Gravel from the Rapp's featured one of my favorite things: a closed road. It may not be for everyone, but I love finding these little adventures and unknowns when out on a ride. This one was particularly overgrown, so initially we passed it. But I turned around to see if it was at all passable. To my surprise, the bridge was there and the decking was in decent shape.

During the rest of the ride, we encountered hills, dogs, wind, and serene, beautiful landscape. Afterwards, our good friend Chris Crandall stopped up to pay a visit. His recovery is going well and it was awesome to hang out. Edgar and I are planning on doing another ride from his cottage. There are still a lot of roads left to explore from there.

Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GSMAxM9xJ5GR8VLg6

This week in gravel features two rides: Saturday is the Cannondale demo day from Hell, MI; Sunday is the Lake Erie Fall Ride from Monroe, MI.

Our local, lovable Cannondale rep Justin has offered up the Topstone Carbon fleet to demo on Saturday morning. There are 8 bikes available to reserve, a small, medium, large, and extra large in both Ultegra and AXS builds. Shoot Justin or myself a message if you want to ride one for the day. 

The route for Saturday is 67 miles from Hell, MI with a planned stop in Unadilla at mile 31. This is a rolling, hilly route, so I encourage you to ride at your own pace. I will be leading from the back, so don't worry about getting dropped. The feature climb of the day is up Peach Mountain Observatory Road. It's long, but not at all steep. 

Saturday ride info:

Start location: 4025 Patterson Lake Rd, Pinckney, MI 48169

Departing: 8am

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30511651

The Monroe Cycling Club is holding it's 3rd Annual Lake Erie Fall Ride on Sunday. The gravel route is about 60 nearly flat miles. This will be a no drop group ride at a casual pace starting at 8am. Stay for a the beer tent afterwards.

Sunday ride info:

Registration: https://www.signmeup.com/reg/form/128337/registration

Start location: Monroe Community College, 1555 South Raisinville Road Monroe, Michigan 48161

Departing: 8am

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/29971555

To all TAB members and Friends,

Just a reminder that there will be no official TAB rides next Sunday, September 22nd. This includes the Sunday Breakfast Ride and the 1:00 Getaway Ride. Why? Because it has been TAB's policy for some time to support Maumee Valley Adventurers' invitational rides, and next Sunday is MVA's Irish Hills Tour.

You can register for the ride at the cheaper rate online until 11:59 pm Friday, September 20th.

I hope to see you on the road.

Chuck Nicewonder

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday September 17^th

          The Speedtrap Ride, Ottawa County’s best Tuesday ride, will once again depart from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore this coming Tuesday, September 17^th, at 6:10 pm. It’s vintage bike night, so get that vintage bike out and lube the chain to ride it on Tuesday!

          Scott Lang will lead the Ghost Pepper Riders over a 25-mile course. His group will likely average 22 to 24 mph. Are you up to the challenge?

          Bob Kayden will lead the Cayenne Pepper Riders over the same route, and will likely average 20 to 22 mph.

          Tony Mazurek will lead the Habanero Riders on the same course, and expects to average 18 to 20 mph.

          I will lead the Jalapeno Riders on a slightly shorter 22-mile course. We will likely average 16 to 17 mph.

          Marnie Arndt will lead the Sweet Pepper Riders on a ride over a distance and at a speed comfortable for those in her group.

          The weather forecast is for a high of 76 degrees, partly sunny,  with little or no chance of rain. However, winds will be out of the northeast at 10 to 15 mph, making a headwind for the return-to-Elmore portion of the ride.

          After the ride, there will be a special celebration in front of the bike shop. Sloppy Joes will be provided. If you plan to be a part of this special celebration, please bring a side dish to share.

          If you haven’t ridden the Speedtrap Ride, you have only two chances left this season. Why not give it a try? You’ll ride some quiet country roads and meet some super-nice people, too! Sign-in begins at 5:40 pm and we ride at 6:10 pm. I hope to see you then!

Chuck Nicewonder

 

Last Windsday was a crazy one. I got to Timberstone at 5:30 to find the whole parking lot was full. It turns out that there was a home football game. Yikes! So I posted a quick message via email and Facebook to meet at Central Trail. And Jen Wiles sat at the lot to redirect everyone to our new location 

Then there was the weather. It was just a little rain cell. headed straight for us. But 5:40, it was raining cats and dogs. So it was time to decide - cancel or ride. By 5:50, the rain moved out, and the roads started to dry. So ride it was. But now it was 86 degrees and 100% humidity – not my best riding conditions.

