Halloween stuff

"I had the strangest dream. It was like, real, but all messed up. I'm scared.......I hope you aren't who you were in my dream...are you?"

There was no return text.

Jenny, suddenly awake and confused, grasped the phone tightly. She shook uncontrollably as she pressed the keys of her phone, her body covered in sweat from the dream that had torn her from sleep. She, the only one home in the three story house on North Taylor Road. It was 2:00 AM.

Staying home alone on a Friday night wasn't Jenny's style at all. In Kansas City she would have certainly been in a room full of friends, heaping mounds of clothes scattered throughout her room, laughing, eating, stories, calling boys, hanging up. It was all so different now, after moving to St. Louis. Being alone and in an unfamiliar old house forced Jenny's mind to explore thoughts and images welcomed only at sleepovers, only in a room full of teenagers, never to be dreamt about when alone, not while her parent were out. Not in the strange old home in Kirkwood.

Jenny's bedroom was a second floor suite in the three story on Taylor Rd. A new start in a new town, an old home purchased from the original owner (nobody seemed to know). The Harris' moved due to the fathers job change. He's now knee deep in the process of the rehab. It was Jenny's parents dream to own a home like this, the charm of three story Victorian, the wrap around porch, the huge trees lining the roads in a town with main street values. Kirkwood, nestled on the outskirts of St. Louis, an upscale bedroom community with history and turn of the century architecture, was perfect for the Harris'.

Jenny sat alone gripping the phone, texting again, the only person she knew in town. Her parents away, taking care of Jenny's Grandmother who had fallen. The whole family was there, just after closing. It was a freak accident. A board leading down from the second floor to the back porch snapped and caught her foot beneath the steps. She fell, fracturing her hip, a bad start for the family in their new home. It was hours before they found her because everyone was in the front of the home, nobody could hear her pleads for help. She was shaken, bruised and upset. A short hospital stay in St. Louis was required before Jenny's parents set out to take her home. They were busy moving her in to a temporary rehab unit in Springfield Missouri, a few hours south of St. Louis where she lived. The Harris' would stay the night and return home on Saturday.

Yes, the homes on Taylor Road are grand, most over 150 years old. And most of them purchased and improved long ago, gutted and updated, maintaining the history and charm of the period. The Harris' house sat un-touched and empty for years, in a state of gradual decay. The family nest egg was used to rescue the rotting wood, fallen gutters and overgrown shrubs. The Harris family was it's only hope; a new family with a fresh start, new blood.

It seemed odd that nobody had lived in the house for so long. Records indicated an absentee owner, one that the city found to be quite reclusive. The taxes were paid, and the lawn barely kept up by an old man who would show up once every two weeks in a pickup truck. He only did the minimum, cut the grass, picked up the dissolving newspapers on the front lawn, he checked the doors for break-ins. Once a fire was set by teenagers, in the kitchen. The Kirkwood fire department saved the place, water and smoke damage still permeated the first and second floors, a project in cue by Jenny's father. Besides the fire, there was little activity to be seen through the years. The patiently sat, waiting for new owners to resurrect it original charm and beauty.

The home stood in its familiar way, dark and alone that Friday night, rain soaked and still. Wet October leaves and oak trees framed, bordered that which was once an architecture rich with culture and style. The single light on the second floor blinked, then a gust of wind and a lighting strike blackened the home where Jenny sat in bed texting her new boyfriend Rick.

Flipping the Bird?

Mogus posted this on Stlbiking.com. It is the Defiance passing of the Tour of Missouri, taken from his phone, I suppose. We sat there for a few hours, and the 5 minute parade was over before you know it. Becky Cato had burgers and brats, wonderful.

But hey, I was looking real close. I need to clarify. It appears that I am standing there, flipping the bird to the riders. The fact is, I had a COW BELL in my hand. I hold no grudges against professional racers. It is not my style to give the finger. You guys make up your own minds. But I am telling you now, it was COW BELL.

Super Size this

OK, I think we are quite indulgent. We as a people, species, society, whatever. It can't be mistaken. WE ARE FAT. And I really think that people should be who they are, and if being a fat slob is who we aspire to be, so be it. I have known many a fat slob, had very good friends, girlfriends, mentors, uncles and aunts, I have loved many a fat slob, eaten with them too, talked about how good lunch was, what I am doing for dinner, stuff like that. Frankly, you can't help but like the teddy bear types, those with weaknesses far beyond your capacity to understand the troubles with over indulgence, if you are not over indulgent yourself. I am lucky to be a freak about my fitness I suppose. There is a reason why I have injuries from falling off bikes, almost drowning, blown out both knees in tennis, shoulders in Softball. I am thinking indulgence is notsobad, in the scheme of things. Less surgeries, maybe.

