I shared a few beers with my cycling mentor today. As disparate as our riding is – it is always something to chat about riding and see that we are really after the same things overall.

I’ve been noticing that the best roads often have the word “creek” in them and can be easily ID’d on the googlemaps by the way they snake along pencil-thin waterways…

Of course the waterways are running pretty light right now…

The sleepy town of Westport, KY really has so much to offer in the way of lightly traveled roads that beg to be ridden. I climbed up and out the nasty little beast that is Rebel Ridge Dr. today…a first, but not the last.

I’m about to switch to a 12-23 from a 12-25…I wonder if it will be a mistake as the 25 maybe my special weapon? Hopefully I will just strengthen up to the challenge. I am nearing 4,000 on the CAAD9 and to say the chain is stretched might be an understatement. Lots of poor, unrequested shifting, not to mention awful chain slap on labored climbs.

I picked up a few goodies at the unfortunate demise of the Mountain Bike Depot. Although the majority of my meager business goes to OYLC it is sad to see the Depot not make it. The sadness on Joe’s face and manner was palpable. It was a bit of a drag. I did finally acquire the Smartwool arm warmers I have been looking for….and at a nice price.

That US 42 sure was head-wind strong from Westport to Goshen today…

Heading up north for work tomorrow via minivan bearing a bike, kit, and wool. Going to be looking to string together a little ride.

It invariably makes me think of the Cycling Classics such as last weekend’s Gent-Wevelgem, this weekend’s Tour of Flanders and of course Paris Roubaix in two weeks. These thoughts were especially on my mind as I set out from home on Sunday morning. I sat and then paced helplessly on Saturday as we experienced the finest weather of the year. My day for riding was to be Sunday with a forecast of cold, rain, wind, and the actual killer – thunderstorms. Would it be my luck to wait for Sunday only to not be able to ride?

I woke up and tended to all I needed to get done prior to departure – feeding children, dressing them, picking older brother up from a sleepover, etc. All through the morning checking various forecasts. TV indicated rain and such but probably no thunderstorms…that was enough for me. I kitted up, embro’d up, pumped tires and hit the road. Two omissions – no lights of any type, and what would prove to be the worst – no chamois cream.

I met my friend Michael at what seems to be the primary ride departure zone of the Heine Brothers at Eastern and Bardstown. We had 86 miles planned heading way out into Oldham County and back. It was actually the first time I’ve ridden all the way across River Road into Oldham as I normally start from my folks house in the middle of it. This is the route I planned for. I had some concerns about crossing the old one lane bridge that is closed to AUTO traffic but I thought we could still get through.

Highlands to Goshen – went well. Soft sprinkle across River Road, decided to climb out on Wolf Pen Branch and didn’t even look at the aforementioned bridge crossing although we went right by it. Fast drop into crowded Prospect and the rain really picked up. After stopping on Rose Island Road we thought it a good idea to actually put on the rain gear we brought. I wore my favorite wool jersey and covered it with a promo Continental rain jacket I got as a “gimmie” from a local shop. Pretty ugly but pretty effective. It was not to come off until I got home.

Climb 1 – The Backside of Goshen Lane – after strolling out river flatlands we turned the corner up this strong climb. It was nice to try it with warmed-up legs as opposed to the stone cold condition I usually am in.

US 42 to Westport – We turned onto US 42 for the second time and headed out once again following stretches of the Louisville Ironman course. This is 11 straight but rolling miles. It was here I realized I was riding with a very complimentary rider. Many times in the stretch I end up ahead of my companion(s). Every time I looked back he was right on my wheel. It was to be this way the whole day. It is hard to overstate how much this can improve the riding. I enjoy riding with all types but I think I would take this anytime.

Climb 2 – Out of Westport – Coming out of Westport on 524 is a pretty saucy climb. I had some issues with drivetrain and kept slipping but I stayed in the big ring the rest of the day and it did fine there some maybe its the small chainring. This put us on 42 once again and out to the only planned rest stop at the only gas station in 20 miles that is open on Sunday. We refueled, filled bottles, and stood around with our wet legs burning with the awakened liniment. We were 54 miles in and averaging a healthy 18 mph.

Old Sligo Road and others into Buckner – The weather looked pretty crappy at this point but it turned out to be mostly show. I knew from experience that Old Sligo was a brutal road. With 50 miles already in it was even worse. Highway 53 out of LaGrange was as menacing as always (for my money much worse than US 42) Then the first navigational error crept in – the maps indicated you can get over to 393 via Finley Mill road. I never saw the road and we ended up in Buckner. No big deal but the 15 miles to rejoin 393 were a beating and we made a brief stop to catch up from that.

