Conference noted::bicycle

    Can someone post some info about this race like time, place, best place
    to watch...
    
    Thank

     This Sunday, 5/26
    
     Race time - 8:30
    
     Start - In front of the Lowell Sun Bldg. (ctr. of town)
    
     Finish - one block over... The finish is the best thing to watch

    
    Has anyone ever purchased a bike from L.L.Bean?  If so, how do their
    prices compare to other places?
    
    Cindy

     What does 1947.3's question have to do with the price of wheat
    in India???   :-)
    
      Chip

>    What does 1947.3's question have to do with the price of wheat
>    in India???   :-)

    I'll bet he did a dir/title=LL and wound up here.

-Jeff

    The ole "reply when I meant to write" problem....
    My answer would be the same with anything from LL Bean. You can get
    the same thing for less elsewhere. However if they guarentee their
    bikes like they do their boots, I'd consider it!
    
    John

    	Ms Painter is a woman. I mean, she typed in her first
    	name, for cryin' out loud. 8-)>
    
    	Scott

    
    Thank you, Scott.  (;^>
    
    Yes, for the first time in my noting history of many years, I used
    'reply' instead of 'write'.
    
    Cindy

I'll have to admit, this is one of the more interesting notes that I've read 
in recent years.

Two questions:  What is the Tour of Lowell?

	 	and where is LL Bean? ;-)

    The Tour de Lowell is New England's largest citizen race and is held on
    Memorial Weekend every year. It's sponsored by the Lowell Sun (the
    local newspaper) and is a 30 mile race. There's a pro race afterwards.
    Lowell, Mass. is about 25 miles north-northwest of Boston. The course
    runs from downtown Lowell, out over the Merrimack river, up Mammoth
    Road to Windham, New Hampshire then loops around and finishes back in
    downtown Lowell. 
    I think they've been having it 10 years or so and have changed the
    course several times. I first did it in '84 or '85.
    As for LL Bean, why they're in Freeport, Maine where they've always
    been! Ayuh!  ;^)
    							Thom...

    The thought of a 30 mile race terrifies me.  What's it like for speed
    and safety ?
    
    
    Mind you 30 miles is about all I could race over right now...
    
    rod

     We'll average (35-39 age group) about 24mph... At least that's what
    we did last year. The course (used the last two years) is very un-
    demanding. Only one real hill to speak of. The rest of the course
    is flat or rolling.
    
     The finish stretch is the best I've ever been in. Slight downgrade
    and about three (car) lanes wide. We crossed it in the sprint last
    year doing about 40mph... It is defintely one of the better organized
    races around too.
    
     There is every size, shape, age, gender of rider along with every type
    and profile of machine at this thing. The "hill" I mentioned is right
    outside of the center of town and usually weeds out the ATBS and
    tourists.
    
     Chip
    
     BTW, I wouldn't recommend buying a bicycle from L.L. Bean. There are
    plenty of reputable dealers all over the place that'll treat you the
    same way... I wouldn't buy a used car from Richard Nixon either...
    

    FYI for all you folks who'll be racing this Sunday. I just drove into
    work on RT 111 in Windham, NH and the entire length of 111 that the
    race goes over has had the breakdown lanes sanded. There's about an
    inch of sand covering all but a foot or so of the width of the breakdown 
    lanes. Don't know if they'll have it cleared by Sunday. The road itself
    has no sand at all.
    
    						Thom...

     Slow riders KEEP RIGHT! Bring your ATBs, a shovel, bucket and the
    Coppertone...   :-)
    
      Chip

Does the Tour de Lowell restrict the riders to L.L. Bean bikes?

Are they too fast and therefore not allowed?

	~Mike

     Too many people are allergic to wool :-)... Skin rashes, itchiness,
    etc...
    
     I'll do an update on the 35-39 race tomorrow. One of my more
    interesting races... Great day!
    
     Chip

    Anybody have the results?? And/or a copy of the Lowell Sun articles??
    
    ricb

     I rode in the 35-39 age group... I think I took 5th. I was so spent
    after the sprint I couldn't even tell the girl in the chute my number
    and didn't care where I placed.
    
     Accidents were frequent. I've done it 3 times and this is the first
    I've heard of any... One was right on the side of me. Front wheel &
    rear wheel contact... Only one rider though.
    