By this time we had 10 riders. A couple called off and went home. The 8 of us left as a group and we were off at a Reasonably Fast pace. The roads dried fast enough that spray wasn’t an issue. We had a beautiful rainbow to the east, and Jay Thomas got a great rolling picture of it and me. But it was still hot, and the air was so muggy you could cut it. Besides having a cold, I couldn’t get enough air to breathe. I wound up dropped a mile from the end, but stayed within a closing distance of the group the rest of the way in. We scored 21.1 avg (21 for me).  In other words, just another Wild Windsday.

Come join us next week. It looks like a football game at Timberstone this Weds. So join us at Central Trail, 4321 Mitchaw Road, around the corner from Timberstone JHS. With the fading light, be sure to bring lights for safety. I’ll see you all there 6:00!

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday September 10^th recap

          The Speedtrap Ride brought thirty-one riders(including Dan Willis) to Elmore this past Tuesday for a most enjoyable ride.

          Scott Lang led the Ghost Pepper Riders and reported a riding average of 22.7 mph.

          Bob Kayden led the Cayenne Pepper Group, consisting of six bikes, but seven riders, and reported 20.6 mph.

          Tony Mazurek led the Habanero Riders with an average of 19.6 mph

          Ben Durant, Claude Watkins, and I were the Jalapeno Riders. We stayed mostly together for the ride. Claude reported 16.5 mph.

          Marnie Arndt led the Sweet Pepper Riders. Although a couple riders broke off near the end, the group stayed mostly together and reported a 15.4 mph.

          The weather was fine for riding, with temperatures in the 80s. However, the was a healthy southwest wind giving riders a noticeable headwind on the first leg of the ride…but…it provided a nice tailwind for most of the return-to-Elmore portion of the ride.

          New to the Speedtrap Ride this week were Patrick Francis, who rode in the Cayenne Pepper Group, and Chrissy Hart, who rode with the Sweet Pepper Riders. Both are pictured! Welcome Patrick and Chrissy to the Speedtrap Ride!

          After the ride, several riders spent at least some time enjoying food, drink, and good conversation at the Portage Inn in Elmore.

          Please join us next Tuesday, September 17^th, for the next chapter of the Speedtrap Ride. Sign-in will begin at 5:40 and we will ride at 6:10 pm. After the ride, there will be a special celebration in front of the bike shop. Sloppy Joes will be provided. If you plan to be a part of this special celebration, please bring a side dish to share.

          I hope to see you next Tuesday, September 17^th, at Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore.

Chuck Nicewonder

Our first 6:00 Windsday didn’t keep the riders away last week. 20 riders showed up on a cloudy cool night to fight the fall NW winds that blew at 10 mph. But boy did we enjoy the return trip with the tailwind. Edgar’s Fast & Furious rode a relaxed (for them) 23.3 mph, Jen’s Reasonably Fast pushed a 20.49 (she pushes the ride limit just to aggravate me!) and the Reasonable & Reliable group came in at a good 17.9 average. We were joined on that ride by first time TAB rider Natalie Walter. She rode with us like an experienced rider including several good pulls at the front. She promised she’d be back for more!

This Windsday brings a return to summer temperatures with low 80’s feeling like the mid 80’s thanks to the high humidity. And it also brings back our annual route change, thanks to the Tar & Chip boys of the Lucas County Engineer. They seem intent on ruining one of the major bike routes out of Sylvania. But we won’t let them stop us! Come on out an join us at 6:00 starting from Timberstone JHS, 9000 Sylvania Ave and show them the sterner stuff that TAB riders are made of! I hope to see you there!

Edgar and Patti have offered to host a gravel ride from their cottage this Saturday, 9/14 starting at 9am. The location is 12310 Crystal Lake Dr, Cement City, MI near Meckley's Fruit Farm. Enter from South Jackson Rd.