Cedar Point & Old Zaring Although I grew up in this area I had never heard it referred to as “Little Appalachia” until I started riding bikes. It may not be mountainous but in the continuation of the days theme it rolled up and down for sure. We had our only run in with a dog on Old Zaring. It was running along a fence line and we thought it was cool but then out it came! Startled the two of us but laid off quickly.

Climb 3 – Covered Bridge Road – This road actually has a climb in the beginning and a big one at the end. It is maybe the finest road in the area for riding from a pure visual standpoint. It is simply beautiful, even in overcast, rainy muck. Every time I have come through on a bike I have turned off at Locke Lane. Today had us going all the way to US 42 (again) to begin the return home. It is quite a climb at that stage in the day and we took a bit of a rest at the Five Star in Prospect. In an odd bit of coincidence we ran into my father at the store…kinda funny.

Coming out of Prospect – we headed back out River Road toward home only to find the maybe passable bridge to be decidedly not passable. It was covered with fencing and there happened to be a dude there as well. At this point we were feeling pretty sure of earning a century for the day as we back tracked into Prospect to exit via 42. The ugly slog up the hill out of Prospect to Wolf Pen Branch was the most harrowing piece of riding for the day. Shit conditions, a strong hill and at least one way-too-close-for-comfort pass. I was glad to turn off for sure.

Last Climb – Lime Kiln Road – Instead of taking River Road all the way in I had elected to come up through the ritzy part of town into St Matthews. While this really is “no hill for a climber” the miles and climbing had taken its toll. We headed up and out 42 to bridge onto Rudy Lane and start making the way to the park.

The park and home… – at this point our internal mileage calculators were working and determined we might end up slightly short of a century and greedily to a lap in Cherokee Park to ensure the monument was reached. We split after this and I had to confront one last hill going up Trevillian towards the zoo. As I got off the bike I felt hobbled. I’m sure I was walking funny and not to mention soaking wet.

Being the kind husband I am I patiently waited before showering so my wife could get the nap I promised after her workday. I sat playing with the kids, legs burning, body aching and reveled in my accomplishment for the day:

This is the kind of hardman shit we live for right? The conditions certainly were “Belgie” for the day. That crust of dirt, sand, cinders, and God knows what left stuck to my legs…103 miles in the shit, 6,200 feet of climbing, 6 hours on the bike when most people avoided the outside for the day. Many thanks to Michael who made for a great day in the saddle and perhaps my favorite ride to date.

The long weekend was looking like a no-go for riding for me…then my loving Mother called and asked if I wanted her to watch the children so I could ride…uh yeah.

I thought little of the sprinkling rain as I drove out. I don’t mind a little rain and when in my situation you take what you can get. On a side note – I didn’t even have my own bike. I popped my third or forth spoke in about three weeks on my Thursday afternoon commute home and took the wheel in to OYLC for complete a re-lacing. This left me “stranded” without a bike since my car was at work. Fortunately my friend and cycling benefactor Tim loaned me the RB-1 I previously rode and fell in love with bike riding on. Hilarity ensued when I recalled it doesn’t exactly fit me right. Oh well…it got it done – and with style I may add.

So it came time to set out around 11. There was a steady sprinkle still going. By the time I meander through the neighborhoods to US 42 it was a full rain. I rode 7-8 miles in that and the rain let off for a bit. As I dropped into Westport it came back. It was the first cycle of what I termed “rolling rain”. Just like rolling hills it would come on and then back off. It would be about 15 minutes on and 5-10 off. A few times I felt what may have been a slight bit of hail. I can only imagine some of the conversations in the cars that passed me in full downpour. I wasn’t dressed poorly per se but far from in a rain suit. I stayed wet the entire ride and the worst part really is the shoes. I hate to feel water sloshing back and forth in my shoes. I don’t really have an technical rain gear anyway.

The route itself was a ‘beaut. I planned it out a few weeks ago and it encompassed several roads I have used heavily in my rides out of the folks house. In my head I had it as a circumnavigation of Oldham County. The idea was to get as close to the edge of the county without going over. Here is the route:

The middle section was the only portion I wasn’t familiar with. Poor planning with my cue sheet left it quite soaked and I had to struggle with it and treat it like the “precious” to get through to Crestwood where I could navigate back home. I stopped in LaGrange at the halfway point and slogged into the local Subway for food, water, and sports drink. They probably though it was odd I chose to eat out side on a curb instead of stinking it up on the inside. I finally outpaced the rain in LaGrange and I did not see any more of it. Coming out on Hwy. 53 some redneck lady yelled at me for no apparent reason – they sure didn’t slow down or anything. Hwy 53 was the worst stretch I encountered but it was only a few miles before I turned off back to farm roads and low traffic.

