Sunday Morning 70 Mile Glenwood Road/Gravel Ride

What: 70 miles of mixed blacktop/gravel roads ride to Pony Creek near Glenwood and back.  About half of the miles are flat.  About half of the miles are trails.

When: Sunday, November 18, 2012, 7:00am

Where: Starbucks, downtown Omaha, 15th St. and Douglas St.

Pace: variable, depending on who shows and weather conditions.  Expect 13-17 MPH.

Starbucks opens at 6:30 am, so come early if you want coffee, juice, or snacks before we leave at 7am.  Be sure to bring flat repair supplies, as well as all the food and water you need.  Also bring $0.50 for Highway 370 bridge toll.

Note that the temperature may vary considerable from the morning to the afternoon, so be ready to add or shed layers as necessary.

Download the GPS TCX file with cues here.  CSV (spreadsheet) cue sheet here.


Course:

Saturday Road Ride from Aksarben Village

We haven't done this route yet this season. Definitely my favorite route to get to Blair. Be warned there is a small section of gravel connecting two paved bits so plan your tire selection carefully. I see a ton of people training on way too nice of wheels, just sayin'. And by plan carefully I don't mean ride a CX tire, I'll be on 23c Bontrager RXL Hardcases, but there is a possibility of a half mile or so of fresh white rock.

What: Road ride, race pace at times
Where: Jones Bros. Cupcakes, Aksarben Village
When: Saturday, 10AM roll out, come early for coffee
How Long: 70ish miles
How Fast: 15-17 to start, steadily increasing to 20-25 after half distance. Pace will be really hot from Blair to Ft. Calhoun, we'll regroup in Ft. Calhoun at mile 35

The Route: Blair-N. Omaha-Ft. Calhoun
The Weather: Northwest wind, gusting to 25. Starting temp in mid 50's peaking out around 65
Additional Routes: The second half of the ride back up to Ft. Calhoun adds the last 20 miles, take it if you want some extra miles and climbing, leave it if you don't.

Saturday Road Ride March 10th

Last weekend was probably about as good of a ride as we've ever had. Good tempo out of town. Consistent formation and rotation. Then we lit it up on the way home and got some high end in. Let's do it again!

What: Road ride, race pace at times
Where: Jones Bros. Cupcakes, Aksarben Village
When: Saturday, 10AM roll out, come early for coffee
How Long: 85 miles
How Fast: 15-17 to start, steadily increasing to 20-25 after half distance

The Route: Glenwood/Plattesmouth/Louisville
The Weather: Stiff Southwest wind, starting temp in mid 40's peaking out around 60
Additional Routes: Tons of escape routes. ~40 miles Bellevue Toll Bridge, ~60 miles Pacific Junction, ~70 miles Plattesmouth

Sunday Morning Road Ride March 4th

We had good group last week even though the wind was difficult at times. I'm back to full power so let's get on it!


What: Road ride, race pace at times
Where: Jones Bros. Cupcakes, Aksarben Village
When: Sunday, 10:30AM roll out, come early for coffee
How Long: 75 miles
How Fast: 15-17 to start, steadily increasing to 20-25 after half distance

The Route: Arlington / Blair / Ft. Calhoun
The Weather: Stiff Northwest wind, 40 degrees at start with a high near 50
Additional Routes: Out and back to/from Bennington ~30 miles...out and back to/from Elk City ~ 42 miles...

Sunday Road Ride

First thing a couple notes on how I see things going down. I realize everyone is somewhat on their own training program. But what I'd like to avoid are people riding too hard, too early at the front of the group, basically blowing our group ride to bits.

The plan...keep the ride together until we make the turn for home (half way-ish), from that point it's game on. If you want to ride harder earlier on, sit up and drift off the back of the group and chase back up. But please do not go to the front and drill it. It's easier to ride hard in the first 20% of a ride than the last 20% of a ride. And the last time I checked, the race is won at the end, not the beginning.

We'll play the distance by ear, lots of escape routes as noted below. I'm not sure if I've got a hundy in my legs, especially since I'm on a cleanse. Later start too so we can hopefully catch the finish of Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne

What: Road ride through Glenwood and Louisville
Where: Jones Bros. Cupcakes, Aksarben Village
When: Sunday, 10:30AM roll out, come early for coffee (not me, see cleanse)
How Long: 60-100 miles
How Fast: 17-19 to start, steadily increasing

The Route: Glenwood-Louisville 100
The Weather: Stiff Southwest wind all day, temps as of Thursday afternoon will be close to 50. Shorts and heaps of embro? Maybe.
Escape Routes: Lots of escape routes for those not doing the full pull. You can head for home from Pacific Junction, Plattesmouth or Louisville to tweak the mileage more to your liking.

50 mile Riverfront, Iowa and Keystone Ride

What: 50 miles of mixed path and road riding with a couple of miles of Wabash Trace crushed limestone surface
When: Sunday, Jan. 29, 2011, 10am rollout (come earlier for coffee)
Where: Meet at Blue Line Coffee, 749 N 14th, St
Pace: 15-18 MPH, with plenty of opportunities for regrouping if the pace picks up or slows down
Bikes: Any bike should be fine.  All are welcome
Route: View the map here at MapMyRide

This is a perfect opportunity to buy your Wabash Trace passes for the year.  I'll be bringing a check and a SASE for the dropbox.

