COWS Fall Rally – West Bend, WI

Rally Day #3: 22.49 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 1 hour 49 minutes, average speed: 12.2

It’s nearly time to go home and the weather begins to improve. Four teams joined together to finish the 2010 COWS Fall Rally ending with a beautiful route into the countryside and then back to town on the Eisenbahn State Bike Trail. The temperature finally reached into the 60’s and the winds were minimal reminding us that we still have season left to ride. The rally was a huge success thanks to Jim and Anne for volunteering to host this year’s Fall Ride.

COWS Fall Rally – West Bend, WI

Rally Day #2: 58.94 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 4 hours 47 minutes, average speed: 12.3

The words to describe this biking day would have to be chilly and windy! After a few announcements from host Jim, 18 teams mounted up and out into the 50-degree temps to explore the Northern Kettle Moraine north of West Bend, WI.

We biked 30 miles straight before our first rest at the Parnell Tower and the wind was exhausting, sapping energy from any reserves we might have. We did not even consider climbing the fire tower once at the park. Our rest included a visit with Annette and Tom and we then got back on the bike to pedal 10 more miles to our lunch stop in Dundee, arriving tired and hungry. Lunch at the bar & grill was excellent and it was fun to see all the riders making their lunch stop here. The bartender was very kind and invited us back if we should find ourselves in Dundee again.

Our lunch break was 40 miles into our ride so we now only had 20 more to go to finish. We made it back to the hotel by 3:30 p.m. giving us an hour to clean up and navigate to our hosts' house for a backyard bar-BQ. Jim and Anne planned a wonderful cookout for all riders at their home. Chef Jim grilled mouthwatering brats and even provided a very special dessert. A variety of salads and snacks showed up as each COWS team joined the party.

We had a wonderful time getting to know each other better. Jim and Anne did a wonderful job making us all feel welcome in West Bend.

COWS Fall Rally – West Bend, WI

Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest
Rally Day #1: 0 miles

Because of dangerous winds blowing at 35 mph as we arrived in West Bend, Dennis and I chose to visit with COWS members rather than bike the route around the city. Six couples planned to gather for supper at the Coachman House Restaurant recommended by Anne and Jim White, our hosts for this weekend. Following our meal, Dennis and I decided to visit with the locals in the bar and had a wonderful conversation with a retired couple from Milwaukee. We then drove back to the AmericInn to rest for our ride into the Northern Kettle Moraine planned for Saturday. The forecast looked promising and we were hopeful that the winds would move on out to allow us to bike the 60-mile route.