Ride of the Century
It was a cool autumn morning when the Team Rev riders began to assemble on the Ameristar parking lot to do the Trailnet Ride the Rivers Century. This star studded group consisted of: Amy McClintock- a very strong new Team Rever rider from the Wednesday night ride, Lisa Glad-another very strong Team Rev newbie , Dessa Paris-12 hour endurance champion, Amanda Hassner-24 hour endurance champion, Susan Kloha- Team Rev veteran rider and mountain bike bad ass, Randy Love- an amazing 62 year old rider who does weekly centuries and prefers to ride in sandals! Holy, Janet Bassel -one of the founding members of Team Rev who is a Senior Olympic gold medalist and just all around good bike rider, Alice Butler- a member of the Team Rev board and 2011 Froze Toes champion, and myself-okay so maybe not everyone in the group was a star.
The ride started out in a very surreal setting as we rolled across the Page extension bridge into the Creve Coeur valley. The sun was on the horizon and there was a dreamy layer of fog covering the fields. I have often been in the fog mentally but I have never ridden through it. It was quite literally cool. As I rolled through the clouds, they gripped my bare arms with cool dampness of a moist towelette.
We made our way up Marine Rd. and out of the valley. The cool morning gave way to a gorgeous sunny day. As we proceeded towards Forest Park, heady topics were discussed….”Why do dead possums smell worse than other road kill?”….”Do they smell worse when they are alive?” …”Is their odor stronger because they are bigger than squirrels?”…No one seemed to have a definitive answer but it really didn’t matter.
The route took us through Forest Park to the CWE to downtown where we made our way to the glorious Riverfront Trail. The Riverfront trail is known for it’s cool urban art, fishy looking fisherman, industrial aromas, and penetrating pavement.
We made it across the RFT without opening a single CO2 cartridge. Miraculous!
The RFT took us to the Chain of Rocks Bridge where me and Amy put on a bunny hopping show that would have made Bugs proud. Amy stole the show with a gravity defying hop that brought her rear wheel at least a foot and a half above the bridge deck. Impressive!
The Chain of Rocks Bridge was followed by a trip up the levee trail where cx skills were tested to get through the overlapping gates. All but myself made it through with catlike agility. The levee trail took us to our lunch destination in Alton.
After lunch, we made our way up the Great River Road. The Mighty Mississippi rolled by on the left. To our right it looked as though someone had put a stick of dynamite under a Crayola 64 pack. The trees along the bluff exploded in burnt sienna, maize, maroon, orange-yellow AND yellow-orange! The tail wind at our backs made 23 mph effortless. It was the kind of stuff that cyclists dream about. We made our way through Alton and the quaint town of Grafton where we boarded the Brussels ferry to take us across the Illinois River. Upon exiting the ferry, we were greeted by stunning golden rolling farm fields. This beautiful roller coaster ended at the Golden Eagle Ferry.
The Golden Eagle Ferry took us back across the Mississippi to Missouri. We were back in Missouri and ready to tackle the final leg of the journey. A formidable head wind was waiting for us. The Team Rev peloton pulled together and helped each other to the finish.
The odyssey ended in the Ameristar parking lot with a flurry of fist bumps, cheers, and a few beers.
What a ride. What a group.
I am going to avoid using the “e” word here. I do not want to be considered cliché. This may, however, have been the Ride of the Century.
It has been two days since the ride. I am still smiling.
Rev on!
BR
