Category Archives: Group Rides
Follies at Ray’s Indoor MTB Park
It might take me awhile to express how amazing our weekend at Ray’s Indoor MTB Park truly was. Even when I get around to writing about it, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to describe just how much fun we had – kidnapping Bob, the laughs, the road trip, the jokes, the great food, the laughs, the new nicknames, the laughs, and of course the riding. It was a weekend by which all other weekends will be measured, and in measuring, all other weekends will pale in comparison.
In the meantime, however, here is a video of some of our “outtakes” from Ray’s. Just remember, this video doesn’t even compare to how it really was, but you can tell we had a blast… even when we were screwing up (which we did A LOT!). Enjoy…
As you can see, there were no videos of Kage crashing her bike. That’s because her skills are far superior to ours… Or it’s because she is a crash ninja and only crashed when no one was there to witness it. You decide.
I’d like to thank my teammates for joining the celebration of Bob’s upcoming wedding. It couldn’t have happened without you guys.
And I’d like to tell Bob that we really do love you, man. Seriously. Good luck in your new life. Please don’t forget us. We’ll never forget you… And we’ll never forget this weekend.
Oh No, Not Again! – The Super Century Part Deuce
Well, for those of you living in a cave, I’d like to make you aware of a little football game going down this Sunday. We call it the Super Bowl. And with the Super Bowl, comes Super Bowl parties which means way too much food and drink, which also means one of our worst ideas of all time is about to happen again.
Both signs point to the Super Century
There is something you can do as a preemptive strike on all of those calories. And to all of you out there who say, “Just don’t eat any junk food or put anything into the holy temple that is your body,” I say SHUT YO’ MOUTH! That’s just ridiculous. I’m going to eat and drink whatever I want on Super Bowl Sunday, and no one is going to make me feel guilty about it. After all, it’s what we do most of the time that matters, and most of the time I eat a healthy diet. Sunday will not be one of those days, though.
Team Virtus is once again here to “help.” It’s called the Super Century, and it is a really stupid and terribly awful idea – a virtual group trainer ride of at least 62 miles (a metric century). Yes, I said it’s a TRAINER RIDE of 62 MILES OR MORE… INDOORS! Want to know how it all came about last year? Then check this out.
Super Kage giving the first annual Super Century a thumbs down.
Last year, the first annual Super Century was a taint-smashing success. Not only did we have riders from all over the country, but we had some lunatics doing some crazy things instead of the trainer ride so we could all suffer together thousands of miles apart (check it out). So don’t be shy. If you want to join us, just leave us a comment below.
There aren’t any real rules. Just hop on a trainer (borrow one if you must), and pedal for 100 kilometers. You can even ride outside if you want to. Or you can try to come up with an equally stupid challenge. No idiot will be turned away.
Be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter for updates, photos, smack-talk, and other tomfoolery. Last year we even had “#supercentury” trending in the St. Louis area last year. So if you are stupid awesome and brave enough to join us in this horrible “group” ride, be sure to use the #supercentury hashtag so we can see it. I’ve also set up a challenge on Daily Mile which you can find right here.
I’ll be starting at 6:00 AM Central Time again this year since I have to work at 11:30. If you want to be able to “chat” with us via facebook and twitter, you should be riding sometime between 6:00 AM and 10:30 AM CDT. I hope to be done in 4 hours or so, but we’ll see.
So… Seriously, it was one of the worst things I did last year, yet it was one of the best things I did last year (Here is my terrible blog post about it). It’s hard to describe just how terrible and awesome it really was, so you should just join us and find out for yourself. Yes, YOU! And if you’re preparing for the Dirty Kanza, the OGRE or Cedar Cross, then you should DEFINITELY join us since it will not only train your legs and taint, it will train your mind!
Leave us a comment if you want to join us, if you have questions, and especially if you have any movie recommendations to help me block out the pain in my ass.
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Milk It With Us at the MLK2 Ride
It’s here, ladies and gentlemen. After a full year of anticipation, the second annual Martin Luther King Ride (MLK2) is THIS SATURDAY! Last year we simply had way too much fun (thanks to the Hoosier Daddies), so we’re doing it again. I can’t even tell you how awesome this ride/party was last year. I’m not kidding. It was amazing. Just go read the report linked above.
There will be cookies, thanks to Kage, and yes, we will grill them. Seriously.
We’re meeting at the Berryman Campground Trailhead (Google Map Here) at 8:00 AM on Saturday, January 19th. We’ll probably roll out at 8:30-ish. Last year, there were some wickedly fast dudes who rode the entire 25-26 mile loop, but there were also fat, slow guys (Me) that only did part of the trail. So don’t be shy. It doesn’t matter if you ride 2 miles, 25 miles or no miles at all. It doesn’t matter if you’re fast or slow. It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, veteran or newby, blue-eyed or brown-eyed. All that matters is you aren’t a douche bag and you want to ride and have fun with like-minded people.