I was at Mike Duffy's Pub and grill last night and all one has to do is look around to see prime examples of over indulgence. You can tell what the hell is going on in our country, a perfect view right from your potato skins. We sat in the smoking section because the non-smoking section is in the back, in a closet like banquet room that lacks the "pub" feel and, for God's sake, I have to be seen. There the healthy people were, back in the back, segregated. We sat in a booth amongst the comfy people busy smoking, drinking, eating...burgers, while dipping french fries in ranch dressing.

We all had the small Duffy's salad, I had a bowl of chili (I am still eating some 9 hours later). I could never be fat, again. I would never sleep. Eating dinner late night kick starts my mo tab and I'll toss and turn because of it. My kidneys back up, I pee a lot, I will bug the hell out of my wife, because I am up and down, up and down. We at late last night, after Princesses tennis match, in which she slaughtered the competition. She was rewarded with a heaping pile of chicken drummies, and a salad. We indulged, but didn't necessarily over indulge.

That is why we are fat, we feel we are entitled to unnecessary over indulgence, because we can. So say the statistics, lists of newspaper reportage's, documentaries and prime time news shows. We disregard the warning signs, we need to be comfortable, soothed, fattened. As I looked around at the tables, some of the patrons could hardly fit in the chairs, captain chairs, with a limited amount of room for the ass. There was one couple who asked for two banquet chairs, those without arms, for more comfort. Don't get me wrong, I love Mike Duffy's, Bruce Frailey is a good friend and long ago, I opened up that restaurant and worked there as a manager, back in 89. It was a good time doing that, purveying the fuel of over indulgence, fattening the stock. It is what I do, and I was indulgent too, back then.

We see the obesity daily, on our way to work, our places of employment, where we spend our time each day carving out our place in society, producing and using resources, bought and sold, churning away in an economy that feeds upon itself. It is no wonder that the fast food companies inject some sort of secret addictive chemical in to fast food, right? It is a competitive market, there needs to be a controversy. There surely must be some hidden conspiracy to keep the fat people coming back. Maybe it is the carbon from open flame, maybe it is trans fat, french fry oil. There has to be something that someone can be liable for. Or maybe we just get fat because we can.

Princess came home with "Super Size Me" the other day, a movie documentary produced with the intention of exposing the fast food giants irresponsible distribution of unhealthy food, resulting in addiction, of all things, obesity and overall bad health. She had the assignment from her health class to watch the movie. Morgan Spurlock got the idea for the documentary when he was lying on his couch at his family's house shortly after Thanksgiving dinner, watching TV when he saw the news about two teenage girls suing McDonald's for making them obese. Yes, the same people who patronize attorneys on daytime TV are the ones who sue people on frivolous claims. My favorite line in the movie was "I guess the big question is, who do you want to see go first? You? Or them?"

I watched the film with Princess, she is a kind of a health freak, a very good athlete and obviously concerned about what fuel she puts in her body. A lot has rubbed off on her, seeing her father aspire to greatness wannabee, riding bikes, doing a lot of outdoor stuff. She is proud of me, and she has molded herself a bit, after some of my accomplishments. I find this quite satisfying, the fact that she has taken my lead on health and wellness. Had she known me all too well prior to her being born and before my fitness re-invention, she might not have turned out so good.

Natalie is not an over-the-top health freak. She has to be on the down low at times. Last year she was a vegetarian, another class project from another health teacher. She did it as an experiment, as an assignment for a week, she was to write about it as part of her project. She stayed with it for about a year and eventually went back to eating animal protein because she had trouble getting what she needed as an athlete, a swimmer and tennis player. What was funny is that there were times when I found myself in the position of defending her want to be a vegetarian. We would get comments and overtones suggesting that she had an eating disorder. Not because she was thin, was purging or bulimic, it was simply based on the assumption that, since she did not eat meat, there must be something wrong, or she must be headed toward profound illness. Bullshit! It was her idea to start a wellness program and her idea to adjust her program to include animal protein, because of her increased calorie burn.

She has learned a lesson in health, one that is very enlightening, one that will stay with her for life. With any luck, she will pass this on to her students, when she becomes a teacher, coach and overall ambassador to fitness, and others will follow. Maybe we will seek out ways to improve the health care crisis, reducing obesity and the health ramifications that come with it.

