Confession time. In this blog, I have often lamented the ignorance and inattentiveness of the motorist when engaging a bicyclist. However, today I almost nailed a biker. Coming out of the establishment that changes my oil in the "geezermobile Buick" the street I turn onto is usually quite busy. Having checked both directions and seeing no autos, I began pulling onto the street. But, much to my astonishment and chagrin, a bicyclist ran directly into my path from the left. Yes, he was riding on the wrong side of the street but I still should have seen him. With my 60 year old cat like quickness I applied the breaks and missed hitting him by less that a foot. I absolutely did not see him. He was not in my visual arena. I have been told and have, in fact, told many people to ride a bicycle like you are invisible. The lesson here is to realize most people do not try to hit bicyclists but when they do it's because they actually do not see them. I will now resolve to have more patience with those motorists who turn my rides into adventures.
On another note, last Friday I took several bikers on a twenty mile trip to nearby Metamora, had lunch, and returned in time to drive to Champaign to watch the Fighing Illini pulverize the lowly SIU Salukies. Okay, Okay, what are they doing playing a team two divisions below them. Hey a win is a win. But, I digress. The trip is sponsored by the Washington Park District. We had a great time on the ride and the Park District is having me lead a group on October 9th to nearby Goodfield for lunch. This should be about a 40 mile trek and, with novice riders, it looks to be a lot of fun. I set a leisurely pace and anyone who would like to turn it into a race, you win. More later.

Birthday today. Several people suggested I ride my age today. I did and it is was quite a long ride. I know some of the followers of this blog will suggest I rode a century!! Very funny. Not quite. However, I did ride a century last Friday. This is my second 100 mile ride this summer. I again rode to Champaign but this time it was to attend my class reunion. And, no again, it wasn't my 100th year reunion. Do they still have those? I doubt it. Anyway, I only made one stop in Bloomington. At the grocery store/gas station, while paying for my Gatorade and powerbar, the clerk asked if I purchased gas. I was mildly amused since I still had my biking helmet, biking gloves and spandex on. My assumption was the clerk could tell I was riding my bicycle but apparently not. In his defense, I imagine that response is so ingrained in his speech pattern it was a natural thing to ask. Nevertheless, I still found it amusing. This is the first time I only stopped once during a 100 mile ride. And, with a cross/tailwind it was the fastest I had ridden this route. I averaged 20.1 mph. While that might seem average to many, I had never ridden so fast for so long. I doubt I will attempt this again, especially at my advanced age.
The picture I post with this entry is my second grade school picture. Many followers are wondering if they, in fact, had cameras back in those days. Again, very funny!!! Enough ranting for now. More later.

Biking update-Averaging about 200 miles per week. The weather has been extremely hot 93-95 with a heat index around 105. It may be hot but at least its humid!!
Anyone interested, the Washington Park district has requested that I lead a group of bicycle enthusiast on a ride from Russells Cycle shop in Washington to Metamora, do lunch and back to Russells. This event is on the 11th of September and begins at 11:00 a.m. Round trip is about 35 miles and should be finished in about two hours. All levels of riders are welcome. Then on October 9th they want me to lead a group from Russells to Busy Corners Cafe in Goodfield. We leave at 11:00, do lunch and ride back to Russells. Round trip is around 35 miles. all levels of riders are welcome and we should be back in around two hours. Anyone who would like to make this into a race--you win!! Apparently, the head of the park district seems to think I know the back roads around Tazewell and Woodford County and could safely lead a group. Ha! what do they know. I hope I don't get lost. Anyway, everyone is welcome to join me and I'm looking forward to the experience. Jim, Ira, Karen, Barbie, Hank, and anyone else from the 09 cross country ride is welcome. Note: there are no great climbs, it is relatively short, the corn and bean fields should be picked so the scenery would consist of farm fields that have incorporated conservation tillage. We could have great fun mocking those farmers still using "full till" farming.
Look forward to seeing everyone!!

