|   The windy city...(uhh...a roadie post) | Steve-O
Apr 22, 2002 6:19 AM | | This weekend I had big plans to break out the mountain bike and ride at Palos for the first time since the snow melted and the frost left the ground. Several sunny days had warmed up the Midwest and I was really looking forward to tackling some singletrack this weekend.
That all changed Friday night....It started misting rain about 9:00pm and rained most of the night. By Saturday morning the sky was still grey and the rain had gone however the damage had been done. One look out my window showed damp streets and puddles in the alley behind my home.
What's a cyclist to do? Break out the road bike (In this case the CX bike with road tires). Saturday morning the winds were pushing out the north from 20 - 25 mph as I headed out the door. "I'll just get my riding fix in then come home", I thought to myself. It's really too wet and messy out to ride too far, and it might even start raining again. I hit the lakefront bikepath and let the wind start pushing me like a sail. 20 mph came up on the odometer with little effort! "Hmmm... I could go pretty far today with a wind like this pushing me!", I thought... The winds were whipping up Lake Michigan and waves were crashing over the seawall along the lakefront path I rode. The water would rush up and cover the path in a thin layer and then recede. By the time I reached downtown Chicago I had hit 30 mph twice on the odometer! "I'm really flying!", I thought.
I kept riding along letting the wind push me. When the path ended I took to the streets and rode through much of the south side of Chicago. I passed boarded up buildings and an abandon steel mill. No one seemed to want to come outside on the dreary Saturday morning. Eventually I hit Indianapolis Blvd. and without much thought... rode into our neighboring state of Indiana! Wow...It felt pretty good to go so far into uncharted land.
At the 27 mile point I decided to turn around and do battle with the wind that had pushed me so far south. My odometer showed an average speed of 20.9 mph for the initial portion of my ride. I knew that would change! I started riding back through the streets, grateful for the brownstone homes that blocked the wind, shielding me from further abuse from the lake wind. Once the lakefront path started I knew that my challenge had only just begun. I tried to focus on spinning circles and keeping a high cadence but the wind would jerk my front wheel like an invisible hand trying to tip me over. 10 mph, 13 mph, 9 mph my odometer would bounce around with each new gust of the wind. Furthermore, the waves crashing into the seawall shot spray up that covered my glasses and froze my extremities.
It took me a little over an hour to ride south but it took another two hours to make it home. My average speed dipped from its earlier high of 20.9 mph down to a lowly 15.1 mph. When I arrived home the odometer said 49.7 miles, my longest ride of the year. "Were did you ride too?" Mrs. Steve-O asked as I stumbled through the door covered in sandy spray. "Just down to Indiana" I answered and got undressed for a warm shower...
Steve-O (mandatory mtb content? Well next weekend I'm doing an mtb race. I'll post about that next Monday morning) |
| Golden Spike | BadHabit
Apr 22, 2002 7:28 AM | | Caldwell Woods Trail north to Wilmette; change to Green Bay Trail north to Lake Bluff; change to E-W connector west to Des Plains River Trail; DPR north to WI border (north and south sections of DPR join finally in May). Tri-state; CX perfect. |
| Your in the 'hood | Steve-O
Apr 22, 2002 7:34 AM | | I work in Niles and spend a lot of time riding the North Branch trail (part of my work commute). In the winter I put the knobbies on the CX bike and road tires in the summer.
The DPR trail is also pretty easy from work. I catch it out by Park Ridge and ride north (flat, miles) or south (fun singletrack near Oakton). |
| Nothing like a tailwind.... | Dirt Pilot
Apr 22, 2002 7:32 AM | | ...We had big plans to ride Thornton Sat morn but got washed out too. We wound up doing a ride up the Erie-Lakawanna (Paved) trail from Crown Point IN to Hammond and back. You just have to think of riding into the wind as a long enjoyable climb.
As the weather looks now I think we might be out of luck for next weekend as well and the following Friday I'm leaving for Moab. Maybe things will dry up around here by the time I get back? |
| Gotta dry out soon | Steve-O
Apr 22, 2002 7:39 AM | | I set a goal to participate in a few mtb races this year so I registered for the 50 mile Solo Enduro at Rock Cut State Park on Sunday. It's gotta dry out soon otherwise this race will probably be on dirt roads and doubletrack.
http://rctrailcrew.org |
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