Photo Update

First I want to say a happy holidays, and a merry Christmas to everyone.

It is December, it is cold and a challenge to ride outdoors these days. I have brought my bicycle indoors and have it on my trainer in front of the TV. I have some Spinerval videos as well as movies and television to keep my mind from numbing.

Now for the important stuff. Thanks to George Jarad I have added a new photo gallery for 2009. George provided bag drop and roaming support on the June 600k brevet. George was kind enough to take some photos during the event and forwarded them to me. They are now up on my galleries page, under 2009. You can click here view them now if you like.

Do you have any brevet photos you would like me to add to the St. Louis Randonnering web site? Drop me an email and I would be happy to add them, and give you full photo credit.

It's Up and Running

STLBrevets has an all new look and feel and is now up and running. For those riders already chomping at the bit for the 2011 calendar you can see that online now.

I hope the new site is easier to navigate and I do my best to keep it all up to date. A special thanks to Randy Johnson for his in depth testing of the site.

2010 Brevet Cards

All brevet cards are in the mail and on their way back to you. I look forward to seeing you all in March.

New Website Coming

That's right! An all new stlbrevets.com website is in the works. There will be no change in address. You will still go to stlbrevets.com, but the site will have a new look and feel as well as much more content.

Personally, I am very excited to have this project just about done. I am currently running the site through Internet Explorer, FireFox, Google Chrome and Safari (for Windows) and making sure everything works. I do know that you will need to enable javascript for everything to look and work its best.

Unless I run up against something unforeseen, the new site should go live around November 13.

End of October Wrap-Up

I received the last of the brevet stickers from RUSA over the weekend. Last night while watching some mind-numbing episode of something I can't remember, I sat and attached those stickers.

I will be sorting all the brevet cards for the season, and packaging them all up. My plan is to get them out the door and into your hands by the end of October.

End of the Season

Wow, time has been flying. Each year the time feels like it is speeding up and flying by. All events for 2010 have finished. The last one was... well... about a month ago.

Next year's calendar is in the works and will be submitted to RUSA before the end of the month. I am looking at a minimum of two full ACP super series, with additional events thrown in.

The ACP requires all riders preparing for Paris-Brest-Paris to have completed their qualification no later than June 26th. Any brevets held after that date will be RUSA sanctioned events, and will NOT qualify you toward PBP or ACP awards.

I have been receiving some of the ACP certificates and have been sitting in front of the TV matching brevet cards and certificates. I do not have all certificates however, so sending them back to you will happen once I have the final certificates, mostly likely the end of October.

In the mean time, just kick back, ride your bicycle for fun, fitness, and mental health, and be safe.

One Last Time

Can you believe it? The final St. Louis event of the season is upon us. If you avoided our July 17 ride due to the heat and humidity, you have one last chance to complete a local event.

St. Louis Randonneuring is hosting a 200 kilometer and a 300 kilometer event starting in Edwardsville IL on Saturday August 21st. Registration for both events opens at 5:00 AM and closes at 5:45 AM. Please make sure you have completed your registration by 5:45 AM so as not to delay the start. Both events will depart at 6:00 AM.

As a reminder, the 200K (125 miles) gives you 13 hours, 30 minutes to complete the event. The 300K (186 miles) gives you 20 hours to complete the event.

I look forward to seeing you there.

July 17 Recap of Events

On Saturday morning, July 17 St. Louis Randonneuring held two events; one a 200 kilometer (125 mile) ride, and a 300 kilometer (186 mile) ride. The 6:00 AM start had 75 degree heat already, and by mid afternoon had topped 105, with the heat index.

For the 200K event, we had eight starters and six official finishers. One rider took a short cut back to the start, and another rode past the cut off time, but finished anyway.

The 300K event had three riders start and all three managed to finish, all well within the cut off.

Congratulations to all riders those who came out in spite of the weather challenges and gave it their best effort. Preliminary results will be posted to the website in the next few days.

