Hilly Ride Anyone?

I’m organizing a hilly 50-60 mile ride this Sunday the 28th.  We’ll be starting from my house in Charlestown.  If you need directions, or a ride, call 812-989-7589 by Saturday night.

I’ll update this post with a map and more info soon.  This ride will mostly (or entirely) be paved roads, but in rural areas of southern Indiana.  Please be prepared with pump, tubes, water, snacks.  I’ll try to work store stops in, but it’s best to be prepared.

There will be no cue sheet.  We’ll stay together as a group.  Having a time constraint would be a bad thing.

So, Sunday, March 28th @ 9:00 a.m.

Update:  Yes, the ride is still on.  We’ll ride in rain, wind, and minor thunderstorms.  If it gets ugly we might bail.

Last Sunday’s Ride

Tim and I met up with Dominic and Joe for the Sunday coffee ride.  I was riding my LHT, Tim on his new Kona Ute.  Joe was riding an awesome looking Surly Steamroller with red-wrapped mustache bars.

Tim’s write up is here.

The few decent pictures I took are below.

Coffee Ride – 2/21

The weather has not been friendly to long rides in the country, but these Sunday coffee rides are a nice break from everyday life.

Sunday 2/21/2010, We’ll be leaving from Heine Brothers at Bardstown and Douglass at 10:00 am.

The exact route hasn’t been chosen, but we are planning on hitting a couple of stops for coffee and/or snacks. We’ll probably cross the bridge into Indiana. We’ll probably do 20-30 miles.

We rarely every cancel a ride due to weather (as in we haven’t yet), so come prepared for snow, rain, freezing rain, or whatever mother nature throws at us.

RCCS rides strive to be social events, and staying together as a group helps. We won’t have cue sheets, but won’t leave anyone behind either.

If you drive, please don’t park nearby. There is limited parking at the site.

Another Coffee Ride 2.0- This Sunday!

Sunday 2/14/2010, We’ll be leaving from Heine Brothers at Bardstown and Douglass at 10:00 am.

The exact route hasn’t been chosen, but we are planning on hitting a couple of stops for coffee and/or snacks. We’ll probably cross the bridge into Indiana. We may do 34 miles, or cut it shorter if conditions get bad.

**You can follow this link to an updated possible route (this one 23m+), which gets everyone home a little quicker for Valentine’s Day.

We rarely every cancel a ride due to weather (as in we haven’t yet), so come prepared for snow, rain, freezing rain, or whatever mother nature throws at us.

RCCS rides strive to be social events, and staying together as a group helps. We won’t have cue sheets, but won’t leave anyone behind either.

If you drive, please don’t park nearby. There is limited parking at the site.

Last-Minute Coffee Ride?

How about another coffee ride tomorrow morning?

Tomorrow, Sunday 2/7/2010, We’ll be leaving from Heine Brothers at Bardstown and Douglass at 10:00 am.

The exact route hasn’t been chosen, but we are planning on hitting a couple of stops for coffee and/or snacks.

RCCS rides strive to be social events, and staying together as a group helps. We won’t have cue sheets, but won’t leave anyone behind either.

If you drive, please don’t park nearby. There is limited parking at the site.

Sunday Coffee Ride #2 – Warmer Weather?

This Sunday, January 17th, We’re hosting another Sunday Morning Coffee Ride.  We are leaving out from Heine Brothers at Bardstown and Douglass at 10:00 am.  Maybe we’ll have warmer weather this time.  The ride is probably going to be about 20-25 miles, within the city.  The exact route hasn’t been chosen, but we are planning on hitting a stop or two on Frankfort Avenue.

RCCS rides strive to be social events, and staying together as a group helps.  We won’t have cue sheets, but won’t leave anyone behind either.

If you drive, please don’t park nearby.  There is limited parking at the site.  You have a bicycle! 

Hope to see you there!

Show ‘N Go – Cold Ride, Hot Coffee 2.0

With the very short notice, it was great to see 4 total brave souls showing up for a Sunday morning Show-n-Go. We left from Heine’s at the Loop and our first cup of the trip. Our path took us through the Deer Park area and down to Jefferson St. where, aside the many red lights, we had an easy-going time. After a quick stop in Shawnee Pk., we headed back via Chesnut and took Shelby north to Sunergo’s on Preston. Dom had never been there, but he was duly impressed with the excellent joe available there. Ben and I snuck over for a Nord’s doughnut as well. We made a quick side trip to Vic’s Classic Bikes on Preston, but he wasn’t following his “Sunday 12-4″ signage, so we were only able to view the interesting steel treats from outside the window. Ben headed home from there (he had been to church earlier in the morning as well and was dressed accordingly. Good show!). Dom peeled off soon thereafter and Dave and I headed back to the Loop where we had a hearty brunch at Twig-n-Leaf before calling it a 26m day. A really nice day it was, and it seems like we’re doing it again next Sunday, prolly at 10.00, prolly at the Loop again, but in a different direction. More to come (from Dave).

LHT in Shawnee

Shawnee gathering

Sunergo's coffee stop

How about a fun 20-miler starting from Heine Brother’s Coffee tomorrow (Sunday the 10th) at 10:00 am?  We’ll be coming back by Sunergos on the return trip.

