Author: bbcbike

This is a great area and one go through regularly from my house (for example, Vernal-Howard-Vernal-Oard-Karst-home).

Close to 30 riders set out shortly after 8 am on this favorite Nashville 90 ride. Bob DeGroff got the group organized and we were off. The weather report called for probably rain in the afternoon, but it looked pretty safe through about 1 pm. This was our first official test of the state’s chip and seal program, which started around Pine Grove on 446 and continued southward for ever. I can report that it makes for quite a bone-jarring ride. Often the best riding was to be found on or just to the right of the white line on a narrow shoulder that hadn’t been hit with rock and oil. But where the shoulder was wider it too had been chip-and-sealed and was rough as usual and carried a fair amount of debris. It was predictable that there would be several flats. But there were “only” two along 446 between the causeway and Highway 58.

There was a major reconnoitering at Highway 58. The lead group had already headed toward Freetown. One OWLS group was waiting to collect 90 riders. A third, smaller, OWLS group of seven headed west on 58, refueling in Heltonville and then working our way through back roads over to Judah, following the club map for Dr. T’s Funky 50. At Judah it was just beginning to rain lightly. We hung out for a short while at the BP station at the intersection of Old and New 37 for a bit. Then we decided to ride on in on Old 37. Pretty soon the very light rain stopped and we had an uneventful ride back to the park, for a round trip of about 52 miles. Our route as recorded by GPS is displayed.

The OWLS group also completed the Nashville 90 in good fashion and even provided some good pictures of familiar sites along the route.. For Shelley and Mike, it was their first-ever 90 mile ride… Mike also reports that “We got drenched with a heavy rain from Helmsburg to Needmore, but it took our minds off how much our legs hurt.” Mike passed along familiar looking photos of Freetown grocery, the Story Inn, and a richly deserved stop at Bruster’s on the way back into town.

Any other updates from other groups on the ride are still welcome.

For a day in mid July it was remarkably cool. Anyone from that group is welcome to send an update to blogger@bloomingtonbicycleclub.blogspot.com for adding to this report.

Tom Reynolds led a group of 20 riders out on this new NWW route that he and Shelley Bradfield scouted out. Here’s Tom getting us organized.

The first challenge was to get through town and on our way out on Vernal Pike, making judicious use of a shortcut at the Winslow Sports Complex and the Y. We eventually circled around on Oard Road, where the stone crushing operation is located. Here’s Tammy on her recumbent climbing Oard Road at the Stone Crusher site.

A unique aspect of the ride was a stop at Karst Farm Park, where we waited for several people who had gotten separated from the main group way back at a light on Vernal. Shelley was co-leading from the back, so no one got permanently lost. Another rider also had plenty of time to fix a flat…twice! Then it was back by the airport, and homeward.

CE Taylor led a group of 20 OWLS on a 28 mile route similar to the standard “Thursday Training Ride.” Ramp Creek, Strain Ridge, Old 37 to Harrodsburg; then Old 37 and Victor Pike back to town.

I was breaking in a new camera…different brand than I’m used to….and ended up taking pictures in B & W. (As usual, click on a photo for a larger version.)

This 80+ mile ride was destined to have low-participation. It was a family-centered holiday and the weather prognosis was lousy. That evening
Mike Finger wrote:

Perhaps we’ll reschedule this ride later in the season?

By Allan Edmonds

Dam Ride, Tuesday, 6/9/09

Twenty riders did a 27 mile, mostly out-and-back ride to the Salt Creek Dam at the foot of Monroe Lake. Average 15.4, climbing 1131. A little over standard OWLS pace, with little climbing.

Carl leads out the group on Ramp Creek Road

Regroup at Ramp Creek Road and Fairfax Road

At the Dam

F-OWL Weather Ride Thursday, 6/11/09

BBB (Bethel-Boltinghouse-Bottom Ride) with a climb up Sample Rd. 29 miles, average mph 12.2, 1440 feet of climbing. We thought we had a reasonable chance of beating any rain. But it caught us on the way in on Bottom Road. It seems like we’ve had more than our share of rainy Tuesdays and Thursdays this spring.

Regroup on Bethel Lane

Regroup at Dolan on Old 37

Regroup at Bottom Road

It is 6:55 pm and still no rain

Ride Around Bloomington, Saturday, 6/13/09

58 miles, 14.2 mph in a little over 4 hours on the bike (about 13 mph overall, including stops), 3000 to 4000 feet of climbing, depending on which measurements you believe. Almost 30 riders.

Jim gets the group organized.

Regroup on Tunnel Road

Judge Sotomayor stumbled and broke a bone in her foot recently. I hope the injury doesn't end her ability to ride. Steven Chu, the new U.S. Energy Secretary, is also an avid cyclist.

By Allan Edmonds

About 150 club members missed out on a classic BBC ride. We did our first 8 am start today, with about 28 riders there. The day was beautiful, if a little cool that early in the morning. One of us went off half-cocked and had to go back home and get our sun glasses (not mentioning any names).

Low Gap Road to Martinsville is in large measure the reverse of club favorite the M and M Ride, except that it is a little shorter, using Low Gap instead of Mahalasville Road. Both rides are among our most moderate mid-distance rides. If you’re looking to move up to a longer distance these two are probably the best ones to try. Indeed we had a couple of people doing their first ride at this distance.

As usual for this large of a group we eventually split up into at least three main groups. Everyone re-grouped on Tunnel Road and everyone at least saw each other at the service station in Martinsville, however.

One rider went down in some of the sand and gravel on a twisty down hill on Shiloh Road. No serious harm to body or bike. But someone is going to be sore on the shoulder and leg and have to get a new jersey and new seat bag.

Most people stopped at the Touchables Sculpture Garden and those who got there early explored the grounds. Although there is a no Trespassing sign, the BBC has standing permission to explore the gardens and sculptures while on our bike rides. For more on sculptor C. R. Schiefer and his work, check out his web site.

One nice thing about this route is the 10+ miles up north where the road is flat and even OWLS can sail along in a double pace line at 20 mph. Klaus Rothe offered up the new acronym FOWLS. You can conjure up in your own mind what F might stand for. Even slower riders had something like a 15.5 average on the bike at the stop at the Martinsville Shell Station at about mile 30 or so.

As we came back in on Old 37 Klaus tried to interest people in climbing Boltinghouse. He got one taker, our leader Jennifer Miers. The rest of us headed back into town the regular way through Cascades. Greg Alexander couldn’t resist stopping at the impromptu fruit stand near there, where they claimed to be selling Carolina peaches. We didn’t stop to wait for him since he planned to leave us soon anyway as he headed home on the north side. We can report that the road through Cascades is now open to regular traffic, with the retaining wall along the creek fully repaired.

Our group of OWLish riders got back to the park shortly after noon, with an average on the bike over 51 miles of about 14.5 mph, and about 12 mph overall, including stops.