# Great Ghost Ride Ramble 2007 ride report - 10/20/07 St. Leon, IN



## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

Last Saturday, I woke up early and headed down to St. Leon, Indiana. That's where the Cincinnati Cycle Club holds their annual Great Ghost Ride Ramble in some of the prettiest roads I've ever ridden on. Sometimes I get tired of the flat rides I normally do, and this ride is nice for a change of scenery. I rode two years ago and had to miss last October, but I was glad to pick it up again this year.

I met up with Scott and Doug, both of whom I rode with on the ride the last time. We elected to again do the 58 miler, with the intention of not immediately going the wrong direction and riding 64 miles instead. It's a great route, with two good large hills and other rolling terrain, while I hear the 50 mile route is much more flat. We turned correctly this year and ended up with a little over 60.

We hung around and ate some food to let the temperature warm up a tad; it wasn't really cold, but chilly enough to require a jacket at first. I think it lasted about 10 miles until I crammed it into my jersey pocket - the rest of the day was somewhat warm and sunny. Just perfect riding weather. And now, some pictures!

The early morning drive into the sunrise.










A little lighter, and time to turn towards Cincy.










All shiny and ready to go! And already nice and sunny out with plenty of crisp, cool fall air.










The three of us on the way out, Doug on the left, and Scott on the right. The ride's a bit flat at first, but quickly becomes more fun.










The early morning sun keeping us warm.










Already seeing some beautiful trees!


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

For some reason, I tanked early on....I think it was from attacking a small hill. We almost missed a turn so we had to detour through a parking lot, so I sat for a moment to take a shot of this church. I think it's about 5-6 miles into the ride, so I hung back for the next few to recover. I caught up and the feeling of tossing my cookies subsided, and I was great the rest of the day.










Passing over I-74.










Most of the time I rode between Scott...










...and Doug. It's a little hillier now, with tons of transmission lines from a nearby power plant, I believe. Nothin' like some 120kV or so hums above your head.










Scott's butt. I liked the perspective.










Some pretty sycamore trees I spotted.










Motorin' along through the curves.










Mmmmmmmm, hedge apples! We were wondering if they were edible...I never have heard. Anyone know?


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

I mentioned a couple of good hills - that also means there are a couple of great descents. The first descent into a valley was followed by some flatter terrain before leading to our first hill. I was in the 39/25 and mashed my way up at around 4-5 mph. Here's Scott clearing it, with Doug right behind. It's warming up now, so the long sleeves are coming off.










There was plenty of old farm machinery along the way, but I liked this one in particular.










I'm a sucker for stone fences, being from central KY and all. Following behind Doug.










A badass '55 passing us. Smelled kinda funny, though. I missed a shot of an early 30's Model A, so this made up for it.










The scourge of the road! There was only one somewhat nasty dog, and he didn't chase much. These looked old, and I believe the one in the road had some cataracts. I couldn't get a shot of a little dachshund we saw later on that took off into the woods upon our approach.










I think this is after the second descent, into a valley where we follow a creek for a while. It's my favourite part of the ride, with a narrow, winding road and very little traffic, and terrific scenery.










Spooky tree!


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

Also in the valley are the remains of the Johnston Mill. The plaque on the millstone reads, "First stones used in the Johnston Mill. Began operation 1817."

Last time, the building was full of vultures. They were circling overhead today.










Pedaling through the trees, nearing the second ascent.










At the top of the second hill, looking down into the valley. The second hill is a tad easier, with more recovery areas. But good nonetheless.










One of the prettier trees. This would be a nice place to sit around.










Leaving Union Ridge, my favourite.










A splash of colour.


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

The first/last stop area is in a church, with the food back through the cemetery. We're getting close to the end now, with only 8 or so miles to go.










The older gravestones on the other side of the church.










Experimenting.










Yellow with envy.