We'll be crossing the Bellevue Toll Bridge, so bring some cash for that.  Please bring food, water, and your flat fixing tools.

Sunday January 22nd some changes

With the winter weather being fickle and possibilitiy of crapptastic weather. Here the deal
Still meet at Jones Bros at 9:00 am rollout 9:30 am
Bring your Cx bikes opposed to road bikes.
We will determine the route based on the weather conditions.
The milage will most likely  not be century.
Spread the word....

Another Sunday Ride

When: Sunday, 10:30 a.m.
Where: Jones Bros., Aksarben Village
What: Road ride, 3 hours or so.
Route: TBD.
Pace: Moderate with some spicy bits, probably.

We'll roll at 10:30. Arrive earlier if you want some coffee or something.

Bacon Express Ride, Sunday, June 26

Who: Anyone who wants to ride a mix of gravel and streets and to gorge on a breakfast buffet

What: A ride to Platte River State Park for a quick breakfast, then back to Omaha.  Plan for about 70-75 miles.  Pace will be 12-18mph (a wild guess).  Maybe slower on the climbs and faster on the descents.  This is intended to be a social ride that moves swiftly enough to get some sweat flowing.  Bring $10 for breakfast.

When: Sunday, 6am.  We hope to be back by noon, at the latest.

Where: Wohlner's at Aksarben Village  (Note: Aksarben Village has a farmer's market on Sunday.  Be careful where you park, if you drive out.  I've seen them tow cars to make room for tents.)

Why: Duh.

How:  However you want.  Chris and I will be on gravel bikes.  I've seen awesome dudes do this on road bikes with 18mm tires, as well as beefy mountain bikes requiring twice the effort.

The "Express" refers to the quick breakfast, and not necessarily a prediction of the tempo.  I need to be back in Omaha as early as possible.

Does anyone know if the Platte River pedestrian/bike bridge trail is open or not?

Please discuss in the comments below.

Elkhorn Valley Cycling Thursday Night Rides

Elkhorn Valley Cycling has two road rides every Thursday night, one in Omaha and one in Norfolk.

The Omaha ride is at 6:00pm and leaves from The Bike Rack. Two groups will head out: Group A will be for those looking for higher intensity and longer distances. Think harder and faster. This group will be led by members of The Elkorn Valley Cycling Club. Group B will be for all those looking for a more moderate ride. This group will be led by members of The Bike Rack Cycling Club and the Elkhorn Valley Cycling Club.

The original EVCC TNR is in Norfolk and is similar to the Omaha ride with an "A" and "B" group. Both groups leave at 6:30PM from behind Cleveland Bike and are led by members of the Club. Watch www.twitter.com/nencycling for last minute updates.

Sunday Morning Grab Bag Ride

Tomorrow a rather motley group (no, not those guys, but wouldn't that be a fun jersey?) will gather for a who-knows-what kind of ride.  Meet at the southeast corner of Turner Park, at Midtown Crossing (Turner Boulevard and Farnam) at 10am.  We'll pedal off shortly, likely heading south, into the wind, on streets and/or trails. 

The plan is to get 30-50 miles in, but it's hard to know the pace just yet.  I've not ridden with three of the guys coming, one of whom just got a road bike and started commuting last week, so I have no idea of what to expect.  I'll list the known bikes and see if that puts things in perspective.

• Scott - Cross bike with 28mm tires
• Grant - Road bike with 23mm tires
• Julio - Road bike with 23mm tires
• Pell - Commuter bike with 32-35mm tires
• Chris - Cross bike with cross tires

All are welcome.

If folks want to go fast, I will volunteer to stay with a slower group, if necessary.  I will, however, still want to get miles in. My initial thoughts are a pace of 12-15 MPH if the wind is horrible, perhaps averaging a conversational 15-18 MPH if the wind isn't too bad.  Maybe a wicked tailwind will give a quick 20-30 MPH on the way back! :)

Watch my Twitter feed (@scottredd) for last minute updates to the plan if weather or whatnot affects the start time.

Get Ready Ladies, Road Ride Starting April 4th!

Get Ready Ladies, Road Ride Starting April 4th! What: Ladies Road Ride Where: Trek Bicycle Store Omaha (Midtown) When: Every Monday Time: 6:00 PM ride beginning April 4th, arrive early and be ready to roll at 6. Please come a little early so we can talk group ride etiquette and tactics. Each week will focus on a new topic, which we'll practice during the ride. Route/Mileage: TBD - we'll probably roll the Keystone for the first few rides and then expand our routes. Ride time will be 90 - 120mins. All levels are encouraged to join. This will be a moderately paced ride focusing on the development of group riding techniques.

90 minutes of Zone 2 at 5:45

Again, with the late notice? 

I'll leave Blue Line downtown at 5:45 this afternoon for 90 minutes of easy spinning through the Ponca Hills. This will be a very low-key recovery pace, so join me if you can.