The passing of The Tour

Heaven forbid Bauer send me the pics from the St. Charles stage today. Of course, it is early Sunday morning and it was only hours ago that I dropped him off to his family in a grocery cart.

Some very interesting things came about from the event. We set out around noon after stopping and grabbing some supplies at Dirt Cheap, an experience in itself. I always wonder about the frequent patrons of places like this. There is a culture of Dirt Cheap patrons, some of them not smelling as good as they should.

We were running late as usual and hurried to get to the Mound to meet Mogus and Thrasher. It was Mogus's 60th or so birthday, so he had a free pass from the family to go ride and watch. Anyway, our goal was to ride a couple hours in Lost Valley, do Matson and Klondike if we could, then come back to Becky Cato's house and watch the tour come by. She lives right off of Highway F, in Defiance. I would so live there. She and her husband have 20 acres of pure backwoods country. And what comes with living in the country is the country folk. With the exception of Becky, who is a very good athlete and racer, I spect most the people in that area ain't so kindly to a bunch of bike riders comin through, with their fancy tight fitting clothes on those expensive bikes with shaved legs. You know what they are thinkin.

We got the Lost Valley ride in, chasing Thrasher, (I am fit and just back from Crested Butte) The Smartest Man in the World. I will reference his superior intelligence bellow, keep this in mind. Anyway, he pretty much put the hammer down from start to finish. It was all I could do to hold his wheel. Bauer and Mogus stayed back. We finished one lap and moved immediately to Becky's because there was a fear that they would close the road and we would not be able to get the cars back to highway F. Once there, we went out on a recon of Defiance in which my friend Dale Rollings, of Old Yellow House Winery, engaged us for short time. He is also my attorney. He owns Old Yellow House Winery on the corner in Defiance. You can't miss it. Look for the old yellow house. I would recommend you stop there next time passing through. He is a great guy and putting out some very nice wine as of late.

So the roads were set to close, the crowds were gathering quickly on Schluersberg road, the points grab for the mountain climb. We settled in to our coolers and burgers at the foot of Becky's driveway. Suddenly this big white truck comes speeding down the road, very recklessly. It seemed odd because the cops had already cleared the course a couple of minutes before, putting on a great show with their lights and making a very positive impression on the states support of the Tour. For all for us Tour watchers, the thousands waiting in downtown St. Charles and the dozen or so spectators sitting in Becky's driveway, BBQing on a Saturday afternoon, working the tops off of expensive Malt Beverages from Dirt Cheap. Behind the truck were a couple highway patrol cars speeding to catch up.

Now, I had a cow bell, as did somebody else. The others were waving and cheering and every car was to get the same attention, there were team cars and Marshalls, other officials staying out ahead of the field. Closer the riders came. So suddenly, out the window of the speeding bad ass pick up truck hoosier, the driver puts his hand and flips us the bird as he is being chased by the cops. It was priceless. Totally Smokey and the Bandit stuff. We stood there, cow bells dangling from our arms, mouths agape, trying to figure out what had just happened.

The other remarkable thing that happened is when the main group came by. There was a break, not too big of one, but there was a gap in between 6 or seven and the rest of the riders in the peleton. On the second pass with the larger group, one of the riders (for Thrashers benefit we will say it was Contador) discards an empty Pepsi can. Well, Craig and I, being somewhat competitive in nature, knee jerk react to the concept and scramble to retrieve said artifact. Me sensing a little bit of danger, considering the rolling entourage coming at us, I hold back just in time to miss getting hit by a motorcycle. Craig stays committed and dives out into traffic, retrieving the golden egg that would have normally been regarded as yard trash, jumping the shark, nearly losing his life on stage 5 at the inaugural Tour of Missouri. I saw him clutching the can, holding it to his chest on his way to his car, on the way home after the Tour had passed. Good times.

Britney

This is why our boys play football. Warning, explicit language. I was notified that this might not be appropiate for the blog. But I am not going to go back and evaluate, I can't stand to watch this thing again. I will just go with the warning.

Soccer Moms

I am compelled, for reasons of my own, to discuss the concept of the soccer mom. But it isn't just soccer. In fact, it is not just the moms. It is the parent. I think we can go ahead and hang a more appropriate banner. How about "Psycho Parent Fan" (PPF). There are many PPF's around us and they need to be exposed.