And finally, we're back where we came from, with the high school on the left. The shadows are growing longer, so it's time to get some food before the drive home. As usual, there was a tasty spaghetti buffet to be had, with punkin' pie and some yummy green beans. After sitting around to talk for a while, we headed our own separate ways. 










The end result, a good ride. See you next year!


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## Henry Porter (Jul 25, 2006)

First!


Nice ride, sure better than my day of the peritoneum.


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## zeytin (May 15, 2004)

Great report! The scenery and commentary were well done. I especially like the "experimenting" shot and the "yellow with envy" shot.

Cheers, (oh and don't worry about your shameless self-premotion in the lounge)


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## 10ae1203 (Jan 14, 2007)

I liked the fireplug picture too.

As far as Osage Orange (I never heard them called hedgeapples. We called them monkey brains or monkey balls when I was a kid) being edible, http://www.gpnc.org/osage.htm#Edible might be informative.


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## crumjack (Sep 11, 2005)

Good stuff Girchy! Last weekend was amazing here in Indiana.


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## lonefrontranger (Feb 5, 2004)

aaarg, Girchy yer making me homesick!

/bought skis @ veloswap today


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## Antonio_B (Dec 9, 2005)

Oh Girch...that was a fantastic ride report! Those perspectives and the colors were truly amazing. 

I bow down to you and your picturin' ability.

Now....get yur butt ready for 3 state, 3 mountain next year....


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## DrRoebuck (May 10, 2004)

Great report, great pictures ... welcome to the Commuting Forum!


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

10ae1203 said:


> As far as Osage Orange (I never heard them called hedgeapples. We called them monkey brains or monkey balls when I was a kid) being edible, http://www.gpnc.org/osage.htm#Edible might be informative.


I only learned a few years ago that they were called Osage Orange. I bought some sort of vase-looking thing turned from some of the wood - very pretty stuff. Most of the wood is light, maybe between maple and birch colour, with prominent black veins and a tad bit of cherry or cedar looking sections. I think the wood has one of the highest BTU outputs, too.


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

lonefrontranger said:


> aaarg, Girchy yer making me homesick!
> 
> /bought skis @ veloswap today


Come visit, we'll ride!


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

Antonio_B said:


> Oh Girch...that was a fantastic ride report! Those perspectives and the colors were truly amazing.
> 
> I bow down to you and your picturin' ability.
> 
> Now....get yur butt ready for 3 state, 3 mountain next year....


Thanks! Your pictures weren't nothin' to sneer at, too.

I'm trying! I rode to Lowe's today, does that count?


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## crumjack (Sep 11, 2005)

GirchyGirchy said:


> Thanks! Your pictures weren't nothin' to sneer at, too.
> 
> I'm trying! I rode to Lowe's today, does that count?


Yes, because riding to any Lowe's around here counts as combat miles which I believe is double or triple regular miles.


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

crumjack said:


> Yes, because riding to any Lowe's around here counts as combat miles which I believe is double or triple regular miles.


Well, it's not quite as bad here in Columbus!  Plus it was only about six miles total. :blush2: 

Man, I once attempted riding in Indy, around 96th-116th street over by I-69. Absolutely terrible - I thought I was going to die. No wonder Indy has so many paved trails, if all of the roads are as cycling-unfriendly as those.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

GirchyGirchy said:


> I only learned a few years ago that they were called Osage Orange. I bought some sort of vase-looking thing turned from some of the wood - very pretty stuff. Most of the wood is light, maybe between maple and birch colour, with prominent black veins and a tad bit of cherry or cedar looking sections. I think the wood has one of the highest BTU outputs, too.



Osage orange makes great recurve bows. Also, they were called hedge apples because they were planted in hedges and trained to have the limbs grow down and they became an inpenetrable barrier for livestock and served as fencing.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

This was a great report. It made me want to grab my bike and go ride.


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## indysteel (Jul 21, 2006)

Lovely pics. Thanks for sharing. I actually did the ride, too. Well, sort of....

