The Cue Sheet

The Newsletter of the Elmhurst Bicycle Club
Riding Strong for over 31 Years

October
2009

2010 Upper Peninsula Ski Trip

By Sharon Hermach

The annual EBC cross-country ski trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is scheduled for January 31 to February 5, 2010. The Indianhead Motel in Ironwood, MI will again be our home base, and a block of rooms has been set aside. The 2009 price for a double occupancy was $215.00 and for a single $280.00. The price includes lodging for 5 nights, continental breakfasts, $10 credit towards dinner each evening and trail passes.

The average annual snow fall for this area is 200 inches. The club has enjoyed skiing, eating, getting together at night for socializing and playing dominoes and other games, snow shoeing, and night hiking for several years. A few more pictures from previous trips are located at photopages/UPski.html and m_photos.asp.

Downhill skiing is also available. You can get more details and the downhill package pricing when you call the motel or check their website at www.indianheadmotel.com.

If you are interested and want to experience some of the best XC skiing in the Midwest, call the Indianhead Motel 906-932-2031 to make your reservations. I will be coordinating this trip again in 2010 and will assist with ride/room sharing details if possible. Please let me know when you make your reservations. I will send out the details on the dinner and trail location schedules in January to those who have signed up.

It's Time to Reserve for Tucson in 2010

By Kären & Bill Schwartz

We had several inquiries on our bike ride today about biking in Tucson next spring. We are going again and several folks have reserved their condo already. We have and it is located in the northeast side of Tucson, near to the start of the famous Mt. Lemmon climb! Here are the rental details again for any who might want to join us this year in Tucson. The time to rent is now.

Rental dates: Arrive Friday, March 12, 2010
Depart Sunday, March 21, 2010

It may seem that we're a bit ahead of time by posting these dates for the Tucson bike/hike outing for 2010, but the reason is that it's a busy time in Tucson in March and if you want to rent a condo or house or stay at a B&B, you need to reserve it way ahead of time. The area that we stay in is near the Arizona National Gold Course or the Sabino Springs area. It's located off of Snyder Road and is on the way to Mt. Lemmon. It's on the northeast side of Tucson. Tucson is a very spread out city and if you don't stay in the northeast area or at least on the east side, you may end up driving an hour to get to some of the ride starts. A rental car or your own car is also a necessity as while Tucson is one of the most bikeable cities around with bike lanes everywhere, you would end up biking many miles to get to rides starts without a vehicle.

You can see many of the photos of this year's outing in Tucson if you look at Google groups for Elmhurst Bicycle Club in the past posts from Tucson. We had a great time and hope that next year will find more EBCer's out there. There is a B&B right on Snyder Road -Jeremiah's -and there are condos to rent that can be found in Sabino Springs area www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/arizona/tucson-area/tucson#a11114

Motel
Sonoran Suites of Tucson
7990 E Snyder Rd
Tucson, AZ, 85750

If you decide to rent now, just check that it's refundable. Our unit is if you call 60 days before.

North Shore Invitational Ride

By Baltimore Ortega

SUMMARY
Our day was filled with enjoyable cycling on roads in the North Shore and a couple of near accidents EBC members helped prevent. After riding on one of David Polkow's rides one time, I asked him what he did to make his rides good. His response was, "I have great riders, they ride well and know the routes, they know what to do." Sunday I understood what he meant. I rode with a group of great riders who helped make it a great ride! Fog was an issue in the morning but it cleared and we had a wonderful ride with sunshine, a little wind, and temperatures in the 60's and 70's. It's always nice to be near Lake Michigan.

RIDE REVIEW
The ride wandered through winding streets and some nice neighborhoods with gated homes. The difficult winter made the roads a little rough to ride so we kept pointing our spinning fingers down and yelling, "HOLE!". On these type of rides it is always best to arrive early and get ready. Usually you can expect a start delay because of all the crowds, parking, registration, and driving to the start location. The Evanston Bicycle Club seemed well organized. They offered nice SAG STOPS with the usual fresh fruits, bagels, PBJ sandwiches, and homemade pastries. The last stop offered hot pizza and ice cream. These two treats had the only lines. All of the streets were well marked. This helped me considerably because it was my first time leading a ride with a cue sheet. We do not use cue sheets on mountain bike rides. The traffic was fairly clear in the morning but got busy on some streets by late morning and early afternoon. It was a good day riding but there were some concerns from time to time. So why did I think it was a great ride? It was great because we rode and worked as a team.