I remember when my daughter, a dancer back in her days with Krepinski Academy, decided she would try out for the Muny. Most of the kids at the academy did this each year and the boys even had a pretty good shot at it, for two reasons. Mark Krepinski was one of the main dudes for the Muny, so's his dancers have had a leg up, so thought the conniving PPF's. Yep, twas what the PPF's thought; they paid their fees appropriately for a little better chance to be under the lights. The other thing is that there were only a handful of boys who would try out. Most were playing soccer, football, baseball. Few were dancers. It was not unusual to see 700 girls and maybe 25 boys. Thrasher, you and I should have been dancers. You can do point.

Yes, we got caught up in all that hoopla, thinking that we had the one, my wife and I, the pay dirt to theater wonderment, the golden child, the college scholarship, the home in Brentwood, the bragging rights to all this gooey stuff. There was much to do, pick a song, a dance and a routine of some sort. The big day was on a Saturday, at SLUH, amongst the finest PPF's in the region. This was my first exposure, and it would be my last. We walked in to the place and realized that the competition was fierce. We would need to get to work, ASAP.

So you see, it wasn't the kids that would have to get to work, it was the PPF's. Every mother had a bag and in the bags were an assortment of bottles, combs, irons-flattening, curling. Sprinkler's-high sparkle, duelers- dingles, dangles, bonitos, boopies....NO! The competition wasn't on the stage at all. It was with the PPF's readying their kid for their 2 minutes of failure. I vomited on a Lincoln Navigator with a Visitation sticker on the way out.

I am not taking a stab at the dance thing, or the Muny, or the the institution of dance-not my point. It's more about the competitive nature of parents living their lives through their kids activities. We need to expose those over zealous types whenever possible. That is why I always carry a bucket of water balloons in the car. If I am at an event and see such activity, they get it.

I am being told to come up stairs now to get my face painted for Natalie's tennis match. We are bringing food for the team and the Winnebago needs gas.

Schmatz, Blunt and Kinder

Damn Dan. I am sick about the Armadillo thing. You will heal fast and continue to be the hero that you are. By the way, Dan Schmatz graduated from Parkway West High school, same as the princess. Don't forget, Huff fell off the stage at the press release announcing the Tour of Missouri. You truly one up'd him good.

That is what I like about cycling and the local pros and high level riders. They are all good people, willing to share their stories, techniques, equipment likes and dislikes and in this case, humility. Dan has always been a great ambassador to Stlbiking.com offering up his equipment, providing expert opinion. He shows up in town occasionally to teach a spinning class. He is a quality guy. Cycling is one of the sports where you can duplicate easily the equipment used by world class athletes and build your own little world of magnificence. Most of the racers are approachable. Collect many bikes but not as many as Basler, for Gawds sake.

I am really impressed the support of the state, the govs. manse seems to be quite interested in keeping the ball rolling year after year with the tour. I wasn't much of a Blunt and Kinder fan; Blunt seems like he recently graduated from high school and Kinder reeks of classless dialect from the boot heal. He could sell me a pickup and I would never know he was the lieutenant Governor. We middle-staters prefer to be categorized as a little more "visibly intellectual", style is important, clean this up please. Regardless, it is obviously that they truly want this to be a successful event, and for good reason.

I suppose I am not so disagreeing with Blunt on many things including the MO Health net initiative that was passed bi-partisan. MO HealthNet focuses on prevention and wellness instead of only sickness and treatment, empowers individuals to be participants in their own health care decisions, and improves health. Blunt "gets" the benefits of health and fitness and incents those who get off their ass and take care of business, wellness. Bravo Matt Blunt and Peter Kinder for stepping up and bringing one of the largest emulative health events to the state, then back it up with their continuous support. This is authentic and they need to be commended for this.

The fan base has been significant in both Kansas City and Springfield. I tend to wonder what the rest of the world is thinking, from the images broad casted. Is it good enough? This type of coverage is a little awkward, I could not get sound on JustinTV.com on the first day. Yesterday it was a little better with some commentary from a couple guys who had to have been watching the same feed as I. They couldn't tell who the hell the riders were anymore than I could. We all knew George was going to get the win, especially after covering all the attacks. He is a decent time trial-er. He will win the tour.

I let my wife know yesterday that I would not be available from Friday forward. I have several business meetings this weekend.

Live Feed Tour of Missouri

Watch avflive live video and chat on Justin.tv

Wanna Ride a Hill?

Here is a list of hills, for your reading pleasure. This was forwarded to me from Mogus. I am not sure who wrote it but, to whomever, thanks for the detailwork.

