Friday, December 27, 2013

Presenting The 2014 Cheesehead Roubaix


Four months from today you will be glad you circled April 27, 2014 on your calendar. The 5th Annual Cheesehead Roubaix is going to be a great time with a great group of people. We will follow the same challenging route, departing Fireman's Park in Newburg at 9 a.m.

The cobbled classics of the professional racing season are the inspiration for Cheesehead Roubaix. My event is a tough 63-mile ride. It’s not a race, but you will feel the spirit of Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders, and Gent-Wevelgem as you test your fitness against biting headwinds, sharp little hills and more than 10 miles of dirt and gravel. Moroder Photography will be there again to capture all the action!

Cheesehead Roubaix now has its own website from which you can download the cuesheet and map. There’s also a data file for Garmin GPS devices. As always, Cheesehead Roubaix is free of charge and registration is not required. But if you plan to attend please let me know on the Facebook event page, via email, or by leaving a comment below. The awesome staff from Belgianwerkx again will provide goodies at the mid-ride rest stop, and by letting us know that you’re coming you will help us to ensure there’s enough food and drink for everyone.

Aside from the rest stop, there will be no support along the route. Cheesehead Roubaix runs on open public roads that are, by design, at little bit out of the way. You should be a self-sufficient cyclist with enough food, water, fitness and mechanical skill to get yourself from start to finish. I look forward to seeing you in Newburg on April 27 … twice!

4 comments:

  1. Hmmm... this looks super tempting. However, I'm not sure if my butt will be ready for a metric century by April!

    If I own both a Trek Domane and a Trek ION (cyclocross), which one would be better suited for this ride? Based on some of the photos, I'm thinking the ION might be a better choice?

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    1. Cheesehead Roubaix is a metric century because it comes so early in the year! If I could offer it as a full 100-mile century, there are a few additional unpaved roads that I could include--really beautiful stuff in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest that is just a little too far outside of the Cheesehead Roubaix route.

      Either of your bikes would be fine. Lots of people do the ride on a standard road bike. I wouldn't go with 700x23 tires, though. I think 700x25 or 700x28 makes for better experience on the rough stuff. And if we get wet weather, you might prefer the cyclocross bike for its cantilever brakes.

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  2. Dave,

    I would love if you could make 100 miles. I will be riding from/to my home in Port to the start. I know it is early in the year. But for me I am prepping for Dirty Kanza 200. So I will be logging as many miles as possible. Thanks for your time and effort on this. Can't wait.

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    1. I have been tempted, especially because I could include a couple of additional unpaved roads that right now are just too far off the route. Maybe someday there will be two distance options, but not this year.

      Feel free to try the Eisengoose Century (https://sites.google.com/site/washingtoncountybicycleclub/maps-cuesheets/other-routes-to-try): 102 miles total, 51.5 of which are unpaved. I keep meaning to host that ride as a public event, but I can never find a good spot for it on my calendar.

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