speed. But, I can't really remember yesturday so we will leave an actual speed out of the topic. It had just been sprinkling for a few hours so the roads were like ice. Before impact I can remember feeling like I was flying as I got a thin layer of water, oil and grit under my Continentals (I was a big fan of the German tires back then). That free feeling of hydroplaning quickly soured when I collapsed the front quarter panel of the mid 70s model Chevy. Once airborne I was free again, and no longer confined or restricted to my not so comfortable Cannondale. It seemed like I had the hang time of a football on opening kickoff of the Superbowl. I am sure it was no more than a second until I was introduced to the worst thing I have ever felt. I broke one knee and tore up the other leaving me screaming the worst of obscenities in a phetus-like mess on the wet pavement. Luckily Johnny Law was not too far off, and prevented the Malibu from escaping the scene as they began to dart off. Not sure Johnny had done anything for me before that or since. Both knees swelled to the size of gratefruit as they strapped my neck down to the back board. Good thing they were worried about my neck. Do not ever break your knee or knees you will not like it

When it is cold and my knees hurt all I can think of is that Chevy Malibu. Its cold and my knees hurt.

Euwwee it was not sunny in the river bottoms today. When you loose the acclimation to the cold it is a tough fight back. For the first fifteen or twenty minutes today everyone had the lets turn back face on. With the wind chill in the bottoms colder than everywhere else we were probably hovering around 10-15 degrees. Certainly not your ideal road bicycle weather.

Let me get to the point of todays message. When some part of your body is in trouble with the temperature. COMMUNICATE it to your fellow riders. Little LP suffers from little brother syndrome. He has to prove himself by hiding any weakness. Including not telling people his hands are about to fall off, or at least until they start to shake involuntarily so bad he can barely hold the handlebars.

Communicate. Only passive agressive old skool morons with an insistant need to put you down because of their own low self image steming from early childhood will think you are a wuss.

Frost bite looks like this:

Belleville Bicycle Trail?

In the heartland of diversity that is Belleville I have finally run across something that sticks out like a sore thumb. Two, count them again, two bicycle trails. So eloquently know as the

Richland Creek Greenway or the East Belleville Bikeway

and the

MetroBikeLink

Both trails are graded fairly flat, but on occasion the rider gets a turn or two. I imagine the most use that Belleville residents will get out of the trails will be as a dog walk, and for reference when they encounter a cyclist on the road. My favorite debate is the old one about how they just had to pay for a liscense and gas tax. Certainly, no cyclist pays those,and therefor should not allowed to exist but on the trail they just spent the rest of their tax dollars building.


On the MetroBikeLink map you can see that the trail through to the Eades Bridge is not yet complete. Imagine what names the trail might be called as it enters Washington Park and East St. Louis. The Gauntlet, The Shooting Gallery, St. Louis or Bust Trail, and my favorite the East Side Trail Sponsored by the Deciples. Ahh, the youngsters of East St. Louis will have a ball (or throw a ball) as you ride by through their wounderful neighborhoods. At night, the trail will be lined with the bright and colorful light emmiting from burning tires. Flashes of brilliant refracting light will glance off the millions of recycled bottles left on the trail for riders by. Oh what fun. I will be there.