The Toughest Hills in St. Louis

Note: For a detailed map to each location, copy the text found at the end of each paragraph and paste it into the location bar on Google Maps

Alt Road — (1.3 mile, 394 feet of elevation, average grade 5.74%, max grade 11%) - Accessing Hidden Valley Ski Resort takes you up along Alt Road from Hwy 109. The numbers on this route are a little deceptive because the road briefly flattens out in a few sections before heading back up each time. Those flats succeed in lowering the average grade to a pedestrian 5.74%. But the nearly 400' of total gain is considerable, reached after turning right from Alt onto Hidden Valley Drive and ulitmately riding to its highest point. The view alone from the summit is worth the effort of getting there. Reaching this climb by bike can be sketchy, unless it's not a issue for you riding the shoulder of Hwy 109 for the mile and a half from Woods Avenue. — Alt Road, Wildwood, Mo

Babler Park, "The Beast" — (.35 mile, 148 feet of ascent, average grade 8%, maximum grade 13%) - Babler Park is one of the finest local venues in which to perform hill work. Extremely smooth and generously wide roads with little very motor traffic make training there a distinct pleasure. The Babler Beast Triathlon has been staged in that park for many years. A hill that is not currently part of that race's bike course came to be known as the Beast. Two laps up the Beast at race pace, particularly after elevating your heart rate with a 500 yard swim, seemed pretty challenging in those days. After climbing local hills with average grades in the mid-teens, the Beast now just seems... less beastly. But no doubt about it, this one still goes up. (Note: The Beast is about midway on John Cochran Drive, from the north end) — 800 Guy Park Drive, Babler State Park, Wildwood, Mo

Babler Trails Road — (.25 mile, 190 feet of ascent, 14.39% average grade, 20.5% max grade) - This is one climb you may have unknowingly passed countless times if you regularly ride out Wildhorse Creek Road to Ossenfort. Just before you reach the Wildhorse-Ossenfort fork, Babler Trails Road will appear on your right. The innocuous entrance to this quiet neighborhood offers no clue as to the major bump in the road that lies dead ahead. This climb is long, straight, and unforgiving. Cyclists heading out to St Albans who get their heartrate up in anticipation of Ossenfort hill should consider scaling this one. It will change their perspective of the minor climb known as Ossenfort Hill. Additional note: To throw in a little confusion, along the climb the road changes names to Babler Forest. — Babler Trails Road, Wildwood, Mo

Bartizan Drive — (.3 mile, 228 feet of ascent, 12.95% average grade, 20.8% max grade) - A beast of a climb, it immediately grabs your attention at the base. For pure steepness, this one is about as vertical as it gets locally as it twists its way skyward. About halfway up, you may doubt your ability to crest the summit on a 25-tooth cog without weaving. This one has compact cranks and 27 written all over it. To find it, work your way up Woods Avenue less then a mile from Highway 109. Turn right onto Bartizan Drive then get ready to suffer. And the fun isn't over once you reach the summit. The descent is a forearm workout with its continual brake-lever squeeze until you abruptly reach the bottom. With no coast out, blasting down this seems totally out of the question. After that ordeal, the remainder of the climb up Woods Avenue to Old Manchester will seem like child's play. In the event you are descending Woods to find Bartizan, look to your left about half way down, just past the bridge. — Bartizan Drive, Wildwood, Mo

Creve Coeur Park, Marine Avenue — (.44 mile, 144 feet of elevation average grade 6.1%, max grade 12%) - Marine Avenue is the main drag through lower Creve Coeur Park. It follows the lakefront before heading up the bluff to overlook Missouri River bottom land. Without the luxury of a shoulder, the relatively narrow, winding road doesn't lend itself to cyclists looking to get a hill workout, particularly on a busy weekend morning. But if well-timed, the ascent has merit with its very steady grade. The climb may not light one's legs up like some of the 20%+ max grades found on other, tougher local hills, but in all, it still offers a nice medium burn at just under a half mile in length. — Marine Ave, Creve Coeur Park

