Finished First Century! Trailnet Ride the Rivers (LONG)

[lattae]

Great ride report. Did you have lunch in Alton at the park or at another location? I think Trailnet learned a lesson from the slow service at the restaurant last year. My g/f and I waited about an hour from standing in line to getting our food so there were many complaints about that.(last year)

Sounds like the reverse route was wonderful. Did you happen to look at www.stlbiking.com they have a short thread about the ride too... sounds like cyclists were happier with the new route. One guy wrote about the river road and the cars and Harleys buzzing by close and the glass and debris on the side of the roadway too. Do you know how many cyclists participated in the ride?

Congratulations on your accomplishment!! Great photos too!!

[TrekTheKaty]

Thanks, Lattae Yes, lunch was at the parking lot/park right under the 367 bridge. It was boxed lunches--just grab what you want. The debris on the river road wasn't any worse than any other shoulder--although it would have been nice if it wasn't there. At one point, on the shoulder just wide enough for a bike, I glanced over and saw a semi go by--NOTE: Don't glance over! Just focus straight ahead!

I'll run over and check out stlbiking.com--I can see good points and bad points to both routes. Maybe they can alternate like they do with the DNR Katy Trail ride.

I forgot to ask the volunteers how many people signed up. The parking lot was relatively full down to Trailhead Brewery. Maybe I'll email trailnet.

[OakLeaf]

Way to go! All those hills

[Mr. Bloom]

OUtstanding! Congrats!

[Jiffer]

That is a LOT of elevation to climb for a first century! I did 3,000 for my first and was nervous about THAT. Avoided the 4,000 feet century a few weeks earlier that I had orginally intended to do, but chickened out on. I did the metric instead because I just didn't feel ready and didn't want to have a miserable time. The metric was perfect and by the time I did the full century 3 weeks later, I was much better prepared.

I can't imagine doing a century having only ridden 40-ish miles for your longest ride, as your BIL did. Way to go for both of you.

You guys ROCK!!!!

[TrekTheKaty]

Check out this post on BikeForum for more pics--that's me in ferry pic (flag jersey with BIL behind me in yellow!)

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...=1#post7659980

[lattae]

Hey Cunninghamair
I think I remember that big hill about a couple miles from St Charles that you were referring to as a 9% grade in your ride report... I bet you thought you were going to die when you were climbing that after riding 98 miles... I remember how fun it was going down it last year... can't imagine riding up it after all those miles. Last years ride was really tough after getting off the ferry at Grafton and heading down the river road.. we had nothing but head winds all the way back to St Louis until we made our turn to Washington Ave...so that was around 40 miles of strong hot winds.. I was beat by the time we got back to Schafly brewery parking lot. Thanks for your ride report and pictures...