     The day was beautiful and the race was run as well as ever. We had one
    guy in the lead pack that must've violated the yellow line rule about
    20 times... I'm not exaggerating. I don't have a clue as to he was
    doing, but every time I looked he was going by me over the yellow line.
    
     Our race was almost 4 minutes slower than last year. I don't know why.
    Age maybe  :-)...
    
     With about two miles to go we 6-7 of us formed a breakaway. The whole
    group were riders from Gamache's and the NEBC club (undeclared
    rivalry). BTW, George Gamache won his age group (over 55 I think).
    Anyway, we pulled about 20 yards ahead of the pack and kept at that
    until about a 1/4 mile from the finish. Paul Butler started the whole
    thing, then I took it. Unfortunately, we really didn't form a pace
    line. If we had worked it together the pack would've never caught us.
    I stayed there, tried to give it up once and the line just moved to
    left with me. 
    
     With about a 1/4 mile to the finish I head someone say, "They're
    Baaaaack". Sure enough, they were. About 15 guys rolled in on us. I
    was trashed so I grabbed the first wheel that passed me and stayed there
    until the last 150 yards or so.
    
     The sprint started. I couldn't believe I had something left. Anyway, I
    managed to pass about 5-6 guys in the last 100yds. I was TOTALLY happy
    to finish where I did. I couldn't talk, just lifted my arm so the girl
    could read my number and lapsed into an oxygen deprivation coma :-)...
    Drank about two gallons of water and slunk back to the vehicle.
    
     That's it... I didn't stick around for the pros or the rest of the
    citizens... Just happy to leave in one piece...
    
      Chip

    Nancy and I were just riding our tandem out of Lowell when we were
    swallowed by a pack of riders (I think that they were all younger than
    you and I chip - but some had Campy 8-spd... never mind).  Anyways, we
    rode in the pack until the turn off in Windham.  We had a great time. 
    One racer was wondering if we were official entrants.  I said that I
    didn't think so because the aerobars would disqualify us.  He said,
    "...but you're a tandem".  I gave him a surprised look, turned around
    and said, "...I thought she was drafting a little too close".  As we
    got close to the Windham turn, I pulled to the left of the pack and
    took advantage of the downhill, screeming by the pack.  We got a lot of
    cheers from the racers and took a 20 sec lead before the turn. 
    
    We continued on our merry way to Hampton Beach, turn around and
    finished our 95 mile ride in 4:59:58.
    
    Eric

     Fast in pairs, eh Eric??? It must've been the younger group...
    You never would've been able to pass the 35-39 group :-)....
    
     Impressive time on the 95 miler... God bless those aerobars!
    
     On the Campy 8-spd... oh, never mind...
    
     Chip_who_will_someday_shift_beyond_the_6spd_zone

I rode in the 40-45 age group ( see you in that age group next year Chip). With
100 yards to go I  was 2nd, I think I took 6th, close finish with some GOOD 
sprinters. 

I saw two accidents one was a Front wheel & rear wheel contact three rides went
down, but the second one was only 1 mile from the finish, a dog came out from 
the crowd and attacted the rider just infront of me. He went down and I was told 
he took about 11 riders with him. As I went by he was on the ground and the dog
was all over him, bitting. Someone in the crowd was yelling COME PEPPI - 
NO PEPPI - BAD DOG. 

Just befor the hosipital I was in 4th strated my sprint at the hosital moved 
into 2nd and was blowen away with 100 yards to go oh well next year.

Wild Bill

     Nice job Bill! I really like that race. As I've said, it IS the best
    organized race (citizen's) I've ever been in. The Longsjo was an ab-
    solute abortion. Those USCF people are the most arrogant/obnoxious/
    demigod like slugs I've ever run into (at least the two of them I
    had contact with)... Sorry, I had to throw that in (flame off).
    
     Gee, sounds like Peppi really needs a lethal injection - Opps, I
    mean it sounds like Peppi's owners really need a euthenasia experiment
    done on 'em...
    
     Oh Bill... I'll be 39 for the next TdF so you'll have to wait one more
    year to for the chance to wail on me...
    
     And Eric... You'll be happy to know I've got a 7spd freewheel now...
    
       Chip

    Chip,
    
    7 speed?  Now, you finally came up to match the tandem...  Hey, I have
    a old pista cog.  I can let you tape it to your 7-spd and call it a
    modified 8-spd.
    
    Sounds like Peppi needed some behavior modification with a Titanium
    tube (nothing but the best...)
    
    Eric