Franks Road — (2.71 mile, 855 feet of elevation, average grade 5.975%) - Much like far West County, Jefferson County is home to a number of great climbs. Cyclists who have ridden the Sandy Creek Century will attest to that. What Jefferson County offers is a combination of steep pitches and long climbs with its massively rolling terrain. A drive south on Gravois from Hwy 270 leads you to High Ridge and brings you to Franks Road. Riding the full 2.71 miles of this winding two-laned road from west to east will hit you with 855 total feet of climbing. But what will get your full attention is the awesome .5 mile middle section that rises 290 feet, an average grade of 10.9%. Unfortunately, this climb is a bit removed from the typical haunts of most cyclists, but qualifies as a "must add" to any hill lover's riding résumé. (Historical Aside— In the 1890's, the high wheel cyclists would often ride the rolling 90-mile round trip between St Louis and De Soto passing through High Ridge on "the Gravois Road." Remarkably, Cola Stone managed it in 4 hrs 10 minutes on his 35lb, fixed gear, 48" big-wheel bike along the unpaved roads. The ride was described this way by a Post-Dispatch columnist: "Only the supermen of the high wheel attempted that man-killing century run to De Soto and back over Ozark hills and grades that were impossible for the average rider). — Franks Road, High Ridge, Mo

Highland View — (.32 mile, 251 feet of ascent, average grade 14.86%, max grade 21%) - This hill is one of those "off the beaten path" climbs that you have to want to do. Let's face it, few cyclists will add an out and back spur to their ride just to throw in another brutal climb. Many of the hills that find their way onto our list are necessary evils (if you want to view them as such) because they are situated on commonly ridden roads. Highland View is located just off of Fox Creek Road as you head south towards Hwy 44 and Six Flags. It is actually partially visible on your right soon after you pass Model Realty Road. A breathtaking glimpse of an upper stretch of Highland View emerges from the trees along the ridge. If your sense of adventure or curiosity lead you to this hill, it is an imposing site as you look up from its base. The climb is virtually a straight shot to the top. You'd better be on your small ring at the start of the grind or risk dropping your chain if you try shifting it midway. The torque on your chain will be high immediately. When thankfully reaching the top, you'll understand why this street is named Highland View. Then you must deal with the other issue— getting down! The descent must be performed judiciously because the road is not perfectly smooth and it ends in a T at the bottom. To do otherwise would be a death-wish. It is interesting to speculate, however, about what rate of speed one could attain if the descent could be done all-out on glassy, smooth asphalt with a nice, long coast-out at the bottom. Our guess would be in the low 60's.— Highland View Drive, Pacific, Mo

Hunters Ford Road — (.81 mile, 340 feet of ascent, average grade 7.95%, max grade 18%) - Our discussion of great local hill climbs has lingered near Sick Flags. If you've driven southwest on Highway 44 near that point, the reason is clear— hills! Without straying too far into Jefferson County (which has its own complete roster of challenging ascents), we should at least point our cycling gloved finger at another increasingly popular climb. This one came to my attention this past summer. Cyclists riding to Six Flags often choose to include an approximately 8-mile loop that takes them to the south side of Hwy 44. To capture the full flavor of this particular ramp, one must ride the loop in a counter-clockwise fashion. The map will show a road route of: Wengler - Homeker - Sheerin - Hunters Ford Road, though its doubtful you'll notice the name changes along the way. The climb up Hunters Ford is not so severely steep as a few of the previous hills we've discussed here, but its longish nature definitely earns our esteemed designation of grinder. The loop is a must-do before impending commercial and residential developments adversely affect it. — Hunters Ford Rd, Pacific, Mo

Melrose Road — (First Climb- .33 mile, 156 feet of ascent, average grade 8.86 %, max grade 14.5%) - Second Climb- .34 mile, 136 feet of ascent, average grade 7.57%, max grade 15%) - No discussion of Wildwood hills would be complete without mentioning the climb(s) riders face up Melrose Road starting just around the corner from the entrance to Rockwood Reservations near Hwy 109. While not the steepest nor the longest hill(s) in west county, this is actually a double-tiered ascent which will still put a distinct burn in the legs. Once crested, the first plateau is but a two-thousand yard respite before the road points back up again. If the first climb didn't reduce you to spinning your small chain ring, the second one probably will. The road is yet another recently poured, silky smooth, asphalt overlay so commonly found in Wildwood these days. When ridden from the opposite direction (i.e. from Six Flags) the combination of hills offers two blazingly fast drops that can be taken full out. — Melrose Road & Glencoe Road, Wildwood, Mo