My two friends and I planned to do the century as sort of an end-of-season hurrah. At the first stop, we went the wrong way, which was admittedly at least partly our mistake. We misread the cue sheet, but the markings at the stop weren't very clear either. And the stop itself was a bit of a pain. You had to walk through a field of mud or gravel path to get there and then walk through another field of mud or gravel path to get to the porta-potties. I spent 20 minutes trying to get the mud and rocks out of my cleats. 

But I digress. We ended up going 5 miles out of our way before realizing our mistake, so we backtracked to the stop and started over. From there, we picked up the pace before encountering two of the scariest dogs I've ever "met" on the road. I came very close to getting bit and lost about a year off my life.

Not long after that "fun," we were routed onto State Road 1. IMO, this is absolutely not a safe road for cyclists. We were behind two other riders and all five of us managed to miss a turn. So, we again went about five miles out of our way and ended up being on SR 1 far longer than any of would have liked. And just as we finally got on the right road, one of my friends got a flat. No big deal, but it was right before a fairly tough climb. Nothing like getting cold again before exerting yourself like that. Having gotten turned around twice though, we started to be a bit paranoid about the markings. It was sort of nervewracking. 

We finally made it to the second stop at what should have been the 31 mile mark. However, my odometer registered 50 miles at that point. In the interest of time and the aforementioned pasta lunch, we decided to do the 72-mile route, which would give us approximately 91 miles for the day. Fine, except that we somehow missed the route split. We ended up doing the 58-mile route and finished the day with about 77 miles.

Now, I would claim some form of mental retardation, but having never gotten lost on any other ride, I have to fault the club a bit. The Dan Henrys were these little white ghosts placed right at the intersection. You turned based on the direction of the ghost's head. They were difficult to read until you were right on top of them and many of them were faded and/or covered by leaves. They were a far cry from the Dan Henrys that CIBA uses. So, while the ride was very scenic, I would suggest that the club rethink their markings, especially since various veterans of the ride the ride told us at the second SAG that getting lost on the ride is sort of a rite of passage.


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

indysteel said:


> So, while the ride was very scenic, I would suggest that the club rethink their markings, especially since various veterans of the ride the ride told us at the second SAG that getting lost on the ride is sort of a rite of passage.


Ha! I can certainly see why you say that. The little ghosts are pretty useless, and for the stops that are used more than once, the in/out references aren't all that well marked. The only other organized ride I've gone on was the Hope Ride, and they use bright circles with lines pointing in the intended direction. Much clearer.

I mentioned getting lost the first year, but that was right off the bat. The guys I was with had done the ride before and had a good idea of where to go, but still got a bit turned around. All three of us remembered more this year, and that's what saved us. But I agree, without having someone there who's ridden it before, it would be VERY easy to get lost.

Is SR1 the wide, busy road that leads that you follow for a few miles, then turn off to the right in a tight corner, then make a quick left over some railroad tracks? If this makes any sense, I agree, it was kind of scary. I can post a pic of the road I'm talking about when I get home.

As for the first stop, we found toilets inside the church.


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## 10ae1203 (Jan 14, 2007)

I never knew those ride markings were called Dan Henrys. That may be the coolest thing I've learned here to date.


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## crumjack (Sep 11, 2005)

10ae1203 said:


> I never knew those ride markings were called Dan Henrys. That may be the coolest thing I've learned here to date.


From Sheldon Brown's website:

Dan Henry Arrow
Dan Henry was a very influential cyclist in the '50s and '60s. He is most famous for the "Dan Henry Arrow" an arrow painted on the roadway with a stencil or a spray can, as a way of giving directions for organized rides. Many recreational bike clubs use Dan Henry Arrows to mark their recommended routes.
He also did a lot of pioneering work on suspension designs for bicycles, and deveoped a bicycle seat that was based on an upside-down dropped handlebar with furniture webbing wrapped between the two straight sections.

He was also known for roller demonstrations where he would perform a strip-tease while riding on the rollers. A very cool guy.


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