I got the River Shelter reserved today for the L'eroica finish.
And the course is coming along nicely. I will have a two more check points along the course and refreshments available in Silt.

I like the way this is coming together.

Stay tuned for more

L'eroica planning is underway and I did some scouting of the potential route this weekend. One of the comments that struck me reading over the survey results from past riders is the dislike of the I-70 portion of the race. So I have been pouring over maps and driving back roads looking for alternative routes. I am excited by what I found and it will allow us to have another rest stop before Glenwood.

The stretch of highway from Palisade exit 44 to Mesa exit 49 seems unavoidable without a killer climb up the side of the Grand Mesa on gated dirt roads. I will look more into this for future races but it won't help us now.


It is the same on the Glenwood stretch, the oly way around I-70 is a huge loop into Carbondale over McClure pass or some dirt road scouting that will have to wait till summer.

But I was able to at least shorten the stretch into Glenwood. So as we come down into Silt, we will cross the highway and there will be a rest stop at the Historical Park in Silt then we will mosey down highway 6 through New Castle and on to Exit 109 where we have to get on I-70 for 5 miles to Exit 114, West Glenwood. Then we will travel along Devereux Rd to the Two Rivers Park where the finish will hopefully be.

Here is the Silt Park

 

 And Two Rivers Park in Glenwood.
This spot is really beautiful along the river but it only has a small shelter. If the weather is good it may just be enough for a little cook out and gathering. But more on that later...

It's Not Just a Race

   L’Eroica is not just a race. Sure there were people who came there just looking at the distance from start to finish, the ones with carbon bikes and lycra kits. But for some people, myself included, it is a chance to look back 100 years and ride in a simpler time and a simpler lifestyle.

  L’Eroica is the brainchild of Chris Brown, a bike shop owner and bike history nut. Apparently from 1899-1915 there was a race by the same name inspired by similar races in Europe. The race ran from Grand Junction, Colorado to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a distance of 102 miles on the Midland Trail Rail Route. The first to finish was “The Hero” or “L’Eroica”. For the last 5 years Chris Brown and his crew have been recreating the race as authentically as possible. Since we live in modern times and cycling technology has advanced in the last 100 years, the race would be a points race to encourage period dress and cycling gear. Points are given for the age of the bike, the number of gears, fixie or not, the type of cycling costume you ride with, period race food, and lack of technology (like leaving your cell phone behind). Extra points are awarded for loss of limb, trailside broken frame repairs, petting skunks, sleeping overnight in animal carcasses (not kidding) and cuddling baby bears. Scoring would be decided at the end of the day by a finish time multiplier. First place x3, second place x2.9, third x 2.8 and so on. The idea is this levels the playing field to keep the fast guys on modern bikes from winning, and makes it a whole lot of fun.

  When I began the preparation for this year’s race it began around the dinner table pouring over the point list, staring at a calculator, trying to figure out how long it would take me to cover the distance and how many points I would need at the start. I wanted to win this thing. The trick is how much of the old equipment are you willing to suffer? You don’t get any points if you make it too hard and don’t finish.

  The bike is decided, I have a 70’s Schwinn World bike that I had built up as a fixie a few years ago by a very talented friend, even though it is newer it has the right look, all black, chrome fork, Brooks saddle, cloth bar tape, beautiful convex Weinmann rims polished to shine in the sun. So I get 40pts for the fixie, 10pts for the age, 5pts for the leather saddle, 2pts for toe clips. I’m off to a good start.

Now the real fun begins stripping away the layers of modern life. I found heavy wool knickers at a yard sale, a plain khaki cotton shirt, and nice vest. I have black shoes that I can polish, and a wool cap. This should get me what they refer to as “The Full Get-up” and 35pts. What about food? What can I eat? Energy bars are not going to cut it. I find that I can fill my vest pockets full of trail mix, seeds, nuts, chocolate, and fruit Gorp is good, and it is really easy to get to so I can “graze” on it the whole ride. Then I made sandwiches wrapped in wax paper tied with wool yarn. They look like lovely little presents. I will bring a couple of apples, some ginger and I am good to go. I score another 4pts for “wrapper-less” nutrition. I will leave the cell phone behind (8pts) and carry all my own stuff (10pts) that means I need a small pack to carry a change of clothes, but keeping with the theme I ditch my gore-tex shell and pack a wool sweater. I may get wet but I will be warm. I was happy to find in my father-in-law’s stuff after he passed away last year an old cotton Boy Scout pack, the kind with a bright red shoelace to tie it closed. I have wanted to do something special with this. The race is a perfect venue to silently honor his memory. 

 

  Now off to the sewing machine I go. I need some way to carry water and tools. My bike does not have water bottle mounts and I don’t want to clutter the frame. So I sew pouches to the side of the bag to hold 2 steel water bottles. You can’t use plastic right? And Camelbacks have not been invented yet.  Then I sew up a couple of small bags to hold my tools and pump. I don’t get any points for this yet I am enjoying the challenge of eschewing anything synthetic and modern. I now have as much time in front of the sewing machine as I do training. Maybe like the old Tour De France riders I will ride into shape, right? Let’s hope so because I figure I need to finish in the top ten to podium.

  This whole endeavor is soothing, reaching back in time, a time when aesthetics mattered as much as athletics. It’s taking pride in your work, building something beautiful and solid, because you have the time, patience and skill to do so. It will be these things that will carry me through when my legs and arms are screaming stop! I think about a recent visit to Mesa Verde. Here were Indians under heavy duress, having to build shelter on the shear rock walls to protect what little grain they had as the crops where failing above on the plains. Yet the walls fit perfectly with the rock, in some cases they chiseled away the rock to fit the shape of the wall. This took a long time and burned precious calories. These places were beautiful, hand crafted, and artistic. They were built to last. They were sacred places. That’s maybe the point we miss in our fast paced modern world, making room for the sacred. The things that make you feel special, the things that make you feel loved.

  So all this is swirling around in my head at 6 am as I mingle with the judges admiring everyone’s attire and bikes. This is bigger than all of us, and it’s not just about racing a bicycle.

  Was the race hard? Yes, one of the toughest things I have ever done on a bike. Would I do it again? In a second I would for sure. How did I do? I finished 8^th on the road that day and was the only rider on a fixed gear. With my starting points and multiplier I placed second and proudly donned the silver knickers. Seems there was a part of the race I did not prepare for, the woman in first place had a fantastic costume, finished 7^th and made sweet potato cinnamon rolls for the judges.

Damn, next year I better get baking too!

L’Eroica is not just a race and I hope to see you at the starting line next year. Check it out at:

http://www.leroicausa.com

Jon Rizzo