I had to take two navigational hunches based on the disintegrating integrity of my cue sheet. Both turned out to be correct and once I had to resort to stopping to review a flyer on a “for sale” reality sign to confirm what road I was on. Why do the never want to give those names on street signs? I came into Crestwood and noticed I was making good time – I was up over 18mph with only 12 miles to go. Hwy 329 make you climb a few times but once you pass the quarry the run to the old Boy Scout camp is made for hauling. My legs still felt good as I began to climb back out via Lock Lane and Mayo Lane to the river. The end of Mayo lane has as stout of a climb as you could ask for especially at the tail end of an effort. I chased that with the ascent of 1793 to land back at my folks house – tired but happy.

In many ways I felt triumphant and proud of my effort. The first 30 miles in the rain would have turned many people back. I willed my way through it hoping that end would justify the means. I can tell you that it did…for sure.

I had a work “wellness” program to attend in the morning so I dropped the kiddos of at my folks the night before. I knocked out a little office work and then headed home. Left in the rare situation of having no one home and nothing pressing I ignored the chores I could have done and set out early to pad my mileage for the day. Knowing where I was trying to end up I headed off to Cherokee park to make a loop and then head toward the Bluegrass Trail. The day was overcast and a little windy. I was hoping the weather would hold but alas, it did not. I passed two older fellows on MtB’s who were spinning the third ring up Cochran Hill on bikes that were just caked with mud. They probably rolled their eyes at me passing them standing and cranking the big ring as I passed and nodded hello. As I came into Germantown headed towards U of L the wind had cranked it up and the first few drops fell. I stopped into Sunergos for a coffee and a copy of Dirtrag Magazine courtesy of On Your Left with 12 miles for the day.

After a few minutes the usual suspects arrived and we were joined by a new guy – Rick. By now it was pretty clear that it was gonna be a wet one. We gave it a few minutes, decided the rain had scared the people away and set off. The first leg of the journey marked something new for me – transit across the 2nd Street bridge on the roadway. I generally wimp out and use the sidewalk for safety reasons. Since it was Saturday and we were in a group with an experienced crosser I gave it a go. Here is a picture right before we crossed:

We traced our way through Southern Indiana into New Albany on the roads I know so well. We stopped so I could adjust my soaked cue sheet and took two quick pictures:

Our arrival at Rich-O’s was a welcome stop and we were pretty well soaked through. The service was as expected very nice but on the slow side. I had IPA 1 of 3, Tex had a sampler, Dave and Rick had a stout – all made by the NABC. A kind, dapper chap took a picture of us before we left:

As we left to return to Louisville the rain kept it coming. We were completely wet and I was especially cold in the hands and feet. They were to remain cold for the rest of the ride. Outside of that wonderful wool undergarments kept me warm. Our arrival at the BBC coincided with the last 6 minutes of the U of L game which they won handily and made me happy to see. We choose this stop to eat and we were ready. Some food and drink had us ready to get back on the road. I had an IPA and a bowl of chili which I think may be the perfect meal for bicycle riding in freezing rain, snow, and driving winds. I had stopped taking pictures at this point as everything was completely wet and I sequestered my camera in a dry bag inside one of Tim’s panniers.

A short trip up Broadway and through Cherokee Park put us into the Highlands and our last beer stop – Cumberland Brews. The pub was pretty crowded but we secured a table right in the front corner of the room which let us avoid locking down the bikes. Dave shared some habanaro salsa and we had another round of beers. We had decided to abandon the return to Sunergos as no one really needed to go back and our houses/drop off points were on the way. We had been out for a pretty good amount of time and were pretty much ready to hang it up.

One of the most interesting things to me was seeing once again that people gather at local pubs for leisurely times and hanging out. My current family situation does not lend easily to do so. I miss it for sure, although these days if given the time and opportunity I would probably ride my bike instead!

Although I missed the first RCCS ride I would think of this one as a success. We rode as planned regardless of the weather. We stayed together for the ride and had numerous stops and libations to boot. I really enjoyed riding with these gentlemen and look forward to doing so again.

I rode a grueling lunch ride on Monday – using a route I rode before that goes out Old Vincennes to Old Hill Road. It is a large opening climb followed by heavy rolling hills and ends with a return on the hated Green Valley Road. It was only around 14 miles but quite taxing. It turns out I was coming down with a cold. By Monday night I had developed a fever. I limped in for half a day on Tuesday but headed home and missed Wednesday. By Thursday I was better and looking forward to the ride on Friday night. Thursday morning we had an opening temp of 0 but it was supposed to rise to 17 for Friday night.

