Bike Classic 2009

It was a somewhat lonely St. Paul Bike Classic this year, relatively speaking. No LissyJo or Dad. No Mean Mr. Mustard (plantar fasciitis - but he did volunteer, so we stopped at the first rest stop for the first time ever to see him helping out and to ask him whether Eryn's snotty napkin belonged in the compost container...it did). No Kyle (elbow nerve). No Ming and Logan (work - unfortunate release). No Christy (unknown). No Sandy (no Christy, among other things). No Brady (probably hanging with Ming at the unfortunate release). No Erik (riding later with his new friends). No Doug (bike stolen after RAGBRAI). No Dan (he never rides with us, he does the 30+15). And a few others.

The sole attendees were Alan, Brian (new this year, works in the same row as me at work, and biked all the way up from Eagan and back), me and Eryn on the tagalong. The problem with that setup is that there was no one slow to regulate my speed, and I just try to keep up or set a brisk pace. So by the time we were done with the ride I had an average speed of 12.5 mph. If I was on a flat or slight downhill, that might be ok, but hauling a tagalong and six year old behind a mountain bike up the river bluffs of St. Paul, that's about 2.5 mph faster than is advisable. After breakfast at the St. Clair Broiler, I went home, inspected the heat rash developing on my arms and sides, and promptly fell asleep for two hours.

So this year, no pictures of people exiting toilets, no videos of crazy old dancing ladies, no stories about thongs. Just a few nice pictures of us on the ride.

Eryn at Indian Mound Park. She was excited to learn that the people way down on the road below us (where the river is) were bicycling where we had been before climbing up the ridge. She was more excited when we went down the big hill before the park, topping out at about 30 mph. She loves the speed.


Eryn and I at about the midway point.


Alan and Brian, probably waiting for me to get back on my bike.