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On the third weekend of February, droves of cyclists will brave the cold and storm the levees in the Cannonball Ride at Chester, two-state bike race.
It’s the third annual event in the Cannonball Ride Mississippi Levee Series according to Jon Greenstreet of Bike Surgeon in O’Fallon.
The event will begin at10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 22, in Chester. Cost is $50.
With the new year comes a few changes.
“There’s much more elevation this year and more gravel,” race organizer John Greenstreet said. “The race will also end at Al’s Place in McBride this year.”
In previous versions of the race, the course included the Ste. Genevieve-Modoc Ferry, but because of some unpredictability of whether it was running, the race won’t be used this year to transport riders. Greenstreet said he likes the new changes.
“The ferry was awesome,” Greenstreet said. “But it was tricky because you never knew when it was running. For the folks that are wanting to go a little quicker and crank through the race, it kind of bottled things up there. It makes it a little easier logistically.”
The ride consists of two races, a 37-mile course that combines climbs of 2,000 feet, while the longer 65-mile course combines climbs of 5,000 feet.
The event will utilize many different types of terrain including hills, roads but mostly gravel. Technology is a large contributor to this type of race as well. The riders use a GPS to navigate the course as well as the Strava app for timing and scoring. The ride takes starts in Chester and takes some roads in Missouri.
“These gravel rides are the new, popular thing. We get out of the way of the traffic. The riders are self-supported,” Greenstreet said. “There is some route directions, but for the most part people are on their own.”
Safety is a big part in why these gravel rides have become more popular, according to Greenstreet.
“There’s a little bit of an adventure element to it,” Greenstreet said. “the distracted driving has become the driving force here. You hear it from cyclists, but also motorcyclists and pedestrians. Drivers not paying attention and looking at their cell phones have become a big part in that.”
If riding on the back roads of Illinois and Missouri scares people, Greenstreet says not to worry, people haven’t gotten lost.
“People have shown up without GPS, just to ride,” Greenstreet said. “We have never had anyone not get back comfortably. Now it could happen, but most of the people participating are doing a level of preparation.”
For more information or to register, visit https://cannonball.bike, Facebook at “Bike Surgeon”, or email info@bikesurgeon.com.
“We super excited for the race,” Greenstreet said.