Yesterday was my annual 100 mile ride or "century" from Washington Il. to Champaign. I take a secondary road; rt 150. I had the wind at my back the entire time so with three stops I completed the ride in less than 6 hours. I had no close encounters or other misadventures. It was a very relaxing 100 mile ride if that is possible. Oddly enough, in the last three years, the road has been resurfaced and widened with smooth asphalt. What I find amazing is that it parallels interstate 74 so the only traffic are locals with very few semi-trucks . I imagine the trucks I see are attempting to avoid the weigh stations so the traffic is relatively light. The cost to resurface this road must be in the multiple millions of dollars. However, the most amazing thing is that IDOT is replacing a bridge over railroad tracks in Mansfield. Il. with a population of 200. Now here is the rub. After placing barricades to block route 150, a short detour will put you on a parallel road that crosses the tracks at ground level. There is no need for a bridge!!. The amount of money spent on these roads is okay with me because it makes by bike ride so much smoother. I will suggest that is not the states intent, but I certainly enjoy it. Illinois is in debt to the tune of 12 billion dollars and is still putting money into roads that do not need repair. I find that amazing.
On another note, as I was coming into town from my local ride I had an encounter with a motorist. He berated me for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. We had a verbal exchange and I was in fear for my safety. (Okay not really) Apparently he is not aware of the bill recently signed by the governor that makes it a crime to "hassle" a bicyclist. Maybe I should turn him in. I guess I should come to a complete stop at all stop signs. I will try to do that in the future. (Okay, not really)
I continue to follow Teddy Herrera's biking adventure. It will be something if he completes his 11,000 mile ride. When he arrives in New York I will alert Peter. When he passes through West Palm beach I will alert Fred Hampton. When he passes through Tampa I will alert magic Mike. When he passes through LA I will alert Ira and Jim and when he finally arrives in Sacramento I will alert Karen and Hank. Hopefully they will find the time to seek him out and exchange pleasantries. More updates later.

This has been a very interesting week related to my biking. It's not about the heat and humidity. It's not about the near misses with auto's or trucks. It's not about the horrible conditions of the newly graveled country roads I normally ride. It's not about the oppressive heat. (Hey I guess it kinda is). It is about some very positive happenings. First, on Sunday, Harry called from England. We had a very enjoyable chat. He, again, invited us to visit and I'm close to accepting. Ronni and I are tentatively planning a trip to Europe in late August or early September to celebrate our anniversary. I have a good friend, (yes, I actually have a friend) Brian, who currently lives in England. I would be able to visit both while there. I am looking forward to finalizing our plans.
Now, on a more curious note, I was having breakfast with good friend Luke (ok, so I have 2 friends) at the Galley. It is a small restaurant in East Peoria that locals (not crazy...hummm maybe so!) patronize for a good breakfast with friendly service. It is not the "chain" variety so there are not many tourists. But, as I was entering the establishment, I noticed a touring bike with heavily loaded panniers. My first thought was that whomever the owner was, they were going on a very long trip or were returning from one. Upon entering the Galley, I observed that the only person capable of owning that bike was a young man sitting alone in the corner of the place. So as not to intrude on his privacy, Luke and I had what for us was our normal Tuesday breakfast. Soon, media types showed up to interview the young man. Since his privacy was no longer an issue I went over to introduce myself and inquire as to his circumstance . It turns out his name is Teddy Herrera he is 24 years old and is currently riding across the country. Subway is sponsoring him and he is riding to bring awareness to childhood obesity. Now, while that might sound impressive, here's the rest of the story. He started his ride in Sacramento CA. (sorry Hank and Karen, he doesn't know you guys/girls) and is going to Boston. But then, he will be heading down the East Coast to Miami Fl. and ride back to Sacramento. That is over 11,000 miles. It is a totally unsupported venture; thus, the 35 pounds of equipment he is carrying on his bike. He indicated he was going to Washington Il. to Russell's Cycle shop to get a tune-up and acquire needed supplies before heading to Chicago. He is stopping in major cities along his route to address organizations and various groups to promote awareness of the problems of childhood obesity. After a brief chat whereby I shared I had ridden from LA to Boston, I wished him good luck and headed for my daily ride. Before leaving Washington, I rode up to Russell's to see if I would run into him but alas, he had not arrived. So, I went on my two hour sojourn (heat-96 degrees, humidity 80%-mad dogs and Englishmen-shout out to Magic Mike). After returning, I decided to check and see if he was still in town. The good people at Russell's told me he left about 10 minutes before I got there. However, a patron indicated he had seen a young man at the local Subway and he still might be there. I immediately headed to the Subway and lo and behold there he sat. Fortunately, I brought my camera and we took a picture. After a brief visit I left and pondered the irony of running into Mr. Herrera. What are the chances that one of the few people in the area that bicycled across the country (me) would encounter this individual who was doing the same plus more. The stars had to be perfectly aligned, with the moon in the 7th house. Now, to me, that was amazing. So, to sum up, I wish the young man a safe journey, hope he accomplishes his goal and raises a ton of awareness to fight childhood obesity. There is a video a local channel 25 made of his ride so far. I have tried to download it onto this blog but have been unsuccessful. Now there is more to the story. After learning he would be in town until tomorrow, I invited him to stay at my place for the night and he graciously accepted. The lovely Veronica had a meal prepared and it was greatly appreciated by me and Teddy. This morning I was going to direct him to the route he needed to take to get to Chicago. But, I went ahead and biked the first 10 miles to be sure he would not get lost. I then proceeded to do another 30 to finish my riding day. All in all a very interesting experience. Here is his blog site.http://acrossamericaforchildhoodobesity.wordpress.com/