I'm sure everyone has been on a ride where things happen. It makes the ride long and hard. This group of riders did not complain or whine because everything was not perfect. They were supportive, friendly, understanding, and positive. It is refreshing as a ride leader to have helpful riders with a good attitude. We made friends along the way and kept our 13-15 mile pace for the entire 65 mile ride. I smiled because several riders said they were keeping the pace and didn't want to be "pushers". The last part of our ride included some of John Park's "Mansion Ride". When we rode by a cemetery JA Sebastion whispered to me it was the spooky cemetery. I think she whispered so "something" could not hear us. We stopped and cautiously observed from a safe distance. I explained it was the cemetery where John and Roland fell with their bikes because "something" made them fall? We did not enter and instead rode by carefully speaking in a whisper and making sure everyone was okay. A block later I counted the riders and we all left safely. Later we stopped at a wonderful and peaceful park by Lake Michigan to relax and view Nature. The scene reminded me of viewing Lake Michigan from the shores of Door County, Wisconsin.

HAROLD YELLS "STOP!"
At one point on the route we approached a 2-way stop sign with three cyclist nearby and ahead of us. We had to stop at the stop sign and the cars did not. The first rider crossed the street and then the next one started to cross as an approaching car was going to crash into him. Harold instantly yelled "STOP!" as the car approached the cyclist. The rider hit his brakes so hard his bike flipped and he fell. All of this happened while we heard the tires on the car screeching when the driver slammed on his brakes. The third cyclist was startled, stopped abruptly, and also fell. Within a few seconds we had two cyclists on the ground and traffic stopped. EBC members moved in quickly to help them and make sure they were okay. We suggested they take a few minutes to get their heads together. They did not want additional help. They fell hard and it could have been a very serious accident. Some of our riders saw the second rider hit her head hard when she fell. She had a helmet on that saved her. This is why you should always wear a helmet on any ride and follow safety rules. Later, JA Sebastion loudly warned a cyclist, not in our group, a car was coming at an intersection and he stopped to avoid an accident. This is one of the reasons I ride with the Elmhurst Bicycle Club. It is safer to ride with member cyclists who are careful and experienced.

END OF THE RIDE
After the near accident we became closer as a group. Our group had decided early in the day to be safe and follow the rules. We were especially diligent in the morning when we met a police car at a four way stop. We all waved him to pass first. At our last SAG STOP we all voted Harold MVP, most valuable player, for helping prevent an accident. JA Sebastion received an honorable mention for also preventing an accident. We finished the ride and listened to live music.

THANKS TO THE RIDERS
This was my last "road ride" to lead as a ride leader this year. I'm glad to finish the year with a great group of riders on a fun ride! I hope everyone is having a safe and fun cycling year. Thank you to everyone who rode on my rides this year. Thanks to the following "Great" riders for helping me lead the ride this past Sunday: Pam L., Harold L., Pat D., Mary Lee St. A., Sue B., JA S., Chris G. (new member), John C., Mary M., Carole D., Hugo V. (guest visiting from Mexico), John G. (guest).

Ride to Itasca Nature Center
With a Return via the Greenway Trail

By Michael Cosentino

As per the request of our Prez, this is a recap of the ride on Saturday 9/12 to Itasca Nature Center.

Nice weather and little wind resistance allowed us to have an enjoyable ride to the Itasca Nature Center. We hiked the main trail of one mile. The trail map wasn't that hiker friendly, but Diane, who has hiked here before was able to lead the way. Of the 3 trails offered, one is bikeable for about 1/3 of a mile loop.

On the way back, we attempted to ride the new portion of the Salt Creek Greenway Trail that is being constructed. Surprisingly, we were able to bike most of it starting from the north end of Addison Rd. and Elizabeth. The trail runs along the east side of Addison Rd. From about 20 yards from Elizabeth, the trail is rocky with loose gravel but afterwards it flattens out and this makes it rideable. There are some bumps when a driveway intersects that you need to go slowly over. We had to get off the trail briefly and pedal against the traffic on Addison Rd. when it came under I-290 viaduct. They are widening the path underneath. We rejoined the trail as it turned east along the south border of the water filtration plant. When the trail turned to go south to border the east side of Community Park in Addison, it was newly paved. We continued to ride until the path will cross Salt Creek. However, the bridge is not there yet. Dean tried to do an Evil Kneivel leap bit to no avail. Pam attempted to have an ET experience to pedal over but didn't happen. We turned around and came off the trail at North Ave., and then turned left at State to Lake. We pedaled on the south sidewalk of Lake St. and met up with the trail at the intersection with Wooddale Rd. The trail from Lake St. to Fullerton is paved through the woods and comes out into the prairie, where it is flattened sand. It is a very smooth ride. We continued into the Cricket Creek FP and saw the mark where another bridge will be built to cross the creek and lead into the FP. The bushes were painted in pink. Standing on the bridge on North Ave. over Salt Creek you can see the foundation being put in place to have the trail go underneath the bridge to cross under North Ave. Going south on Villa, we turned left on 3rd St. and rode the trail till it came out on 2nd St. and continued south on Villa.