I drove over to Tim’s house to get started around 7:30. I had three shirts and a jacket on, 2 pairs of pants and three pairs of socks. Plenty of wool to go around. Shortly after we took off I realized my glove strategy was a failure. Tim had an extra set that fixed it though. We took a nice roll straight down Bardstown Road but looped over to Cherokee for the last bit before getting to the shop. We hung out for awhile and had a beer and some coffee. We were getting antsy by 9 when we finally left to ride out. The plan was a short ride over towards River Road and back. About 15 of us headed out although it broke up quickly and Tim and I stayed toward the front pack of 5 riders total. This was my first attempt at any type of “pack” riding and it was a little nerve wracking. Especially since it was quite dark and the bundling up made peripheral sight harder. I got over it quickly and we rode to Hillcrest. As we politely made our way down towards River Road with head and tail lights blazing a driver yelled at us to get on the sidewalk. An eloquent rider in our party opined “Fuck You”. On we went…

By this time the cold had set into my feet but otherwise I was really quite comfortable. We were down to four riders – Tim on a SS, Aaron on a Fixie, and myself and another on geared road bikes. We all had headlights but I had a powerful NiteRider light on loan from Tim. We rode through Mockingbird and it was one of the greatest bike experiences I have had. We moved in almost a surreal path – I stayed generally in the back and bathed the pack with light. The road is beautifully paved and it was almost completely silent. It was nearly like riding in some deserted land. The whole night was great but this was worth it all.

From there it was just a ride back to the shop for a little beer and to watch crazy fixie videos. we hung out for a bit and then took a nice ride home.

Tim recapped his story here. The ride organizer recapped here.

I think overall both Tim and I were surprised at how fast the ride broke apart. We were probably fooling ourselves that it would be some sort of proletariat ride making sure everyone stayed together. After all the core group are pretty aggressive types, not to mention how cold it was. I was a little nervous about what to expect but everyone was welcoming and they were a good group of riders. I wore my best pants for the occasion but they happen to be reasonably tight and I was the only one kicking that style. I’m sure we will head down for the next one. I think it is maybe the most interesting bike movement afoot in the ‘ville for now.

A fine bucolic scene just past the horses.

Mr. SurlyTex himself. Just prior to the sky opening up on us.

I started off the year with a bang today. In my scheming mind I thought it would be good to head out to my folks to drop off the little ones and head out from there. First problem – no way to transit a bike with the minivan loaded up. Problem solved – I invited ol’ SurlyTex out for the ride. He has a pickup truck to get the bikes to my parents house. Problem two – weather people had been saying rain. It looked sort of ominous but a little before we left the sun actually came out. We packed up the boys and headed out the county (Oldham that is).

I planned a route to run about 32 miles to give us the opportunity to not have to push the pace and still have time to get back to the house prior to it getting dark. The ride was mostly old roads I used to drive to go to school in Crestwood. We had a sizable chunk of US 42 to deal with. I was at least a little nervous about this portion but it turned out to be unfounded. The road was not crowded although people do go kinda fast. I also planned a brief diversion into the old Boy Scout Camp – Camp Covered Bridge of which I attended including its final year. It was converted to a nice subdivision type development after the closing. If you know what you are looking at there is a house made from the old mess hall.

We got on the road around 3:15 and started right into a steep drop down 1793 to Cardinal Harbor. I reminded Tim that our final return would be back up this very hill. Goshen Lane originates at the end of Rose Island Road and starts straight upwards. It was a good “warm up” climb that brought us to US 42. I had dressed probably too warm and was wearing a water resistant jacket over a wool base layer and t-shirt. I had worked up quite a sweat after only 3-4 miles. However, I knew if it rained I was going to need it. We had about 5 miles to go out 42 to get to our turn-off. My fears of this leg were relatively unfounded. What I should have feared was the head wind. We traded off some drafting time and made the turn to KY 393. By this time we had settled on what this ride was really all about – rolling hills. It was up and down all day long. Plenty of the hills were plenty serious too.

We branched onto Cedar Point to head to New Cut Road – KY 1817. It was about here that I said to myself – “at least we are beating out the rain”. I thought not to say it out loud for jinx purposes but a few minutes later on came the rain. As we rode across 1817 we found a nasty looking pit bull dog that gave chase directly along the side of the road for what seemed like 5 neighbors yards but then yielded. We missed a turn but ended up right at KY 329 where we wanted to be. We had what would have been a perfect ride out a beautiful stretch of road if not for the fact that we were getting drenched. I could feel the water rolling back in forth inside my shoes but was warm otherwise. We rolled through the nicely paved Locke Lane and even saw a lady runner out for a jog in the rain. We crossed 42 onto Mayo lane and past a stately mansion. These two roads kept up the rolling road tradition including a fierce climb toward the end of Mayo Lane followed by a screaming wet brake drop to Rose Island. From there it was just the climb back up 1793 to my parents house. I stood and rode halfway and took a break at Blueberry Hill Road. Tim sat and kept chugging so he did not have to expose his Brooks saddle to the downpour.

