600k Brevet Route Update

Update on the St. Louis 600K Route

I was able to contact Wilkey’s Diner in Belle Rive, our normal checkpoint. The restaurant will NOT be open until after our first 600K on May 21. I will move the official checkpoint south to Thompsonville and will have the brevet cards updated for this ride.

It is VERY important to note that with Wilkey’s closed for this first event, there are limited opportunities for food and water stops. At mile 111 in the town of Dix there is a 24 hour gas station. At mile 132, Markham Lane, there is a gas station/mini-mart which closes at 3:00 PM on Saturdays. If you miss this refuel opportunity, your next chance will be at mile 166 in Thompsonville. Please plan your fueling strategy accordingly with extra waterbottles, foods and hydration systems.

If you have questions, please contact me.

600K Route Notes **Important**

In case you didn’t see it on the STL Brevets website home page, I have some information to share regarding the upcoming 600k events.

Fellow rider, Dennis Smith and I drove the 600k route on Saturday May 7. The route is in good shape with the following important notes:

1. The Belle Rive checkpoint at Wilkey’s Diner is closed for repairs. The note on the door said it would reopen soon. There are no alternates available in Belle Rive. This means if you plan on riding the 600k on May 21, be prepared to around 50 miles without ANY services. With Wilkey’s closed I will either have riders sign their own cards and mark their time of passage, or will move the checkpoint to Dix (mile 111) or south to Thompsonville (mile 166).

2. Tunnel Hill Trail was closed due to flooding, but was reopened last week. Dennis and I rode from Vienna north to New Burnside, then back down to Vienna. This section of trail is about 15.5 miles long with the first three miles having some soft spots and a few rough patches. After about 3 miles, the trail is in good shape for the remainder of the trip to Vienna. As a note for those who have not ridden Tunnel Hill Trail, it generally goes uphill for the first 7 miles to the tunnel, then 9 miles downhill to Vienna. It is crushed limestone surface. Dennis agreed that the last nine miles to Vienna is in the best shape either of us has ever seen it. Let’s hope and pray that continues. Should it rain much in the next week or so I do have an emergency reroute already predriven and cue sheet addendums available.

3. The route from Pinckneyville east to Eden has been on Route 154 for several years. I have rerouted this along farms roads just north of the previous roads. Mueller Hill Cemetery Rd has much lower traffic and the hills are gently rolling with one or two short steeper sections. I am working on changing the maps as I write this. I will try and have the “final” map online by the weekend.

Please check back to see about any updates. Again, May 21^st riders should expect and plan for at least 50 miles or so with no services (no food or water). Bring extra food, water bottles and or a hydration system to get you through this stretch.

April 30 Events - Flooding

I have been on the Illinois Highway Department websites, and have checked the 200k, 300k, and 400k routes. As of right now, Thursday morning, it appears the 200k and 300k routes are okay.

The 400k has flooding south of Pinckneyville to Ava. Two of the three roads down there are under water and closed. The third alternative is not listed, but I will be calling the highway department today for verify.

There may, probably will be route changes on the 400k. If we can not get into Ava, I may turn the 400k into an out and back to Pinckneyville. I will look for options and let you know.

Waivers of Liability

It is just one week prior to the first brevet, Saturday, March 12. It seems to me this has just snuck up on me and reminded me that ... "It's time to ride brevets again". After a long, cold, snowy and stormy winter, I am looking forward to getting back on the bike, clearing the cobwebs from my brain, the rust from my legs, and the fat I have packed on all winter long.

If you are planning on riding in March and/or April, I have the Liability Waiver online. The file is an interactive PDF file which you can download, fill out, print and bring with you the morning of your event. If you forget to do this ahead of time, I always have Liability Waivers on hand.

Check our calendar of events page for dates, distances and time for all of the rides. As always, if you have any questions, drop me an email or give me a call.

Lighting Update

I have been getting some emails about lighting requirements for the upcoming events, and I wanted to clarify a few points.

I do not require lights or reflective gear on the March 12 or March 19 200k events. Many riders can easily finish a 200k event in ten to eleven hours, which is before sundown. However, and this is a big however, some riders ride slower, take longer breaks along the route, and may not only be pushing to finish before sunset, but by cut off time, which is 13 1/2 hours, 8:30 PM.

You know your ability to ride in the rain or wind better than I do. If you think there is any possibility of pushing a 200k finish beyond 6:15 PM, then please mount, and use your front and rear lights, and have your reflective gear with you as well.

As reminder on this subject, Illinois State Statutes, indicate that riding a bicycle after sundown without front and rear lights is illegal. Don't put your left at risk because you don't want the extra half pound of lights.