Monday, October 27, 2008

Pineapple Bob Classic Report

So........it was a somewhat disappointed group of 20 or so milling around the shop yesterday, kitting up and talking about the much-better-than-forecast weather outside. "Where's the 'wintery mix'?" "Whats' w/all the sunshine?" "What 'plummeting temps?" and other such comments were commonly overheard as we got ready to roll.

It's weird that way......although if you're reading this it may well not seem weird at all.....but it seems like a main component of a great ride is having some horrible weather thrown into the mix. I know that I was mentally prepared to be miserable yesterday - and the fact that I wasn't didn't ruin the ride by any means but it did change it. Still - we had a blast. 30 miles, 7 of it gravel and what seemed like most of it into a stiff west wind that had us lookin' @ single digit speeds once in awhile. My group included JD, Ross, Tom W., J2 and Berger and we amused ourselves by goin' outta our way lookin' for mud puddles and extra "Flahute Points". Big fun!

("Flahute" is a Flemish word used to describe the 'hard men' of that region who are always out there in the wet and wind training for the Spring Classics)

Back at the shop there were tacos w/all the fixin's and a buncha dirty dudes.

Speaking of "dudes" - there were exactly zero riders of the female persuasion on this ride and that reminds of the truest thing I ever heard Berger say. Now - Brier Berger is one of those "still waters rub deep" sorta guys and for all we know he's chock-full of pithy wisdom but last Friday he said one of the truest things I've EVER heard anyone say about riding. We had done the Bagel Ride despite the fact that it was 45 degrees -n-raining so we had no one to blame but ourselves when we rolled up to the cafe as 4 popsicles. Soaking wet, chilled to the bone and most likely hypothermic we sat, a little table of misery, in the middle of the bagel shop, dripping on the floor w/ numb hands cupped around coffee, tea and hot cider. At one point Greg pointed out through chattering teeth that KP, despite having the day off and looking forward to a ride was a no-show. That led Berger to observe that "Yeah, there's never any women on these stupid rides." to general agreement.

And it's true. And by no means a knock on our cycling sisters in any way - I know and ride with LOTS of way hardcore ladies - but when it comes to what Berger so adroitly termed a "stupid ride".......they're smart enough to say no.

Maybe when I grow up I'll be that smart.

Anyway - the ride was a blast and it's great to have the Fun-Raiser Series back on the calendar. It's Chilly Chili Ride time in less than 2 weeks so it's time to start experimenting w/ this year's recipe. Rumours that Bobby Flay might show up for a chili "throwdown" are just that - rumours! Still, you don't wanna miss this ride, it's one of the best!

Man - the calendar is crazy-full still! Looking ahead @ the next 7 weekends they look like this: Cross Race - Iceman / Chilly Chili Ride - Cross race - Cross Race - Thanksgiving Weekend - State Cross Championships - Cross Race in Holland! Is that cool or what?

I've decided to go w/ my fixxie for the races...at least for the one this weekend. We'll see if that's as stupid an idea as my HupUnited buds seem to think that it is. My theory is that since I have failed utterly - again - to carry my summer fitness into the 'cross season I might as well try something different. Besides, I'll need all the excuses I can get!

Stay tuned - ride lots - vote - get excited/angry/passionate about SOMETHING!

Friday, October 24, 2008

What a difference a week makes!

Last Friday's Ride (10/17) - Furnace Creek Ranch to Golden Canyon and Zabriseke Point, Death Valley. 15 miles. 90 degrees. 100% sunshine. S/S jersey, bibs, summer shoes. gloves etc. Sat @ the Point w/ about 50 other riders and about 300 Euro-Tourists.

Today's Ride (10/24) - From the shop out to Gilligan Lake via South Shore Drive and 66th. 45 degrees. Steady rain. Wool baselayer, Thermal jersey, knickers, winter shoes, thermal gloves, winter socks. Got to the bagel shop mildly hypothermic - sat there shivering and dripping - still chilled an hour later. 3 compadres.

I think I prefer Death Valley. In fact, I wish I was there right now, rolling out bound for Jubilee Pass or Scotty's Castle and surrounded by my buds. Sounds pretty much perfect to this boy. Next year I wanna stay out there for a day or two after the Ride - I've been there 4 times now and have basically seen the same damn 53 miles 8 times. I'm guessin' that since it's the biggest National Park outside of Alaska (where you can see Russia from your house) there might be more to see.