Parking is limited, so please carpool if you can. I have room for a rider and a bike, so shoot me a message if interested. Not a requirement, but feel free to bring a dish or drinks to share for lunch afterwards. Pack your swimming trunks because there is also swimming and kayaking available. And Meckley's has cider and beer in addition to other goodies.

The route is 50 miles, half gravel, half Michigan pavement, with about 1900 ft of climbing. The elevation profile promises very little flat with short to moderate hills.

Starting address: 12310 Crystal Lake Dr, Cement City, MI *Enter from South Jackson Rd*

Time: 9am

Route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31005932

Hope to see you there!

Nate

Here's the recap from Saturday's Intro to Stupid gravel ride, plus some info on upcoming gravel rides.

"Death by a thousands bumps." When the terrain has a bunch of hills that aren't all that tall or steep, they seem easy to punch up at the beginning. By the end, your legs are dead and you wonder why. The rolling landscape in the Irish Hills and Sharon Hollow area makes for some of the best gravel riding within an hours drive of Toledo. The many short hills are the best interval workout money can buy. The beautiful landscape takes your mind off the pain.

Nine riders showed for a fast and fun 70 miles from Manchester, MI. The bulk of the group was fast and experienced, and I kept up as long as I could. Average speeds were in the 15 to 17 MPH range, with rolling speeds of 19 to 21. The route was split into two 35 mile loops from Carr Park on the West edge of town. Other than a little washboard on Bethel Church Road, road conditions were awesome. Most of the gravel roads were packed and smooth. A few of the roads had some chunky gravel, but nothing to complain about. We hit some of the funnest roads in the area: Noggles, Taylor, Sylvan, Whelan, Bethel Church, Trolz. There are so many it's hard to keep track sometimes.

There are some cool gravel events coming up:

Edgar and I have been planning a gravel route from his cottage on 9/14. More details on that in another post.

Justin has offered up the Cannondale Topstone Carbon fleet to demo on 9/21. We ride from Hell, MI at 8am. There are 8 bikes available on a first come, first serve basis: small, medium, large, and extra large in both the AXS and Ultegra builds. I demoed the Ultegra build for the Chelsea gravel ride and it was fast and comfortable from the factory. The compliance from the seat-stay pivot and seat post make it a great bike for long rides. I didn't notice any unecessary flex when pedaling hard and it handled sketchy descents like a champ. Shoot Justin P. Reynolds a message on Facebook to reserve a bike.

On 9/22, Monroe Cycling Club's Lake Erie Fall Ride has a 60 mile gravel route. There is a lunch stop at Luna Pier and a beer tent afterwards. I'll be leading a no drop group starting at 8am.

9/28 takes us to Morenci, MI for one of the easier gravel century routes in the area. It's a relatively flat course that begins to head downhill around mile 55. Bonus if the wind is out of the west. There are stops every 20 miles. If you are looking to do your first gravel century, this would be a great ride for you.

More to come in October as well. I will post more info the week of each event.

Nate

Speedtrap Ride Tuesday September 10^th

          The Speedtrap Ride, Ottawa County’s best Tuesday ride, will roll out again tomorrow, Tuesday, September 10^th at 6:10 pm from Spoke Life Cycles in Elmore.

After two weeks of some fun diversions, we’re back on the regular route.

          Scott Lang will lead the Ghost Pepper Riders over a 25-mile course, and will likely average 22 – 23+ mph. Are you ready?

          Bob Kayden will lead the Cayenne Pepper Riders over the same course and expects to average 20 – 22 mph.

          Tony Mazurek will lead the Habanero Riders and will likely average 18 – 20 mph.

          I will lead the Jalapeno Riders over a slightly shorter 22-mile course, and we expect to average 16+ mph,

          Marnie Arndt will be on hand to take the Sweet Pepper Riders over a distance and at a speed comfortable for those in her group.

          The high temperature is predicted to be 89 degrees, with only a 10% chance of rain. However, winds will be SSW at 10 – 20 mph.

          After the ride, some riders may gather at the Portage Inn in Elmore for food, drink, and good conversation.

          If you haven’t experienced the Speedtrap Ride, there are only three chances left in 2019. Come on out to Elmore and ride some quiet country roads and meet some great people, too! Spice up your training with something different. You’ll be glad you did. Sign-in begins at 5:40 in front of the bike shop and we ride at 6:10 pm. I hope to see you then!