Yesterday was the second in the Over the Bars Spring Classic Series with a ride to Paris and back.  As usual we met at Cranky Al’s for a pre-ride meeting to discuss strategy, pick the domestiques for the day and choose a leader.  In keeping with the European practice of bribery in the peloton, Russell paid us all off with a promise of a lifetime supply of brass nipples, for which we agreed to leave ourselves on the pavement to secure his victory.

Seriously, Steve, Kurt, Denny, Russell, Gary and I met for tasty fried dough and hit the road south promptly at 8am.  We were graced with a “Simpsons Sky” and a medium tail wind for our ride to Paris, WI, the singular-most Francophilic center of Kenosha.  Steve and Denny had to cut the ride short, but we were happy to have their company along for the first 20 miles or so. On our way back we ran into Sugs just north of Union Grove.  He got a late start from Brookfield but rode down solo to meet us.

All said, we had a nice ride.  Kurt managed to actually go over the bars on our way home doing a cyclocross manuever whilst trying to avoid some ice on the Oak Leaf Trail near the Wilmarth Woods.  With little more damage than a bruised ego, I thanked him for the authenticty that a truly spectacular crash adds to any spring classics ride. I only ask that next time he warn me so I can have video rolling. I was home by 1:15 with 77 miles in and an average speed 16.8 mph. Words and statistics alone cannot convey the splendor, suffering and drama of an OTB Spring Classic Ride. In their stead, I submit the following photographic testimony:

Why we do what we do.

Cursing the lack of rough european style country roads, Russell would not stop yelling “Au diable les Producteurs laitiers!”

Nous arrivons! This is about all there is to downtown Paris, WI.

We managed to find Crepes in Union Grove. The hand warmers Russell brought.

I opted for Belgian Waffles because I did not get them when we road to Belgium last weekend.

We would have gone euro and had a mid-ride beer, but the import list was a bit lacking.

Halfway home, we left Union Grove with sated hungers and a resolve to test our early season temper fighting the cold headwinds from the north on the asphalt of southeastern Wisconsin.

Leader of the union group that is behind all of our un-Belgian smooth paved roads in Wisconsin.

We were so close to home when Rob channeled Bubba and ruined the ride … twice.

Just as Bubba’s soul-crushing spirit rained despair on the shoulders of the peloton, the name on the door of a dump truck sitting on the parkway north of Bluemound lifted the spirits of the riders and had them dancing on the pedals for the dénouement of the tour.

About Dave Schlabowske, Deputy Director

Dave was the first full-time staff member hired to open the Bike Fed's Milwaukee office 15 years ago. A former professional photographer and life-long Milwaukee resident, Dave likes wool, long rides, sour beer, and a good polar vortex once in a while.

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