Until.............guess I'll ride around here. not a thing wrong w/ that!

Let's go, huh?

Monday, October 20, 2008

Wow!

So....if I turn my head to the left I can see the Effel Tower. Okay - maybe not the real one, but from the 9th floor of the Paris casino it looks kinda real. ( For all I know). I woke up in Death Valley and I'm goin' to bed in Las Vegas which means that I've merely traded one surreal environment for the next. There might not be any 2 locations so close geographically (2+ hours by bus) and yet so bloody different.

I like DV a helluva lot more!

Yesterday's Ride was AWESOME! The Team rode great, strong and caring. All the riders (all 290 of us!) had a safe day and we got the course cleared of riders by 6:00pm. To quote our National Head Coach TSC "By any imaginable measure, this was a great Ride!"

I second that emotion!

A whole buncha West Michigan Riders had a record day. I'm not gonna list names "cuz I'll for damnsure miss one and that'd be unfair and would suck, basically. Trust me when I say that all our riders - first-timers and vets - all rode strong!

In another nod to our Team I was voted "Most Motivational Coach", an honor I'm not sure I earned but will cherish.

It's been a spectacular season for JDRF and I really can't fathom that it's over. It'll hit me eventually I suppose but since we're gonna start planning for '09 asap I'm not sure it matters!

You really oughta join us you know! The 2009 dates are set and will be up on the website any day now.

Gotta go.it's way late and i have an early flight. See you around.

MC

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

SOMETIMES I JUST DON'T THINK THINGS THROUGH ALL THAT WELL, PT 2

Or 3, or 4......or whatever.

I've been so geeked for the Death Valley Ride that lately I've actually been paranoid about gettin' hurt before we leave. That's a first, as far as I can recall. As I rode to work yesterday, and then rode over to the Holland Stadium to see about the 'cross race course and then back I was extra-mindful of cars and the regular daily dose of risks that I guess I take every day just to get around. I mentioned it to Ted, John J and Dennis @ various points throughout the day so it's on record, that's all I'm sayin'.

So.....keep that in mind 'cuz, as I once heard a guy in a bluegrass band say from the stage - "I told ya'll that story so I can tell ya'll this'n"..............

On the Tuesday Night Ride I noticed that the rear wheel on Dave Z's Salsa was in a world of hurt.... outta true, outta round, outta everything. The bike's fairly new so I asked him whether he had ridden or driven to the shop - tryin' to get an idea of when we could get our hands on it. You see - I kinda get the vibe that Dave's a member of what we call the "shut up and ride club" (folks that aren't all that fussy about their bikes) PLUS I know that he's a very busy dude and I was skepical that he'd be able to get it to us asap - which is what needed to happen. When I realized that our route would take us through his neighborhood and that he had the same pedals as I use an idea worked it's way through my soggy brain. "Hey Dave", says I "How 'bout I leave my bike w/ you and ride yours to the shop? That'll save you a trip and we can get'cher wheel fixed up tomorrow." "Great idea" says he "Can you ride my bike?"

A fair question since it's about 3 sizes too big.

"Oh sure - I can deal w/ it for 4 miles" I say, thinkin' to myself that at least I can clip in even though I'll hardly be able to reach the pedals from the saddle.

So I tell the group what I'm up to and Dennis right away asks if I want him to hold up the group. "Nah", says our clever narrator "I'll be fine and right behind you guys." So off they go.

Dave and I get to his house and do the switch. I climb (I use the word in it's literal sense) onto his bike and realize that I WOULD be able to clip in to his pedals IF I was actually wearing my road shoes but since they are on the truck on the way to DEATH FREAKIN' VALLEY I'm not.

Oops.

Oh well, no biggie, I can carefully stand on those little tiny slippery Speedplay pedals in my slick nylon soled off-road shoes for 4 miles, right? And I can ride this bike w/ the rear wheel feelin' like it's gonna collapse at any second, right? And......oh yeah, no lights and the group's up the road.

Oops, #2. (Or #3, or #4, or whatever, I've lost count)

So - now I'm THAT GUY again! Riding through town, in the dark, with no lights, on a bike that's WAY too big, that I can't clip into, with a sick rear wheel.

Way to be extra-careful huh?