About ready for my first century of the summer. Waiting for favorable winds and will be biking to Champaign Il. from Washington. Riders from the Cross Country ride remember will remember Champaign as a rest day in a university town. Bob, Tom, Hank and myself as well as Willie and his guests ate at Italian Inn. Later, many of the riders went to my favorite watering hole, Hubers. The wait staff still remember Harry and his "foreign" accent. They have asked if he plans on returning at some point. Apparently, Harry left quite an impression.
On another note, Ronni and I recently purchased a condo in Champaign so we will have a place to stay during our frequent visits. I am now officially "land poor" More on my century later.

Wow, it been awhile since my last post. On the biking front, governor Quinn just signed a law that makes it a misdemeanor to hit or intentionally hassle a bicyclist in Illinois. It could result in a fine of up to $2,500 and a year in jail. This is in addition to the "three feet law" that requires motorists must pass a bicyclist by at least three feet. I guess Illinois is getting serious with the "share the road" concept. Most of us who bike frequently understand that motorists who nearly hit us either don't know the law or choose to ignore it. Now, here is the ironic part. Yesterday, during my regular ride, (I still ride between 35-40 miles a day, six days a week) a car missed me by a mere half foot. There were no cars coming from the opposite direction. As he went by I glanced over and, of course, he was texting on his cell phone. After cursing him and, yes I admit it, I flipped him off, we passed a crossroad. The corn in this part of Illinois is at least seven feet tall and makes good camouflage for state troopers. Lo and behold, a troopers car was parked and the officer observed the entire episode. He immediately pulled out, put on his lights and pulled over the motorist. The guy in the car must not have seen the cop because he didn't pull over until about a mile down the road. I guess he was busy doing something. As I biked by, the officer had a big grin on his face, his ticket book in his hand, and he waved at me to keep going. I don't know if he ticketed the offender by I'm sure the motorist now knows the law.
Checking on the XC09 crew, it looks like Harry (England) is visiting California and he and the "Dalton Gang" are going on a very scary ride. Also, there is talk of a reunion ride in 2012. I hope I would be able to join them but we will see. Also, Ira, one of the faster riders from the XC09 crew, has purchased a new bike. It is awesome and I suspect Ira will now challenge Lance Armstrong for bike supremacy in the U.S. Good luck to the "posse" and stay safe on your ride.