Whitefish Wrap up.

So..............Sunday night. Time to go home, my work here is done. I've ridden a total of 25 miles while I've been here.......slept hardly any at all, eaten WAY too much and pretty much set my 'cross season back in any and every way I can.

So what?

The Ride was awesome. 3 for 3 this season so far. Great weather, riders, stories...you name it - we had it!

Just in case you ever get asked to be the Bike Room Guy for a JDRF Ride...here's an idea of what you're getting into:

Tuesday - Fly to Whitefish (or wherever). Check out the room, unload the truck if need be. Eat too much. Get a decent night's sleep. (For the last time!)
Wednesday - Set the Bike Room up......start assembling the DHL-shipped bikes that have arrived. Stress about the 16-19 bikes that are late and in the clutches of the morons @ DHL. Grab lunch on the run,get a quick ride in, dinner downtown, start figuring out where you're gonna get the rear wheel you need for that C-Dale that got smashed, get as many bikes assembled as possible. Eat too much. Go to bed late......midnight or so.
Thursday - Riders are arriving through out the day so the job shifts from 100% Wrench Dude to Wrench Dude/Bike Consultant/Host/Coach/Bike Fitter/Personal Shopper. Get the rest of the bikes ready, except for the 4 still missing from DickHeadLosers, eat too much, sleep too little.
Friday - Get up early to help get bikes ready for the "tune up ride". Pump tires, help riders find bottles etc. Weather the storm of post-ride complaints, need for adjustments, etc. Work on bikes all day, installing recently purchased computers, H2O cages, clipless pedals and the like. Basically stay in the Bike Room from about 8AM 'til midnight. Somehow find time to eat too much.
Saturday...Ride Day - Up @ 4:45, breakfast @ 5:00. In the Bike Room by 6:00, help riders get rolling 'til Ride Start @ 7:00, pack SAG van w/ tools, stand, spares and hit the road by 7:15. Patrol the Star Meadow route 'til about 10:30, then to the Whitefish Lake loop......fix 7 flats, a tight chain link, a loose saddle, etc. Haul the Glimmer Twins around for a bit, show them the course, co-ordinate Coaches and riders, etc. Come off route @ 4:30 to get a couple rental bikes back to the local shop, then spend some time hangin' around the finish line and wishing that you were a coach and out on the road where you belong. Sort bikes, head to the dinner then back to the room until midnight.Load the truck. Eat too much.
Sunday - try to sleep in but be foiled by your damn internal-set-to-Eastern-Time body clock. Too much breakfast, the into the room. Truck is gone so "only" 24 bikes to deal with. Start packin' them @ 9:00 or so........takes about 25 minutes per. Break for lunch downtown, then do some more. Run downtown on t-shirt run, then back at it. More bike packing all afternoon nd into the evening. Abandon plans to get a ride in. Finish the last bike @ 8:30, pack up tools, stands etc and load into storage unit. Fend off many offers for drinks and such from grateful riders (too tired). Quick dinner, (eat too much.) then back to room to bask in the feeling of being done and homeward bound. Post blog, read e-mail, take shower, plan to sleep in. All in all......a great, if tiring, week!

It'll be good to be home, good to check out the shop, good to trade tales w/ Ted, who's been wrenching for the Kenda/Titus team in Utah all weekend. I'll be back here for Ride #4 in 10 days.

Can't wait!