Well, since you're reading this and I've written it I musta made it, and I did. Once again whatever Guardian Angel that drew the short straw and got stuck w/ watchin my back came through and I got away w/ it. Again. Still - I was compelled to go home (my headlight died on my commuter bike en route, of course) and confess to the Lovely Linda that she was married to an idiot.

She did not seem surprised.

So......Death Valley tomorrow and as previously stated I can not wait! I dyin' to see the Panamint Mountains, Furnace Creek Ranch, Jubilee Pass and all that stuff but I'm even more excited to get another dose of the all-powerful JDRF medicine. It's good for what ails ya!

If you read this drivel (and I have no idea who does - or why) I assume that I'll be carrying your best wishes for our Team as we head out to the Valley and for that I thank you. If any of you have seen fit to support any of my Team Mates w/ a donation then I thank you once again. (It's not too late - go to www.ride.jdrf.org, click "donate" and choose a rider!)

Thanks for reading, thanks for caring - if you do. (It's cool either way!) I'm not sure that there'll be internet access in DV so I might be "off the 'net" for a bit. I imagine the world will survive!

Be safe! Ride lots! Get passionate about something! Take care!
MC

Monday, October 13, 2008

Time to Catch Up! (Again!)

Man! I repeat...how do all those dedicated daily Blogger types do it!?!?!?!? I have a hard time believing that it's been 2 weeks since I sat down to update this damn thing.............it feels like we just got back from the show. Anyway, here's what's been goin' on:

We got back and for a while there the shop was becalmed in the off-season doldrums. Then someone turned on the Weather Way-Back Machine and summer staged a strong comeback. Temps in the 80's and heartbreakingly clear blue skies were the rule for most of early October and the buzz at the shop rose accordingly. Kinda fun. We've been doin' the 'Cross Clinics for 3 weeks now but the turn-out is low. Not sure if that's due to the location change (Ransom Park on the North Side), the 'un 'crosslike weather or the fact that I've been listed as one of the "instructors". (That seems most likely to me)

I'm dyin' to get my cyclo-cross season started but I'm resigned to waitin' 'til November. @ that point the JDRF Ride season will be done, my #1 bike will be back from Death Valley (one of my riders has had it since May) and I'll be able to focus. November looks full......3 'cross races, the Iceman, a gig...........too bad I have ZERO edge or fitness. Based on a one-time experiment I'm seriously considering using my Macatawa Bike Works fixxie for 'cross - I can just fit a pair of Maxxis 'cross tires on it and there's just something about the whole fixxie thing...............

Wanna read something extra-cool about this sport that we love? My good friend Heather is a real live writer of no small renown and she was inspired after a Tuesday Night Ride to toss a few lines together about just what it is that makes her so crazy 'bout cycling and she was kind enough to gimme a heads-up. Man.......reading it gave me goosebumps and almost made me tear up! Do yourself a solid and visit www.heathersellers.com/blog/ and enjoy!

So......we're off to Death Valley in 3 more days! The last JDRF Ride of 2008. The 5th of 5 for me this season but only the 2nd where I'll get to ride and the first where my only duty will be as coach of my team. (Kinda excited about that!) 43 members of the West Mich squad will join 260+ other riders for the biggest Ride to Cure O' the year! This group has a pretty decent % of Velo-Folk.......J2, Ross, JD, Ted, Lin and I, plus Did, Cindy, Katie & Steve, Tom & Mary and other mainstays of the Team lo these last 3-4 years. I CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!!

I'm fired up to get the Fun-Raiser Series rollin' this month too! Life's just better when there's a Big Ride comin'up every month. For October it's gonna be the (in)famous Pineapple Bob Classic w/ a Taco Chaser. I've decided to move the November Chilly Chili Ride from the date in the newsletter (11/22) to the day after the Iceman (11/9) You heard it here first! (Unless you were on the Friday Morning Bagel Ride last week - but you know who you are!)

I'm starting to ponder staffing for next season...........the more we talk about stuff on this end the more it seems likely that we'll be lookin' for a full-timer to help keep things here on a even keel while I work on Velo-Ventures trips, JDRF stuff and suchlike. Know anyone I oughta talk to?

Lots to do before I shove of for DV.........there are 5-6 pre-season orders that are due by 10/15, all the usual loose-end-tying that precedes a break and at some point I gotta pack.

Maybe I oughta get workin' on that, huh?

Later..MC