There is a 300K ACP brevet which starts/ends in Marion IL. Registration for this event is 5:00 AM to 5:45 AM, with a ride departure of 6:00 AM. This will be the first running of this event and we desire your feedback.

Our last ACP events of the year will be August 21 leaving from Edwardsville for a 200K and 300K option. Let us all pray for a bit less heat and humidity for these.

Saturday, June 26 Brevet Recap

What can you say about a day that begins at 4AM and the temperature is already 75 degrees. By mid morning it would already be in the 90’s and top out (depending on who you listen to) near 100 degrees with a heat index (humid-temp) around 107 to 110 degrees.

While it is a challenge to ride 50 miles on a day like this, nine riders gave a 375 mile brevet a go. Three riders chose the 252 mile event, one rider a 186 mile ride, and two riders (the smartest of the bunch) did a 125 mile ride and were done before noon.

The heat did five riders, including the RBA, John Jost in, and they decided to retire before being buried alongside the road or becoming food for birds and wolves.

This was the second 600K of the season, and unfortunately the last opportunity in the St. Louis area to earn your Super Randonneur medal. Some of us will need to wait until next year, or will need to drive to another venue and pray for cooler weather.

June 26th Limited Inn - Share Available

Hello riders!
I have been contacted by one of the faster riders who has reserved a room at the Limited Inn in Vienna for the 600K. If you are interested in sharing the room and expenses, contact me and I will provide the rider's contact information.

The weather for this coming weekend's events is ... well... just darn hot. Be smart in your riding, hydration and food choices, bring plenty of strong sunblock and take your time.

See you Saturday.

St. Louis Brevet Updates

Happy June. I hope you are riding, and more importantly, enjoying your riding. I wanted to send out this email for several purposes.

First, is an event reminder, June 26 is the last opportunity this year to complete a 400K and or a 600K. June 26 also have a 200K and 300K option. Registration for all of these rides is 3:00 AM to 3:45 AM with all riders departing Edwardsville at 4:00 AM. You can, of course, register the morning of the event. Lights and reflective gear are required for all riders.

Next, I am looking for a volunteer to help with the bag drop on the 600K ride. Bags will be dropped at the Limited Inn in Vienna (mile 212 or so) by 6PM, and will be delivered back to Edwardsville the following morning between noon and 1 PM. The volunteer can either drop bags off and head home (returning in the morning) or stay in a shared room in Vienna. If you are not planning on riding, and would be willing to volunteer, please contact me via email and we can discuss the details.

I would also like to reminder riders of several 200 and 300K opportunities later this summer. July 17 in Edwardsville is a 200K/300K option.

July 31 will have a 300K event (new this year) starting in Marion IL (southern IL). If at all possible, please come down for this Marion event and provide feedback on the route. This may be good hill training for those wanting to head to Paris, or those who think the other 300Ks are just too flat.

On August 21 in Edwardsville is a 200K and 300K option and this will be the final events on the 2010 calendar.

Please check my website for registration and ride times for all events. Thanks for your time, and keep riding strong, and safe. Again, if you would be interested in volunteering, please contact me. Your help and support for the St. Louis brevet series is greatly appreciated.

May 29/30 Vienna Hotel

I have had several riders inquiring about sharing hotel rooms in Vienna for the 600K this weekend. If you have a room in Vienna, and are willing to share with another rider or two, please give me a call or email me and I will pass along your name and contact info.

600K Cue Sheet Updated

Thanks to Dennis Smith who pre-drove the 600K route last weekend. Several updates have been made. The only changes from the previous map are as follows:

At mile 128.3 "Turn left on Fairfield Rd (stop light). The road name sign is missing. However, it is the ONLY stop light you encounter as you head south on Harmony Lane.

At mile 150.4, there is road construction on Frisco Lane a little before Ewing Rd. The road crew is replacing a few culvert pipes across a low area and the road, for about 100 feet is currently dirt. There is a sign saying the road is closed, but Dennis was able to drive across it, and you should be able to safely walk your bike, or pedal carefully.