IT'S ON! The one you've been waitinig for.

Wednesday Worlds Road ride @ Trek Bicycle Store Omaha (Midtown),
5:30pm, A Group ride begins March 30th, B Group will start mid to late April (or when Franko feels like it).

Ride Specifics:
Tempo: High average speeds of 20-23 mph
Regroup: We may regroup on Hwy 36 and 72nd street but not for long, we will stop to refuel in Ft. Calhoun paying a visit to Brady's friend Shelly.
What: Paved road ride with rolling hills and a couple of long climbs.
Where: Trek Omaha - Midtown
When: 5:30 Until Mid April, then 6:00
How Long: 46ish miles
Group: Race level, echelons and pace line,
Helmets and proper cycling clothing required, please do not show up without a shirt, while we are all very impressed, nobody wants to see your awesome farmers tan.

If your new to the ride please speak up, we don't want anyone getting lost, but if we don't know we can't be held responsible.

Trek Store is kind enough to let us start there, they are in no way responsible for your safety. You are responsible for you, please come prepared.

The shop is still open at ride time, please be respectful and save the "Rockstar" parking spots for customers.

Sunday Mo Valley-Bee Bee Town

In honor of the onslaught that are the Flandrian classics, we're planning on heading up to Mo Valley tomorrow. Staying in the mostly flat valley to Mo Valley and then returning through the Hellingen on the way home.

What: Road ride to Missouri Valley, back through Bee Bee Town & Council Bluffs
Where: BK Pedestrian Bridge
When: Sunday, 11:30am rollout, coffee at Blue Line 11ish
How Long: 65 miles, expect a difficult last half
How Fast: 20 mph average

The Route: Mo Valley 65
The Weather: Plan on 35 degree temps at start with 10mph winds out of the east. Temps aren't expected to go above 40 and it'll be pretty cloudy.
Escape Routes: This ride will start out predominately flat with just a few bergs (hills) in the early going. Then we will hit some major hills during the last half. Crescent will be a good turnaround point for a 20 mile day, Missouri Valley turnaround will give about 50 round trip. Past that you're pretty much all in and we won't be waiting a whole lot.

The late start time should give us plenty of time in the morning to catch the finish of Gent-Wevelgem too!

Late Notice: Force Repeats up Calhoun Rd.

I'll be leaving Blue Line downtown at 6:00 to do SFR up Calhoun Road. 30 minutes from downtown to the base of the climb, five or six low-cadence trips up the hill, then 30 minutes back--hopefully before sunset at 7:40.

Wed Night Ride

Whose up for getting a Wed Night Ride in a week early? Since the official Trek Store ride won't start until next week we thought we'd get the legs firing now, you know BTAT2T1.

Here's the plan:
Meet at Blue Line Coffee Downtown and be ready to roll by 5:30 sharp.
Head North towards Dodge Park, we'll do the normal route backwards to
Boyer Chute, Ft. Calhoun, and the Omaha Trace back through Ponca Hills
past the Alpine Inn and heading back the same way we rolled out.

Distance: about 42 miles
Pace: 20 mph average
We'll try to keep it together but this will not be a no drop ride, please come prepared.

Century of the Month Club

It's that time of year again, time to start dropping the once a month century rides (at least). I love getting the mileage up early because it makes those 50 and 60 milers fell nice and short. So with said, here's the plan...

What: Road ride through Glenwood and Louisville
Where: Jones Bros. Cupcakes, Aksarben Village
When: Saturday, 10:00AM roll out, come early for coffee
How Long: 100 miles...or close
How Fast: 20 mph average

The Route: Glenwood-Louisville 100
The Weather: Stiff southeast winds are forecasted. Which means headwind to start, tail-cross wind through the middle, then cross-headwind for the final push home. 30% chance of rain after 1pm too, so don't forget your rain cape and embro for the legs.
Escape Routes: Lots of escape routes for those not doing the full pull. You can head for home from Pacific Junction, Plattesmouth or Louisville to tweak the mileage more to your liking.

Yes, we'll miss the finish of Milan-San Remo on the live innerd-web feed, but it's not scheduled to finish until 10:45 at the earliest and I don't really want to wait that long to ride. So there.

Bike Masters Wednesday night ride

The Bike Masters Wednesday night ride will be starting this week. We roll out at 6:00PM sharp and will go as long as daylight allows. Bring lights as it still gets dark pretty quick -Brandon

Sunday: CB Hill Loop

Seeing how's I'm neck deep in State B-Ball (GO BEARS!) I'll miss Saturday's festivities. But with Twin Bing right around the corner it's time for some hills. The plan is do the CB hill loop. A Group will do two laps, B Group (if there is one, anyone want to lead?) will probably do one.

What: Road ride with hill accelerations, multiple climbs of 15-20% grade
Where: Bob Kerrey bridge bus stop
When: 10:30am
How Long: 1 Loop: 37 miles; 2 loops 64 miles
How Fast: 19-21 mph average, A group

The Route: CB Hill Loop 37
The Temp: Start time temps will be in the mid 30's climbing to the low 40's (can't believe I didn't get to ride Friday...)