Mmm… Beer… Courtesy of the Hoosier Daddies
The Hoosier Daddies made the first annual MLK Ride one helluva party, and they’re planning on doing it again. They’re bringing beer, brats, buns, plates, a grill, some tunes, and the oh-so-delicious blackberry whiskey. If you’re so inclined, bring a dish to share. That would be swell.
The weather looks like it’s going to be nearly perfect, so make sure you’re there. Leave us a comment to let us know you’re coming, or head over to the facebook event page to do so and get any last minute updates. While you’re there, be sure to like our team page as well. And leave a comment here or on the facebook page if you want to carpool with anyone. I know some people are looking for a ride to split the gas in the Jeff City area, so again, don’t be shy. Speak up!
If you weren’t here last year, make sure you are this year.
We’ll have riders from St. Louis, Mid-Mo, Kansas City, Rolla, Springfield, and who knows where else. There is even talk of some people camping the night before and/or after. Single track, food, beer, cookies, camping, whiskey, tons of laughs… There will be something for everyone! C’mon. You know you want to be there.
Lastly, Here is a link to some trail info including a pdf of a trail map of the Berryman Trail: Click Me! So if you don’t want to miss the best ride of the year (so far), then we’ll see you on Saturday!
The Monster Ride is this Weekend!!
Jim Smith’s MKT endurance cruise to St. Charles is nearly upon us. Below is the link from monster-bicycles.com, (proud sponsor of the Cedar Cross). Team TOG will be in attendance, and rumor has it they’ve pledged to pay for the first 7 rounds of beers. Kudos to those guys!
And now a word from this weekend’s Master of Ceremonies:
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It’s October, which means beautiful weather, changing leaves, and a celebration of booze across Missouri vineyards. What better way to enjoy these than a weekend of riding and camping on the KatyTrail through Missouri wine country with old and new friends? Answer: There isn’t one.
So pump up your tires, knock the dust off of that tent, and join us for what promises to be a good time. This ride is open to anyone reading this, those not reading this, or anyone else that may hear anything about this….and those that don’t.
Details…
What: A ride on the KatyTrail with camping and merryment
When: Saturday Oct. 20-21
Where: The KatyTrail between Columbia, MO and St. Charles, MO.
Day 1, Oct 20: Columbia to Herman: 80ish miles (can be made shorter by meeting any point along the route)
I will roll out of FlatBranchPark in Columbia, MO around 7am and head to the KatyTrail via the MKT Nature Trail. I’ll head East on the KatyTrail to the North Jefferson City trailhead where I’ll pick up more riders around 10am. Anyone wanting to meet at any other trail head should just let me know. We’ll then continue east on the trail to Herman where we will camp and be merry.
Day 2, Oct 21: Herman to St. Charles: 65ish miles
In the morning after we break camp, those riders wishing to return to Jefferson City or Columbia will head back West on the trail, while I and anyone else wishing to continue onto St. Charles will head East.
Logistics: Though this is a group ride, it should be approached as a fully self supported ride. This means you should make plans on getting your own camping gear to Herman, as well as finding your own way home from your destination. There will be no sag support, bike shuttle, or aid stations. I’m sure we will be stopping at local businesses along the route to eat and refill water as needed, so bring some cash.
Riders should feel free to join in at any point along the KatyTrail to adjust the mileage for their comfort level. There are towns and trailheads nearly every 10 miles on the trail, so the possibilities are endless. Refer to www.bikekatytrail.com for details. There may also be some riders leaving from St. Charles on Sat. and returning on Sun. for anyone interested in that option.
Please leave a comment if you are interested in joining us, or with any questions or concerns. Hope to see you there!
A Monster of a Group Ride
I have big news, everyone: Our man Jim Smith, overlord of Monster Bicycle Company and proud sponsor of the Cedar Cross, is organizing a long group ride on the Katy Trail.
Ride deets are as follows:
Date of departure: 10/20/2012
Point A: Columbia, MO
Point B: Hermann, MO
Distance from A-B: Approximately 90-ish miles
Upon arrival at point B, Jim wishes for us to “camp and be merry.” I’m cool with that.
The next morning, we’ll resume travel in an Easterly direction en route to Point C
Point C: St. Charles, MO
For anyone who has never done a long Katy Trail ride, there’s a trip planner at www.bikekatytrail.com where you can find tons of info regarding places along the trail to refill water/buy food/take a crap, etc. There are towns and trailheads about every 10 miles, so you can customize this ride to suit yourself. The possibilities are literally endless.
Justin and Aaron at one such “kiosk”
You can bet I’ll be stopping in Treloar for delicious cheeseburgers and again in Augusta for a growler of their fabulous craft beer. This is going to be a great ride with great people, and you should be there. ALL are welcome.
Rumor has it that Jim is going to be giving away one of his custom-built titanium frames during this ride, but I might be making that up. Seriously, I’m totally lying about that.