At mile 257.6 The road name has been updated to reflect IL-127/Old Hwy 13.

Updated maps has been posted to the registration page of my website.

The weather for Memorial Day is looking good. I hope to see you there.

May 8th Brevets

Edwardsville hosted three events on Saturday May 8, 2010. We had four riders enter the 200 kilometer ride, three riders entered the 300 kilometer event, and 11 riders entered the 400 kilometer event. Of the total 18 riders who started, 15 finished within the respective time limits. Results will be posted to my website and submitted to RUSA by the end of the week.

The real story of the day was the weather. Basically, the weather was an instant-replay of 2009. We had morning temperatures around 46 degrees and warmed up to 60 degrees with mostly sunny skies. This isn’t really too bad, but the wind…. The wind… Winds were out of the north, north-west and west-north-west all day long. According to official data, winds averaged 14-17+ mph all day with maximum sustained winds between 25 and 27 mph and gusts to 32 mph.

This gave a wonderful tailwind most of the way south, but nasty winds to fight all the way back to the finish. Personally, I think the 200K riders had the worst winds, followed by the 300K riders. I was glad to be on the 400K event as I could continue south with the wind, and hope and pray the wind would die down at some point. With the sun setting, the winds did indeed die down.

I have not heard of any problems with riders driving home as yet, and hope that everyone took my advice to get some rest before heading back out.

Thoughts for a 400K

As the 400K is just around the corner, I wanted to take a few minutes to make some suggestions. Whether you are experienced or new to night riding, I hope these suggestions get you thinking and planning.

As a reminder, all riders MUST have front and rear lighting, reflective vest or sash AND reflective ankle bands on BOTH ankles. These items are not optional. Rules are clearly stated on RUSA’s website as well as mine. Don’t have the proper lights, and reflective gear? You have two options, get what you need (buy or borrow) or choose a daylight only event.

Lighting: If your lights are battery operated, make sure your batteries are fresh, and you have spares available. If you have a generator system, it is a good idea you check your connections and perhaps have a backup light that is a battery light in case your primary light fails. While on the subject, a helmet light, something like a Petzl or a clone at Home Depot, Wal-Mart would help in case of a fl*t or reading maps at night.

Clothing choices: Once the sun goes down, it doesn’t matter how warm the day was, it is going to get cold. Dress in layers and make some room in your bike bag for an extra layer. Watch the weather, watch the internet and dress accordingly. Be prepared for rain, sun, wind and cold. We can get it all.

Hardest Distance: Depending on how you look at it, and who you ask, the 400K distance is the most difficult of the series. You do not get any sleep like a 600K, and will be up late, late, late.

With a 5 AM start and a 27 hour time limit, riders may finish anywhere from 11PM to sunrise and everywhere in between. It is not only dangerous to yourself to drive when you are not alert; it is dangerous to other people on the road. I highly, Highly, HIGHLY recommend that once you get back to your car, you take a few hours to nap before driving any distance. Your life and your family are worth getting rest before you drive. Put a change of clothes, a blanket and pillow in your car and get adequate rest so you don’t endanger anyone.

Final thoughts: Your RBA also rides many of these events, so SAG support is not offered. If you are not able to finish, call a loved one for support. It is your responsibility to make it back to the start/finish.

April 10, 2010 - 200 & 300K Brevets

Another beautiful day for a brevet or two. St. Louis Randonneuring hosted a 200 and a 300 kilometer brevet out of Edwardsville IL. Six riders chose the 200K and 14 riders rode the 300K. Only one rider did not finish the ride.

Challenging all riders was the usual stiff breese (wind) out of the south. The winds lasted all day and slowed progress until making the turn back toward the north. Once the sun set, temperatures dropped and riders donned additional clothing and made it back to Edwardsville. For the 300K event, the last riders pulled in before 12:30 AM, well in advance of the 20 hour cutoff.

