CSL Cycling Gear -- New Order

We'll be putting in an order for the stylish CSL Cycling gear. Wear it around town, wear it to the races, wear it to class (well, maybe not the shorts). Bib shorts and jersey run about $75 each, a bit less if we get higher numbers ordering. Deadline for ordering this time is Aug 15, takes about 6 weeks to turn around. Contact me via e-mail (click on the "Jeff Kloha" link at right) for more info.

Tour de Sem Route

Peter M posted the ride on mapmyride.com. Says here 88+, I always seem to end up with somewhere in the mid-90s.

Tour de Sem in the News

Tour de Sem is on the front page of the LCMS web site, or directly to the news article here. Ryan and Marc are pictured from last year's event, and mention is made of Marc's participation in the collegiate race.

Just a reminder that we need registrations by April 26. And, one change, rather than t-shirts participants will receive really cool CSL Cycling caps.

Memorial Day Weekend Races in Chesterfield

My other bike job is with Ghisallo Racing. I'm running a race weekend in the Chesterfield Valley on May 24-25. If you want to race, great! If you want to help out as a volunteer, even better!

Here is the race info.

Check out this link, especially if you drive a car!

It is a test, but it won't hurt -- it might even keep someone else from getting hurt.

Do The Test

Look, ride schedule!

Sarcasm is a great motivator.

Holy Week Rides are as follows:

Maunday Thursday- 9:00a River Front Trail-3+hrs (or whatever you can do)
Good Friday- Open
Saturday- Open
Easter Sunday- (After services?)
Easter Monday- Open

Add to the list as you can
EJE

Marc Rocks in First Ever Concordia Collegiate Race

Concordia participated in its first-ever collegiate level race, with Marc finishing a strong fourth in an excellent field. The race was a criterium held on a cold morning at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. This photo shows a few of the riders lined up at the start, with Marc in the green and gold CSL kit surrounded by racers from Univ. of Missouri, Univ. of Michigan, Ohio State, and Univ. of Illinois.

Marc had strong fan support, with his wife, two other couples (and one two year old) and even the guy from a local bike shop who custom-built Marc's bike frame. It was a cold morning, the racers stuck together as they warmed up for a couple of laps. Then a Mizzou guy took off, got caught, and another Mizzou guy went. This break stuck, and he built up a lead of about a minute. But then a Saint Louis University and a Purdue guy bridged up, with Marc leading the pack behind. Then Marc convinced a Univ. of Wisconsin racer to work with him. They left the pack and started working up to the front. Eventually Marc dropped the other guy, and made the bridge to the front three. By now there were only three laps to go. The four worked together and built up a two minute lead over the rest of the pack.

This photo above with Marc in the lead is from the second-last lap. All the work Marc put in didn't leave him much for the finish, but he just missed third by a wheel. After the race the four top finishers shared excited conversation about the race, and Marc received several compliments from other racers for his efforts.

We're hoping to get a larger team out for a race at Purdue in April. Stay tuned!

2008 Tour de Sem

The fourth Tour de Sem of Concordia Seminary will be held on Saturday, May 3. Last year over 25 students, faculty, spouses, and friends participated in the Tour de Sem, including President Dale Meyer and Dr. Bob Weise.

Tour de Sem is a 90 mile ride down to the original site of Concordia Seminary at Altenburg, MO. After loading up the bikes on campus, participants drive to St. Paul Lutheran Church in Columbia, IL, for devotions and the start. The first 40 miles goes through the Mississippi River flats on the Illinois side, just below massive limestone bluffs. At Modoc, the ride crosses the river by ferry, the roll through historic St. Genevieve. The next 10 miles bring some rollers, then more flats until about mile 70, when a tough climb takes cyclists out of the valley. Riders fight hills for last 20 miles, finally passing through Frohna just before reaching the still-standing log cabin seminary.

The ride is followed by a meal in Altenburg, along with tours of the church, the old seminary, and the new Lutheran Heritage museum. Our friends in Altenburg give us a warm welcome. It is a tough ride, but the training rides get us all into shape and give us a chance to meet new people – you can find a lot to talk about during a six hour ride! Every year several cyclists complete their first long rides on the Tour de Sem. Click here for the registration form and more information.

Group Ride March 1

Beautiful afternoon on tap this afternoon. We're meeting up at 1:30 for a couple of hours. Luther Tower, as always.

Tour de Sem training starts up next week!

Upcoming Races

Froze Toes is this Sunday (Feb. 24), the first "training" race of the season. We'll have a pretty good sized group, post here if you want to get in on carpool.

The first race for the CSL collegiate team will be March 8 in Columbia. Info is here

Creve Coeur Loop, Sat Feb 16

We'll head out at noon from Luther Statue, the usual 38 mile loop. Time to start hitting the hills again.

CSL now has an official Collegiate Club

All the paperwork has gone through with USACycling, you'll find us listed here.

What this gets us is the opportunity to compete in collegiate races, which are separate from the local events. It also gives us some insurance protection for group rides and the Tour de Sem, etc. Eventually we'll start looking for sponsors.

The first race we'll participate in is March 8 (road race in Columbia) and 9 (crit in St. Charles). Hopefully we'll make a trip up to Purdue later in the Spring for another pair of races.

So now Engelhardt, Alvey, Troester and Edwards all have to stay for STM, maybe PhD.

Caption Contest

Come up with a funny caption for the picture below and win...nothing but bragging rights.

My Entry: "Seriously? The guy at the shop didn't say anything about this being a 'road' bike."

P.S. Is it just me or does this guy look a little like Estes?

2008 STL Racing Calendar

The preliminary race calendar for '08 has been posted on the MOBRA website. If you're new to racing, and can deal with the cold, Froze Toes on Feb. 24 is a good place to start.

Looking Ahead to 2008

Yes, the weather is awfully cold this week, but 2008 promises to be the strongest yet for cycling at CSL. The Tour de Sem planning is well underway -- May 3rd is the date. We're applying for US Cycling Federation as a collegiate club, which brings with it a series of races with other schools in the midwest. We're also being made part of the budget at CSL (okay, not a big part) and given "club" status like basketball, soccer, and tennis. This will free us up to make our events even better. And, we're looking to get new riders with a kid's bike rodeo this Spring.

I've been pretty tied up with work and getting things organized with Ghisallo Racing, but we'll call a meeting pretty quick here to get us all up to speed. And, if you know of any first year students who are thinking about riding or you think should start riding, encourage them along.

St. Louis Bike Federation Swap Meet

Get ready for the new season and get some great deals. The Bike Swap features big bike shops clearing stuff out at great prices and individuals selling used parts and gear at great discounts. Well worth the trip, you'd be amazed how much stuff there is at this thing. It is also a great place to go if you're looking to pick up a used bike. The event is held in Collinsville on Sun., Jan 27. Starts at 10:00 for the best deals (I know, tough with field ed) but goes until 4:00. I'm heading out there after Bible study. Directions and further info at: St. Louis Regional Bike Federation's web site