Another ride will be planned to again see the progress of the new portion of the Salt Creek Greenway Trail.

Art's Monday Adventure Ride

By Susan Sperl

Art led a most memorable ride on a beautiful windy day ....

We were only a mile out and Art broke his seat. Since he did not want to lead his ride without a saddle, we made a detour to Bill and Kären's home for a quick fix. We all enjoyed their Koi pond!

On the road again, we made it to Argonne to meet Art's daughter Betsy. Betsy explained to us how Argonne started a biking program 2 months ago. She also explained a little about Argonne being all about energy as it houses a huge x-ray ring. Betsy gave statistics on how nuclear energy was better than coal for both us and the environment.

After a quick break and tour of the museum, we were off. Hank just missed rolling over a big black dog .... a close call! Two miles from home, Al had a flat tire and somehow decided to leave a trail of bike parts as he proceeded to the parking lot.

All and all, a great ride! Thank you, Art! After living in this area for 20 years, I really enjoyed my first visit to Argonne!

Imagination Glen

By George Pastorino

Several Mountain Bikers have asked me for more info on Imagination Glen in Portage, Indiana.

This relatively new trail system provides an exhilarating, don't-miss destination for riders wanting an alternative to the Illinois trails. The 10+ miles of single-track, divided into two skill-based loops and known collectively as the Outback Trails at Imagination Glen, have plenty of memorable features to make intermediate riders glad they came. You'll find a string of tall whoop-dee-doos, tight turns, lots of quick drops with short & grinding climbs around a bend, a section riddled with log ride-overs, and more! A nice plus for novices is that selected challenging sections have bypasses so these riders can enjoy the trail without getting in over their head. Also, mile markers and maps are placed along the trail to keep you up on where you are.

What really makes the place interesting is the undulating terrain. The hills are typical for the Midwest: modest. But the ground here isn't flat for long. And the designers have used the contour of the land to throw in plenty of variety and challenge. You'll find small patches of sand throughout the park, mostly in low areas, but nothing that will bog you down. There are two trail loops here and both start at the clearly visible trailhead sign.

What Is an Invitational Ride?

By Baltimore Ortega

Some cycling clubs offer rides once per year as a way to raise funds. They offer rides supported by the club for various distances at a reasonable fee. Usually, cyclists can choose to ride one distance every year or they can return for higher levels. Most clubs offer quarter-century (25 miles), half-century (50 miles), metric century 100 km (62 miles), three-quarter century (75 miles), century (100 miles), and a double-metric century 200 km (124 miles) rides on the same day. Any bike can be used. If you are interested in riding longer distances I would suggest another organization, the Randonneurs USA. Their rides (brevets) are 200, 300, 400, 600, 1000, and 1200 kilometers.

Here are some reasons to consider riding a club sponsored invitational ride. First, it is a great way to ride with club members, friends, or fellow friendly cyclists. Along the ride if anything happens riders will ride by and/or stop to ask if you need some help. It is a safe way to ride. The Elmhurst Bicycle Club (EBC) will give you club miles if all rules are followed. The second reason is they provide stops every 10, 15, or 20 miles called SAG STOPS. These stops offer beverages and food to keep you energized while you rest. The third reason is the club offers vehicles called SAG WAGONS that patrol the routes looking for cyclists who have to stop riding due to bike problems, injury, or any other reason. If the situation is serious they take the rider back to the start.

At the end of the ride you pat yourself on the back for accomplishing your personal goal. You still have time this year to sign up for a century ride at any distance and can start making plans to train and ride next year. Contact our club if you want to get started and check the ride schedule. Our members will reach out and help you. I'm sure they can contribute information to this short summary. Good luck on your next invitational ride!

The "Tour de Coal City"

By Baltimore Ortega

A victory for EBC! We rode for ourselves, the "peloton", and to represent the Elmhurst Bicycle Club. At one of the SAG stops a cyclist walked up to me and said, "A lot of people from the Elmhurst bike club are here today." Our friendly presence was felt. We had three EBC teams riding, Team Pastorino, Team Turula, and Team Ortega. If you attend any invitational rides don't forget to proudly wear your EBC jersey so we can advertise our club.

This was an exciting day for me because it was going to be my first century with a team. I rode the other four by myself because of the mountain bike. I am the type of person who rarely asks for help. I decided to reach out and ask EBC for some help and support. Homer Coble, Larry Gitchell, and Chuck Gentile quickly stepped up and offered to ride with me. Steve Josephs and Roland Porter also offered to help. All of a sudden we had a team. This is one of the traits of the Elmhurst Bicycle Club. We have members who will offer to help, support, and ride with you. Jim Doheny emailed to see if he could ride with us to finish his first century ride. Other EBC members showed up at the start.

