I’m riding across the country on my motorcycle and conducting camps in Louisville and LP. I finished up L-ville on Sunday and am now in LP. I had 13 campers in Louisville, bird-dogging everyone on the bike course from the motorcycle. I’ve written my quick impressions of the bike course on my message board but I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on a few things I observed related to us enjoying the race and training for years to come, acceptance by the local community, and other issues that we’ve seen develop in Wisconsin. A few quick notes:
The course follows some major local roads, major in that there is quite a bit of traffic. Roads are narrow, with very little to no shoulder.KY drivers seem to come in two flavors:Never seen a bike before and have no idea how or when to pass. Traffic stacks up behind them, people become impatient…never a good thing.Incredibly pissed that they are late for their Grand Slam at IHOP. I was behind a lady in an Excursion behind a group of cyclists. They were riding as far right as they could go, she couldn’t get around and she was going postal in the truck. Towing mirrors out too…never a good thing.
People at the convenience stores, etc very friendly but also more than a little confused as to WTF are these people and why are they riding them bicycles?
In short, I think the area will VERY quickly be where WI might be right now (locals frustrated with cyclists) and I think it has the potential to get much worse very quickly due to the narrow and heavily trafficked roads, less fitness-awareness, etc. The roads, the body language and actions of the drivers and locals…I generally see a much less tolerant environment than WI.
If I were going out there to ride the course I would:
Ride as far to the right as I can and wave motorists around to pass you.NEVER ride side by side. There are VERY few parts of the course that will accommodate you talking socially to your friends. Keep your eyes and ears open.**DON’T PISS ON THE BRICK GATE OF BEAUREGARD’S HORSE PROPERTY. **Seriously, I saw some guys from Indy doing this. I should have stopped but I had my own crew out there to watch. One of the campers did speak to them afterwards. A local camper said there is a lot of well-connected, old money out there who will not take too kindly to us pissing on their property. Use some common sense.
Good comments Rich, thanks. Being a local, I too am worried about the relationship between those who live on/drive on the course and the increasing number of cyclists that will be on the course due to the race. As we have seen in Wisc, the relationship can turn sour quick.
One thing in our favor is that the Mayor of Louisville is an avid cyclist and is doing all he can to promote awareness. Every road (except River Road, which is the first part of the course) that has been repaved in the city this year has gotten a bike lane added. The Mayor conducts frequent rides during the summer, and the last one had about 400 people (as I recall) show up, mostly recreational cyclists and their families.
The 2 real problem spots on the IM Lou course are the stretch of Hwy 42 from Prospect into Goshen, and Hwy 146 from Buckner to La Grange. For Hwy 146, it is only a 4 mile or less stretch, so you are only on it for a few minutes. It is flat and fast, and that helps too.
However, Hwy 42 is a real danger spot, a 55 MPH zone with narrow roads and the kind of impatient drivers Rich describes. The alternative is to turn left on Rose Island Road (it is right across the street from the convenience store on 42 before the long hill that takes you to where 42 goes from 4 lanes to 2, just about a half mile from where River Road ends at 42). Follow Rose Island Road to the end. Shortly before the end, you will hit a stop sign at the intersection of 1793. You could take 1793 back up to 42 (a very tough hill) but that keeps you in the danger zone on 42. Instead, go straight through the stop sign and go to the end of Rose Island. The end of Rose Island is really just a 180 degree turn that puts you on Goshen Lane, and you are faced with a very fun hill (and also some beautiful views of the countryside and river). Just follow Goshen until it ends back at 42. Once in Goshen on 42, you are out of the heavy traffic area. This route adds something like 5 or 6 miles to the course, but it is much safer and much more scenic.
Thanks for the advice re: Rose Island Road. When you get to the end of Goshen Lane (at 42), do you make a left or right to get to the out and back on 1694 (i.e., have you already passed on the out and back and need to make a right to get back to it or are you not quite there yet and need to make a left)? Thanks.
Not sure where you’ve gotten your impression of WI being red neck and intolerant of cyclists. IMO the Madison area is a cycling mecca with thousands of cyclists, all which existed way before IMWI was even conceived. Sure, there are crappy cyclist, some which piss off motorists, and unfortunately many of those cyclists are triathletes who don’t know how to ride.
Not sure where you’ve gotten your impression of WI being red neck and intolerant of cyclists. IMO the Madison area is a cycling mecca with thousands of cyclists, all which existed way before IMWI was even conceived. Sure, there are crappy cyclist, some which piss off motorists, and unfortunately many of those cyclists are triathletes who don’t know how to ride.
WTF?
Read my post. Where do I say I think WI is redneck and intolerant? FACT: last year members of the cycling and triathlete communities met with local leaders to explain their positions, peel a few leaders off the ceiling who were pissed at cyclists taking up space, pissing on lawns, etc. Also, lots of consternation about painted roads, cyclist riding double and ignoring car traffic, etc.
I don’t live there but have done 3 training camps on the course, I always enjoy riding there. But I hear the comments from the cyclists and just see IMLou going that direction much more quickly.
Interestingly after riding in Louisville for about six years I don’t think all drivers fit into those two categories. As a matter of fact, from my experiences riding all over the city and surrounding counties, I’d say very few fit into those categories.
Just relating what I saw and was confirmed by my campers and other cyclists on the course.
Look, I’m not trying to be a dick, point out what town has the most assholes, etc. All I’m saying is that when you toss hundreds of triathletes on roads (narrow, heavily trafficked) with drivers not accustomed to seeing cyclists there is going to be trouble. I’m just giving everyone a heads up so you can spread the word and we can police our own.