After the return Tim headed straight out to meet up with his family and I dried a little and walked inside to find two hunks of cheese and crackers. A Xingu beer rounded it off nicely. The weather turned out bad but this ride was worth every minute. A great start to the year.

Getting out for a rare non-lunchtime ride was the plan for last weekend. On Sunday I squared up my babysitting, got the kids to bed for nap, crammed in a bunch of chores and hit the road.

I met up with Tim at his house, pumped up the tires and got after it. Tim chronicled the ride here. The week leading up to Sunday had been pretty chilly, I was pleasantly surprised to find the temperature at 50. Tim and I joked about him going to church/Thanksgiving lunch and being a good family man. I said surely his getting right with the Lord had done the trick.

We went out Eastern Parkway toward U of L then hooked over to Algonquin Parkway towards the West End. and Shawnee Park. I don’t think I have ever been to Shawnee park despite living in Louisville my entire life. We hooked onto Southwestern Parkway which featured a bike lane that was nearly unusable due to being strewn with tire killing rocks. We came into the park and headed onto the Riverwalk. I was aware of its existence but never actually been on it. The path stretches roughly 6 miles around the city. Through a good portion you can actually see the New Albany roads I normally spend time on. We came through town and headed out River Road. There was a great uncrowded stretch through lower River Road where we pushed up around 20 mph and were really getting it. Our path led us into St Matthews and back to the Highlands. Tim felt compelled to bag on me for having poorly adjusted quick release levers. When we got back to his house he gave me a lesson in their operation and fixed mine to the appropriate position. He even suppressed his frowns when noticing that I had cranked them so tight that the metal was grinding off…sorry. Of course I had given it to him about his decided lack of a brass bell for his otherwise very “bobbish” bike.

As I headed back to my house I somehow forgot that I would have to climb one last hill up Trevillian to get back home. My legs felt great until I got hear and then I finally had to shift down to the small ring in the front. After that it was smooth sailing and I was ready to hang it up. This was my longest ride so far and it sure felt great. We made hopeful plans for century rides and S24O camping trips come spring and summer.

It was a great day and like Tim likes to say – we kept a smile on our faces all day.

As chronicled here I set on a stunning Sunday afternoon for a “not lunch” ride. After a visit from a high school friend of my wife’s with a new baby I cleaned up quick and then headed out to meet up with TS for a ride. I left my bag of stinking workout clothes at work so I had nothing even resembling biking gear. Oh well, I met up with Tim and he had decked out cycling gear(as expected) although not exactly matching jersey and shorts heavily emblazoned with adverts.

We left out heading to St Matthews and I was soon unaware of where exactly we were. I had far flung plans of entering the ride into Map My Ride that I quickly abandoned. We pushed further east and ended up in Indian Hills. It was there that I realized just how awesome the day and the ride was. TS’s extensive riding history led to great roads to ride with really minimal traffic. We shot across River Road and headed up to Cherokee/Seneca. The weather brought out plenty of nices things to look at as we tooled through the park. There was also no shortage of streaking race riders on fancy bikes. Speaking of bikes – we had a few laughs at my.. uh.. let’s see…”vintage” bike. The good news is the bike works. The bad news is that is not really suited to the purpose I use it for. Ultimately it doesn’t really matter I guess, but I do go to bed with visions of road bikes dancing in my head.

We caught a little Tyler Park, Germantown, and Audobon as we made it back to my “upper Highlands” neighborhood. We made the split at the Tennis Center and were good for about 32 miles. That was my first ride with a partner and I really enjoyed the company. I hope to do it again soon.

32 miles is the most I’ve put down and I could feel it today. I choose a pretty flat route down to the Falls of the Ohio and resigned myself to just kinda take easy. The funny thing is I knocked it down in 59 minutes which is my best time for that particular route. Its funny that way but the ride felt good and God knows the weather was perfect. I am hoping for no rain or little rain for tomorrow. I am certainely in position to get my 200 miles in for the month and I am barrelling down on my first 500 miles.

TS brought up my ol’ favorite Lucero – so here is a little of that to close.

So long….
[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/28/2070901/14%20Kiss%20The%20Bottle%20%28Jawbreaker%20Cover.mp3]