Thursday's ride

I braved another cold morning and gave the trainer a swift kick. I wanted to ride in the same area as Tuesday's ride, but get out a bit farther.

I parked at the Wal-Mart parking lot on the I-44 outer road. Riding west, over Allenton and continuing on Fox Creek. What an awesome morning! I was cold, but not freezing. There was a bit of a headwind that way, but I knew I was going to be into the hills soon. When Fox Creek met Hwy 100, I crossed over (now the road is Old Manchester) and made an almost immediate right turn on Bouquet.

Bouquet is my single favorite road in our area. It is so European...narrow, single lane, sparcely populated, no cars, and HILLY. It T's into Melrose at it's end, and I took a right turn there. Melrose just rolls along until I again have to cross Hwy 100, a quick right turn, then quickly a left back onto Melrose. Past Allenton, then bombing down the undulating road until it meets Glencoe road and Hwy 109. I turned right on 109, which was not busy this time of the day. I really hate that it can be so busy because there are some great hills on 109. I only rode along with it for a mile or so, taking a right turn up Alt road. Alt is an awesome clilmb, exactly 1.1 miles from the base to the entrance to Hidden Valley. I bombed down the backside of Alt, narrowly missing a Ford Freestar that lost it's way into my lane. At the bottom of Alt, there is a quick left onto Forby, then a quick right onto Meramec Blvd, the steepest climb on the route. It's only 4/10's of a mile, but the grade is wicked. Once I topped that, I sped down the backside and back out to the outer road of I-44, and a few minutes later I was back at my car.

I know, it was only 21 miles. But it was a wonderful 21 miles, on some of my favorite roads.