You should know better than to try to inject a little humor into your instructional posts… particualrly that un-PC humor that stereotypes certain geographical areas as being redneck. Satire and humor are hard to get across on a forum, and there are too many people ready to believe the worst about you.
To the rest of you who are dogging Rich, he wasn’t trying to be a dick. He wasn’t trying to insult you Louisvillians. He was trying to be proactive to help avoid problems similar to the ones that have arisen between the Maidson area residents and the cyclists there. God forbid he try to do so in a humorous way.
If you take nothing else away from his post, take this:
Be careful and vigilant when training on the IMLou course, and
I may be completely out of line here, so please let me know. What’s the deal with doing so much training on the respective IM bike courses? I have done nine IM races and have not trained one mile, save a ride out and back to the Airport in Kona on any of the three different IM race courses that I have raced on.
I don’t understand why so many races choose such horrible courses on boring, uninspiring, cyclist-unfriendly roads. Surely a 112 mile course around Louisville has a large number of scenic back-country horse farm roads to choose from, why choose 55mph roads with narrow shoulders? Clearly the RD does not have the maximizing the participant’s experience first and foremost in mind when they choose roads like this. It is courses like this that drove the existence of SavageMan - a race where the event is designed around making the most scenic, most inspiring, most challenging possible course and maximizing the overall experience for the participant. No multiple loops, no highways and riding on narrow shoulders, no high-speed traffic, just back-country farm roads and tractors. Go train on this course and you don’t need to worry about traffic; you won’t see ten cars all day long! http://www.savagemantri.org/bike_gallery.html. Doesn’t matter, the call of the M-Dot will bring in the followers even if they made a course on an out-and-back on an interstate highway and ran 105 laps of the local high school track. Now, I haven’t experienced the Louisville course firsthand, but your description of it turns my stomach and reminds me of why I have worked with David Glover to make SavageMan happen.
I would have to agree with you on that. Part of the attraction for me would be the course itself. Is it scenic? Is it challenging( in it’s own way)? If it’s on a 55 mph posted Hwy I don’t think I would be that keen. I can do that anywhere, but it’s not something I want or need to do. To train or race on a course like that. I guess that I am spoiled. I can go for a 100K ride from my front door of my house and barely put a foot down and see a handful of cars. That’s riding to me.
Just relating what I saw and was confirmed by my campers and other cyclists on the course.
Look, I’m not trying to be a dick, point out what town has the most assholes, etc. All I’m saying is that when you toss hundreds of triathletes on roads (narrow, heavily trafficked) with drivers not accustomed to seeing cyclists there is going to be trouble. I’m just giving everyone a heads up so you can spread the word and we can police our own.
So you compound what you already said by saying the part in bold? You just don’t get it do you?
StevePerx- Do you really think it’s humor to paint an entire city as Rich did on a forum with many people truly curious to know what riding the IM course is like?
***StevePerx- Do you really think it’s humor to paint an entire city as Rich did on a forum with many people truly curious to know what riding the IM course is *** like?
Do you really think it’s humor to paint an entire city as Rich did on a forum with many people truly curious to know what riding the IM course is like?
Maybe “hyperbole” for effect would be a better term. I doubt Rich really thinks Louisvillians (is that the term?) are backwoods “what’s-that-there-contrapshun?” type of people. Louisville is definitely a major metropolitan area and has its share of cycle-savvy folks. I can see how Rich’s post might come across as dickish, but knowing a bit about who he is and what he stands for, I read it more like he was exaggerating things in an attempt to get folks to pay attention and take heed. What do you remember more, the guy who just says “be careful,” or the guy who paints a dramatic (even if not entirely accurate) picture?
Can we all just agree that while Rich’s intent appears noble, his delivery wasn’t the best for a written forum?
***StevePerx- Do you really think it’s humor to paint an entire city as Rich did on a forum with many people truly curious to know what riding the IM course is *** like?
Yes. I think you’re being a little thin-skinned.
So you are saying that everyone who might be interested in the IM course will or should immediately know that Rich is only joking (though his response to my comment doesn’t really lend to that) regardless of what he wrote, what responses he has written or the fact that they have never met him? Oh, and they should take his word over people who live or lived their?
So you are saying that everyone who might be interested in the IM course will or should immediately know that Rich is only joking (though his response to my comment doesn’t really lend to that) regardless of what he wrote, what responses he has written or the fact that they have never met him? Oh, and they should take his word over people who live or lived their?
Jesus H. Christ. Is that what I said or are you just in the habit of putting words in peoples’ mouths?
Rich provided his observations and feedback from others that attended his camp. It wasn’t a personal attack on Louisville and I think you know that. Why does everyone automatically assume people are personally attacking them? Get over it.
So you are saying that everyone who might be interested in the IM course will or should immediately know that Rich is only joking (though his response to my comment doesn’t really lend to that) regardless of what he wrote, what responses he has written or the fact that they have never met him? Oh, and they should take his word over people who live or lived their?
Jesus H. Christ. Is that what I said or are you just in the habit of putting words in peoples’ mouths?
Rich provided his observations and feedback from others that attended his camp. It wasn’t a personal attack on Louisville and I think you know that. Why does everyone automatically assume people are personally attacking them? Get over it.
Post #12 pretty much says what I said above.
It’s funny how you claim I put words in your mouth and then imply that I am taking it as a personal attack. Pot meet kettle.
Perhaps you need to “get over it” since Rich did nothing to back up what you claim and, in his response, actually seems to have reinforced what I said and added to it.
I humbly apologize to you for having an opinion about something that I actually know about and experienced for years. Please forgive me.