This will be an easy-paced, social event.  Dress for the weather!  I hope to see you there.

Mixed Terrain – November 1st

Come join us this Sunday, November 1st for our Mixed Terrain ride at Hoosier National Forest.

We’ll meet up at the truck stop on State Road 66 just south of Interstate 64 (exit 92).  Be there at 10:00 am EST (DST ends earlier in the morning).

Map here

The course will be hilly and includes many gravel and chip-seal roads.  The course is planned at just over 50 miles, but due to the terrain, plan to make a day of it.  Bring spare tubes and some basic tools.

Store stops may be quite limited until we get to English IN.  You may want bring enough to eat and drink.

We are hoping to stop at Big Al’s Pizzeria and Pub in English.  I’ve confirmed that they are open 1-9 on Sunday.

Remember, RCCS rides are about staying together as a group and enjoying the company as much as the ride.

“Where The Heck Are We?” – My Most Challenging Ride Yet

Three of us braved the gravel roads of rural southern Indiana.  The weather was great, the scenery was beautiful, and the hills were challenging.

First off, a gravel downhill run can be quite dangerous on road tires.  There were several times it was difficult to keep the speed under control without skidding.  Tim had the right idea with his wide knobbies.

I started the ride off with a less-than-auspicious start.  I used all four of my spare tubes within the first seven miles.  I had two rear flats and one front flat.  I also managed to break a valve stem during one of the tube changes.  Luckily, I had no other flats after that.

Tim was having a bad day for climbing and struggled up the last few hills, but climb them he did.  “L” is a relatively new rider, and took advantage of riding in the truck for the worst climb.  I was actually doing well on the climbs.  I enjoyed the sense of accomplishment once reaching the top, but I can’t say that the actual climbing wasn’t brutal.

As Tim says in his post, we shortened the ride to 50 miles to avoid more gravel, and a potential flat.  I will be looking into buying some better tires for the next ride.

This wasn’t my longest ride, but it was the most grueling.  Our average speed was pretty pathetic.  The gravel slowed us down, the hills slowed us down, and the flat tires slowed us down.  I did take one minor fall while coming to a stop due to my own inattention, but I wasn’t hurt, just embarrassed.

The scenery was quite nice.  I wasn’t taking any of the pictures.  My fiance, Kristy, and my daughter, Dawn were following in my truck, and took the pictures in this post.

Quiet wooded roads were common

My daughter Dawn standing at the boat launch at Alton

Ohio River traffic

There was a bar in Leavenworth, but it's not open on Sunday

Buzz Off!

A short steep climb on loose gravel - difficult with 700x35C tires

Scenery like this and nearly no traffic made for a very peaceful ride

Climbing up away from the river was hard work, but made scenes like this possible

I really was having a better time than the facial expression seems to imply

That's better!

Dawn being cute

Tim's got the no-hands thing down - I'm lucky to keep the bike upright using one hand

This bridge was quite dangerous, yet I like it - I don't see anything weighing 12 tons making it across though

Some of the ride had nice shady areas

Other areas were in full sunlight - some sunburn did occur

I don't think anyone uses this barn anymore

Staying visible - Tim with his triangle, "L" with her pink jersey, and me with my tail light

Downhill!

This sad-eyed dog chased us briefly, but mostly ignored the truck

Slogging uphill through the gravel

Oh yeah, don't I look happy

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can

Nearing the end

This Sunday – The “Where The Heck Are We?” Ride

This Sunday, July 12th, please join us for a rambling hilly ride starting in Carefree, Indiana.

The ride starts at the Pilot truck stop at exit 92 on I-64 at 10:00 a.m.  We know not everyone has a good way to haul a bike out there, but Tim and I both have trucks and will be picking people up at Mid-City Mall at 9:00 a.m.  You must let us know you need a ride, as we can only haul a few bikes.

This ride is roughly 60 miles, and quite hilly, and should be a good time.  There is the possibility of gravel roads, and dirt paths, so plan accordingly.

This was initially going to be called a “mixed-terrain” ride, but neither Tim or I have had the time to verify the course completely.  It is possible, but unlikely, that we will remain on pavement.

Remember, the point of an RCCS ride is to stay together and go at a reasonable pace.  I will bring maps and cue sheets, but if we stay together they’ll be less necessary.

Please be prepared.  Be able to fix a flat.  Bring plenty of water and snacks.  There may or may not be store stops along the way.

See you there!

Update:

I’ve uploaded cue sheet and maps.  I will be bringing printed copies, but if you want to print the maps in color, you’ll need your own printer.

The route is now about 68 miles, I changed it a bit to avoid some highway riding.

Update 2:

My fiancé will be driving my truck along the route carrying extra snacks.  She could also provide rides back to the start position for those that need to “bail”.

Update 3:
The ‘Carefree’ exit is exit 92 off I-64. It’s about a 45-mile drive from mid-Louisville. There is a large Pilot station at the exit and you should park somewhere around there, not bothering their business. There is also single lane traffic construction for a while too. As previously stated, come prepared with water, food, and mechanicals. This ride will be in the serious boonies for much of the duration. Should be an adventure, though!!!