Orville Road — (.39 mile, 153 feet of ascent, average grade 7.4%, max grade 12.8%) - This winding stretch of asphalt runs along a ridgetop between Etherton and Shepard Roads, where at each end lies a ramp. The more popular and safer direction in which to ride this road is probably west to east— from Etherton to Shepard. This is primarily because of the severe descent into a T-intersection that riders face at Etherton from east to west on Orville. But taken from either direction, the climb to the ridgetop is challenging. Upon entering Orville from Etherton Rd, riders are greeted immediately with a 10%+ grade. The road pitches more steeply for the next .1 of a mile until it maxes out at 12.8%. From that point, the worst is over and it's just a steady slog to the top. — Orrville Rd & Eatherton Rd, Chesterfield, MO 63005
Pere Marquette Park — The ride up the Great River Road to Pere Marquette Park actually netted two hills for the price of one. Not only was the main road leading up into the park there for us to climb, but a challenging hill was situated behind the park on Graham Hollow Road. Regardless of whether one chooses to ride clockwise or counter, the two roads form a very nice loop upon which you can climb one and descend the other. While I was there, several cyclists were doing just that. — Graham Hollow Rd, Grafton, IL

Pere Marquette Park — (1.0 mile, 370 feet of elevation, average grade 7.0%, max grade 16.5% ) - The climb up the park will likely have you standing on your pedal immediately. The good news is that after the initial quarter mile onslaught, the worst is over. The road twists its way to the top with curling switchbacks and even levels off in a couple of places. Riders making their way to the summit can enjoy a vista of the river and flatlands below the bluff.

Graham Hollow Road — (2.28 miles, 426 feet of elevation, average grade 3.5%, max grade 17.2%) - This section of riding is really a road with two personalities. The first 1.75 miles are a sustained, low-grade rise. While it reduces the overall average grade of the ride to the top, it allows provides a nice leg warmer before you get to the good part. The last .75 mile kicks up nicely throwing all its got at you. (.75 mile, 229 feet, average grade 6% , max 17.2%.

Ries Road — (.2 mile, 128 feet of ascent, average grade 12%, maximum grade 17.5%) - Visitors to Castlewood State Park often arrive via Manchester and Ries Roads. That route takes them south along the incredible rollers of Ries Road. Some readers may not realize that not so long ago Ries Road formed a challenging out and back bike course for a triathlon from The Pointe at Ballwin Commons. Upon exiting Castlewood Park and retracing their path back to Ries Road, cyclists are immediately confronted with a climb of challenging proportions. From its base at Kiefer Creek Rd. & Ries Rd., the climb begins gently enough before it pitches seriously upward, rising 128 feet vertically in just two tenths of a mile. Click on Google's satellite or hybrid map options for a nice bird's eye view that terrain's undulating nature. — Ries Road, Ballwin, Mo
Scenic Loop Road, "The Wall" — (.17 mile, 161 feet of ascent, average grade 17.95%, max grade 24.9%) - If it appears that the series focus thus far has been on Wildwood, that's no coincidence as there are so many magnificent climbs situated within its undulating city limits. The ride to Six Flags has remained a popular one for many years. Some choose to arrive via the long descent down Allenton to Fox Creek while others opt for the counter-clockwise direction and climbing the longish, medium-grade up Allenton alongside Six Flags to upper Greensfelder Park. In either case, nearly all cyclists generally ride right past Scenic Loop Road which curls through the park proper. This little-trafficked two-mile loop, when ridden in a clockwise fashion (backwards), will confront you with another leg-shredding incline affectionately known as "The Wall." It performs a credible impersonation. — 4250 Allenton Rd, Pacific, Mo

Wildhorse Creek Road, "Doberman Hill" — (.35 mile, 193 feet of ascent, average grade 10.4%, max grade 16%) - There are some local hills that over time have become old standards. In fact a few have even earned nicknames. Whether Doberman alludes to some menacing canine from years past or the figurative bite the hill puts in your legs, I haven't a clue. Riding east on Wildhorse Road just past the intersection of Centaur Rd, the new asphalt overlay curls upward from an elevation of 565 feet to 720 feet as it climbs to meet Hwy 109 just east of the summit. There are steeper and there are longer hills to climb, but this one hurts because, more often then not, you've just hammered your legs along the fast, 4-mile, flat stretch of Wildhorse Creek before arriving at the base of Doberman. Taken from the top down (east to west), Doberman offers the cycling thrillseekers among us a very smooth, high-speed descent. — Centaur Rd, Wildwood, Mo ( closest locator text string we could find)

Cyclocross practice to begin at Faust Park

We are thinking Wednesday at 5:30 at Faust Park. The Hawk will be there with barriers. I will be laying out a course for the next several weeks of training. The pseudo course will provide others the opportunity to do laps on their own or on our organized practices. Bring a mountain bike if you don't have a cross bike. The first race is October 14 and the series is pretty much every Sunday until December. For information on the series go here.

