Tour of Hermann - STL Area

[GScot]

Search turned up a post where buldogge said he needed more water, good information but would like to hear more about this ride.

http://tourofhermann.com/

As I understand this is run pretty much as an unsupported race but plenty of people ride it at more of a fun pace. Three 30+ mile loops on Saturday and two 50+ mile loops on Sunday. My wife and I are aiming to ride this in April with a plan for two loops on Saturday and one on Sunday. I've been off the bike since wrecking my elbow and just started back on the trainer last week.

Equipment plan is cross bike for me and Space Horse with canti setup for her. If anyone has suggestions about this course I'd be happy to hear them. If anyone is planning to ride out in that area leading up to the event we'd love to tag along. I plan to stay on the trainer for a few weeks but will try my luck outdoors as soon as the weather permits. (I still have limited range in the elbow and have modified my position accordingly but want a few hundred miles on the road before riding with others)

[CDollarsign]

Herman is super hilly, I would plan for some climbing.

[brownhound]

I did it part of it last year. Really enjoyed it, overall, though it was a beautiful spring day. I suppose cold wind and sleet would dampen my interest.

I found the route to be really flexible and nice. The loops all come back to the start/end point. So if you are feeling good, you can go do another loop. If you're not, you end up back at your car in either 30+ mile increments (day one) or 50+ mile increments (day two).

Though there are some people out for timing, it's really just a fun ride. Some folks would come back and hang out. There is also a core that seems to be gravel folks who know each other and it seemed pretty social. Not for me, but I got the sense the DirtyKanzaa crew made this part of their party circuit.

The ride is actually kind of supported -- one motorcycle with water and a truck that can pick you up. No mechanical assistance, however, and your food/beverage is really what you have back at your car in between loops. My rear derailleur fly-wheel came off last year and I had to hitch a ride back.

As advertised, Herman is quite hilly. There is a lot of low gear riding, especially if there is fresh gravel as there was on part of the route last year. The biggest hill is paved, but be prepared for many hills that are walked.

For preparation, this blog is really helpful: http://kate-my-mind.blogspot.com/2015/04/2015-tour-of-hermann.html. I found it very accurate. Also, there is this weekend's Rocheport Roubaix that I am thinking of doing as well. We'll see what my better half says about me going out though.

[brownhound]

Your ride would be fine. Probably 60% of riders are on cross bikes or some variant of that, 10% on road bikes and 30% on mountain bikes. The mountain bikes are slower but have kinder gearing and handle the fresh gravel better.

[GScot]

Thanks. I looked at the maps and saw that a couple loops are just up and down all the way. Planning to have both bikes with a compact crank and 11-32 in the back. Any comments on better tires? Wife's bike has Clement MSO 700x40 in good condition right now. My bike has worn down Slant Six tubeless that need to be replaced anyway. I'll check the blog out.

[brownhound]

Last year I ran compact in front and 12/25 in rear and wished I had a smaller gear, frankly. So this year I plan on going 11/28 in rear with new RD. Read the blog -- that Kate is good-natured and describes the course well. Better than a couple other blogs that cover it too.

I have Clement USH on mine, but that's because the bike is also my commuter so having flat center channel is good on pavement. Running tubeless is probably a good idea; I talked to one rider who claimed to have six flats. (I was skeptical because hard to imagine patching six times or carrying that many tubes. But I had about that many chain drops since my RD was dying, so who can say?)

[jmal]

That's a really pretty area from the photos I've seen. Looks like a great ride.

[Louis]

Wish I could help, but Washington's the farthest west I've made it from my house (then went N into St Charles Cty).

Enjoy - that looks like a fun series of rides.

[brownhound]

I don't know if you went out, but yesterday I did the 50-mile version of the Rocheport Roubaix. The fellow who runs the Spoked shop in St. Louis was running a Space Horse with cantis a lot faster than I, so that should work just fine. The Rocheport Roubaix was easier than the Tour of Hermann - fewer hills, less fresh gravel, more pavement, but it was a good warm up.

[buldogge]

It's been a coupla years...

That day was unseasonably warm, with a stiff warm "breeze".

I run a 46/30 with 12-29 Campy 11s on my "dirt bike".

The hardest hills are (were) on the 2nd day and are NOT paved (maybe Bickmeyer Rd.?). The loose gravel they sometimes lay down in the spring can make for hairy descents on narrower tires. I run a 32-35mm Slant 6/SmallBlock 8 combo, and do OK.

There are some guys out there crushing it, but there are plenty of other folks just out having a fine time, enjoying the day.

I should try to head out there again this year...

Louis???

-Mark in St. Louis

[GScot]

Hermann sounds like an ambitious ride after being off the bike so long but I think I'm on track to do alright. I finally rode a bike outside on the road this weekend after my trainer workout. Took out the cross bike on Saturday as I was a little worried about going down (for the bike not me) and I did start with a tendency to go right but that corrected itself in half a block. Elbow is tender and hurt when sitting up and riding on the tops and turns. Better on the hoods or drops with a good bend in the elbows. Pain is in the tolerable range at least for 90 minutes and no worse off on day two.

Sunday I tried the road bike and being lower in the front and longer it was a lot less comfortable. Tires play a huge difference, big complaint on the road bike which is a Look 585 with 25s at <80 psi, shock from bumps and vibration from the large chip seal hurt. The CX bike has an Easton fork and 35mm tubeless Slant Sixes at <35 psi, never noticed any impact other than big cracks or holes in the road.

It's mighty nice to be outside on a bike again. But as winter is not over here I'll keep getting most of my miles on the trainer. Thanks for the advice and maybe we can join up for ride or two before Hermann.