Sunday was a day to ride in near perfect weather. The day started with a crisp and cool morning in the mid 60's and ended in the mid 70's under clear weather and some wind. Unfortunately, I don't think the wind was ever on our back? The parking lot was bustling with anxious and excited cyclists preparing for their rides. At the start some of the riders decided to ride at a slower pace. The rest of us rode the first 30 miles at 17 mph. We had a few sprints at 20-23 mph mostly chasing other pelotons. All of the roads were well marked with big wide white arrows. The arrows made it easy to stay on the route. At the SAG stops nice workers from the PSYCHOS bike club were friendly and smiled while they offered a great assortment of food and fruit. The tables were full of bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, muffins, cookies, pasta, bagels, and turkey and ham sandwiches. The beverages were chilled and cooled us down quickly. We ate, filled our water containers, and rested. We did not see big lines for the food, beverages, or restrooms. As the ride progressed we rode through acres of green corn fields and soybeans. We had scenic views along the Illinois River and rode mostly low traffic roads. Each SAG was good and I always saw workers filling the food trays and beverage containers.

At one point we ran into some gravel and Homer Coble lost his bike and fell. He quickly got up, checked his bike, and was ready to go. I asked him if he was okay to ride. He said yes. I gathered the riders so we could get going when Hank Niedballa made a wise suggestion. He said we should give Homer a few minutes to get his head together. We all agreed and waited. Now we were a team. During the first 30 miles we were just trying to ride together and now we were watching out for each other. Throughout the day riders took turns leading to help the rest of us draft. An honorable mention goes to Chuck Gentile for spending more time riding the front. The first half of the ride was mostly flat. However, the second half had some tough hills. Our average speed dropped but our cycling effort increased. At the 90 mile SAG stop Jim Doheny looked good enough to finish the last few miles. His ride was not easy. He was riding a hybrid bike with flat pedals, no lockout on his front shock, and wearing gym shoes. We finished together and had a great day of cycling.

At the finish Laura set up a table with a cloth cover so she could make chicken and tuna sandwiches. We enjoyed sandwiches with her delicious cold potato salad and bags of kettle potato chips. We also enjoyed ice cold chocolate milk, orange juice, and tea. Later Team Turula and Team Pastorino members joined us for food and beverages. It was my way of saying thank you to the members of EBC who came out to help and support me on the ride. What did I do last Sunday? I rode my bicycle all day with my friends. What a great day!

Congratulations Jim Doheny for joining the "Century Club"! You did a great job! We were all glad and proud to help you accomplish your goal. Thanks to the following members: Homer S., Larry G., Chuck G., Steve J., Roland P., Hank N., Nancy R., Joanne D., Jim D., Kathy W-S., Julie Ann S., Tim H. (new member), Mike C. (new member).
STATS: 104 miles, average speed 15.9 mph, sprints 20-23 mph, max speed 35.6 (downhill), time ~6 1/2 hours, ride posted 14-18 mph with sprints of 20 mph.

From Naperville to Chicago

By Eric Peterson

Well we finally rode into Chicago. My neighbor (Ted) works in the Loop and this morning (8/4/09) he rode to work along with his daughter Annika, with me leading the way.

Chicago photo by Jerome Hughes (6/21/09)

The route was pretty much trouble-free, just one missed turn in Hinsdale, and slow going near the end with all the stop-lights on Lake. And some very rough road surfaces on Lake as well. We left around 6:45 and got downtown around 9:30. Ted went to work, Annika and I headed to the lakefront path, where we rode down past the Shedd before I needed to head back. Annika decided to stay downtown for a while. Despite the traffic, riding in the Loop was a pleasant experience. I took the train back, at one point there were four bikes in the train car I was in (max is three), conductor was cool about it though. Bikes on Metra is a great program despite its limitations, it would be even better if someday they allowed more than three bikes per train car, and removed the rush hour restrictions, which make the service something you can't count on 100%. On the return, it was great to carry my bike off the train, hop on, and ride away.

The only things I would change would be to look for an alternate to Lake east of Western, and to avoid the multiple crossings of the BNSF out in the western suburbs. You can see the basic route here (we took the "southern" route). Overall the route was pretty "hassle-free".

Please submit articles and/or photos for the newsletter to Cindy Reedy (cmreedy_prodigy.net) AND Sharon Hermach (ganskesh_hotmail.com). The deadline is the 15th of the month.

Note: The most current ride schedule can be found on our website at http://www.elmhurstbicycling.org/rides/currentRide.aspx.