Roots and Blues Festival Columbia MO

Wow, Columbia MO was the spot for blues and BBQ party. This picture doesn't tell the story, but it was a sea of people all the way down to Jesse Hall from the corner of 8th and Broadway. This festival has got to come back, and they better be ready. This was a huge hit. Way to go Columbia on your ability to promote your city. See you this week at the Tour of Missouri.

Pfoodman/Wapiti MS ride

Man, that was fun. To the Pfellow Pfun Clubbers, I am sorry for leaving early. Once they called up the big teams like the Rams (must have had 100,000 riders) Kaldi's coffee, Express Scripts, tossing the hordes of riders on to the course. Well, I felt like I was in a cat 4 race, if you know what I'm talkin bout. I had never done a ride like that, it is challenging navigating around the varying degrees of proficiency. (That is as nice as I can put it). I am such a uber euro snobschnict.

D and I went to the front where we stayed until I hooded up with Mike Best of Gateway Cycling, a fellow mountain bike racer whom I hadn't seen or ever ridden road bikes with. He had his bro in law Todd along with him, both strong. D dropped back a bit with some Rams guys and the rest of the day was spent keeping a gap on them. We pretty much pace lined it through the days total of 104 miles in 5:13. 4700 feet of climbing. I don't train much for the long ones like that, but I had a great time and a heck of a work out. Mogus is out for another, doing a double, as are a couple other hard cores. Instead of riding this morning, D and I went to Bob Evans and ate bacon.

Jim Scheetz

God Bless Jim Scheetz for raising 10 GRAND for the MS society. WTF? This guy did the origional MS ride back in 1930 or something. Came back this year to join Team Pfoodman/Wapiti and ding, ding, ca ching? , brings in 10 grand. This years total contribution to the MS Society combining Pfoodman's "in kind" donation with the teams donation, tops 20,000 bucks. Not bad for a bunch of has-beens and wanna-bees. Congrats Jim on meeting your goal.

This just in, Scheetz continues to recover from pile up on 270 and 40. Apparently a Scheetz was in the draft of a Viper (not racing) and got pulled into the shoulder from a downburst during a thunderstorm and slid in to th back of an 18 wheeler. At this writing, he not only will remain on the riding roster for Saturday, but he has upped his mileage to 150 miles per day for the two day event. Way to go Jimmer!

Before and After Colorado Trip

You see, the problem with these trips is that a bunch of normal family men descend (ascend) upon the mountain trails with little or no personal identity in order to achieve something... something better-- to "go to the mountain top" for recollection and purpose. To find something of themselves, that would normally stay hidden within.

Case in point, Thrasher, the smartest man in the world, at command central below. Very focused doing what he thinks is his life purpose. A window to both worlds, one to his left, a world filled with cars and cement wonderland, and another window, the one directly in front of him, cyberworld, filled with newsgroups and loose knit commentary.


Return from a trip like this and see what happens? Go to Colorado/get a makeover. Are those hushpuppies?

For all ages

Hawkins new "boutique" bike

Yes, after a disaster with the fisher full suspension sway fest extravaganza. Silent D, The Hawk, Femur or whatever pet name of the week we choose to call him, recently purchased what I consider incredible style-ishious hard tail 29er goodness. Now that he is back to riding a bike at least, points are only awarded if you ride the freaking thing. Just in time for the end of the season, but hark, Burnin and Cyclocross awaits. I have again gotten him back in shape.

Um, question...WTF is the frame doing on the couch?

Ralphie

Bald guy sent me this, worth a minute of your life...

Look Close

I stole this photo from the www.stlbiking.com site because a team mate of mine offered up the pose. Pfoodman sponsors Velo Force, a bike race team in St. Louis. I still race, but less occasional these days, I like mainly the regional mountain bike races and the Cyclocross series that Big Shark Bicycles puts on each year in the fall. I suppose I will occasionally show up at a road race, or train for some Crits here or there. It truly depends on the amount of time and effort I have to put towards the season. Injuries have kept me from doing much in the way of Crit Racing. The dirt is a little more crash friendly, once the skill level for descending is achieved. Nobody tends to fall down in front of you, taking the whole field out. Too many broken bones.

The Gateway Cup takes place each year throughout the city of St. Louis over Labor Day weekend. It is a great event, offering up the best riders in the region.

Last Saturday we busted out a century with the Pfun Club in anticipation of the MS ride this week. When coming in the Creve Courer Lake we saw Tilford and his clan coming up the hill. Not a helmet on a one of them. Style is important...