Congratulations to all finishers. I look foward to seeing you on May 8th for another brevet. We will have a 200K/300K and 400K options available.

300K Route Update

Just an update, I received an email from one of last week's riders, (Miles Stoneman) and he pointed out an error on the cue sheet (around Damiansville). I have just got back from pre-driving the southern loop of the 300K and have also updated one additional error there.

As it is very important to keep maps correct, I have updated the 200K, 300K, and 400K maps accordingly and have posted updates to the registration page on my website (check out the links above).

Please make sure that you use the correct map for your respective events. As usual, I will have updated maps available during registration.

I look forward to seeing you Saturday.

200K Brevet - March 27, 2010

Wow! What a great event. 23 riders (22 men, 1 woman) toed the line for our first 200K (125 mile) event of the year in Edwardsville IL. Morning temperatures were in the mid to upper 30’s with afternoon temperatures getting into the mid-50’s.

The story of the day was not the temperatures, but the wind. I have said it over and over again, ‘what we lack in hills we more than make up for in wind’. This was true once again as we headed east for 30 miles into a cross headwind then south for another 47 miles into Okawville (our turn around point).

Being the first event of the season, my legs were burning and screaming as I pulled into Okawville, mile 78 and I was so thankful that I am healthy enough to be able to have sore legs from a ride. Just imagine what you would give for a day of headwinds and sore legs if you were no longer healthy enough to ride.

What we had been fighting all day should have become our friend. Should have, but… didn’t happen. That SSE wind became an easterly wind. This change still was nice heading out of Okawville and back into New Baden. The northern leg back to Marine IL was cross winds, but the final 11 miles heading west along Fruit Road was sheer bliss with a strong tailwind. After 115 miles, I was cruising along at 20+ mph, and I heard other riders saying they had stretches up to 28 mph there.

April 10 is the next date on the brevet calendar, and we will be holding two events, a 200K and a 300K. Registration is 5:00AM to 5:45AM with a ride start time of 6:00AM. Front and rear lights, along with reflective vest/belt and reflective ankle bands are required. I look forward to seeing you there.

Springfield MO Brevet March 20th Postponed

Due to forecasted ice for Saturday's brevet (March 20) in Springfield MO, the 200K brevet has been rescheduled to next weekend (March 27) at the same time and location. We are sorry to have to change the schedule, but rider safety is paramount!

So... we will have two events on Saturday March 27, one in Springfield MO, and the other out of Edwardsville IL.

Route Updates

Wow, can you believe it? This year's first brevet is THIS weekend (March 20) in Springfield, MO. I just heard from Ralph and he has updated the route a little due to road construction. Check out his site for information by clicking here.

Next, the first brevet for the St. Louis area is just over a week away. You should note that the route has changed a little here as well. I have posted updated 'Web Route Sheets' to my site for your reference. The change is minor. After the Breese IL checkpoint, you still turn south on Germantown road, followed by a right turn on Breese Rd. The change is here. You will now turn south on Drive Inn Rd, not Linden Grove. This change was made since we have had several issues of flooding on Highline Rd near Route 8 (Albers Rd). This new route is a little flatter, and hopefully less prone to flooding.

If you have not done it yet, check out your tires, your patch kit and tire pump. Make sure everything is in working order. Lights are not required for this 200K, but lights and reflective gear are required starting on the April 10th events.

I look forward to seeing all the riders. Here is to a great, and safe season.

New Website

Well, I tried, but failed. Late last fall when geocites webhosting ended, I moved my site to hostse, another free hosting site. Unfortunately, you sometime get what you pay for. The site has been down for days at a time.

As a result I have spent money this time to host the site properly. the new url for Randonneuring in St. Louis is www.stlbrevets.com. I hope this site will be up and functional. There appear to be many more options now, so you may see some changes to page layouts and functionality in the future.

As a reminder, the first brevets are now... less than two months away. I hope you are out and riding.