Biking down South during the holiday

Thursday - I have Thursday off and want to do some riding. It sounds like a couple of us are going to head over to Yankee Springs with the mountain bikes. I went MBing with coach Mike and did a couple weeks ago & enjoyed it. It's been years since I did Yankee Springs and imagine that on a Thursday morning it should be pretty quiet. 9am @ Wayland Shell station - let me know you're coming.
Saturday - If anyone would like to join me I'll be riding from home (Wayland) down to Plainwell probably on Saturday morning. The hills are easy, the shoulders are good, the traffic light and the icecream shop at the river park is refreshing. It's about 30 miles there and back unless I decide to tack more on. I did check and the road is actually very good all the way down to Kalamazoooo. I seem to be most comfortable at 15-17 mph right now on the trike. If you're a slower rider we'd be good company.

If anyone thinks that sounds like fun let me know. mhoward@steelcase.com

Finally Did It!

A milestone was passed today (maybe just for me - LOL) - over 50 miles in one ride. Many thanks to Lorna M., Sara, M. and Cindy A. as they joined on a ride from Rockford through the scenic and rolling hills out to Crockery Lake and back. We had the pleasure of having the wind to our backs as well as favorable hills as we returned to Rockford. Without a theme, Lorna had to settle for an ice cream from Rocky's as the post ride treat. Also, a thanks goes out to Don and Marian for providing apples, granola bars, fresh water and other amenities at the half-way point. We traveled some of the same roads that we had traveled on the Scheidel's team ride without the 7-mile hill at the start. The hill by Sparta High School and the Old Orchard Plant was just enough for us today. Don't forget to check the calendar for the next team ride.

new blog site

You are here, reading this, thinking "hmm... something is up. It doesn't look the same." Well, it's true, it doesn't. The purpose of a blog is for others to read it. To pass it on. To get more people to read it. To pass it on. The idea is to create an ever expanding community.

The past blog setup was limiting our visibility to the rest of the world. It was hosted on our own web server, and although it looked nice, and functioned ok, it was not getting the traffic it deserved. So, we moved it back to the blogger site. In doing so, we get some fun new tools (like the survey tool - look at the top of the right bar!), and also the nice 'Bookmark It' (bottom of every post) that lets others link to our posts in their own communities, in hopes of getting more people to visit our blog and keep coming back.

The idea is to spread the word of helping to find a cure for diabetes, on a bike.

So, that being said - we can change the look and feel if there is something you just really don't like. Let Katie know, she'll see what she can do (but I'll warn you - you have to be pretty specific - she doesn't handle vague well). Given some time, she's hoping to make the right bar wider and the post bar wider as well.

Hope you enjoy it.

Tunnel Park Ride - Sunday June 29

A Note from Carmen...
Appears we have about 7 'for sures' and a few 'maybes' for Sunday's ride. So here's the scoop...note TIME CHANGE. For a more peaceful ride with less traffic, we'll be leaving Tunnel Park at 9:00 am. (Plan on 25 minutes of driving from Holland Exit off 196 to Tunnel Park.) Without Coach Mike or JDRF Sister Mary, we won't have the usual ride supports (tire hanging, treats, maps, etc), however you can't get lost. It's one road all the way to Grand Haven, and then you turn around and come back. For those wanting a longer, faster ride, there's an extra loop in Grand Haven that takes you by the beach and adds one giant hill. Anyone wanting a shorter ride, you're halfway wherever you choose to turn around. :)

DETAILS:
Sunday Ride, June 29, Holland (40-50 miles)
9:00 a.m. (note time change)
Tunnel Park
Parking; Costs $4 to drive into the park, but there's plenty of free parking across the street corner of Perry and Lakeshore Drive. Restrooms, changing rooms, water, vending machines and picnic area available
Rest Stop Option at Kirk Park, restrooms and water
Grand Haven has ice cream and anything else your heart desires
ROUTE: North down Lakeshore Drive till you want to turn around (Begin and end at Tunnel Park, Holland 49424)
Please BRING: Swim suit, towels, your own beverage (if you can stay a bit)

At the end of the ride, I'll serve up some grilled burgers & provide some chips/salsa & a sweet something. Bring your own beverage for a little picnic fun. Bring your swimsuit/towel with hopes Lake Michigan will be warm enough for a swim. I have plenty of boogie boards for you to use, if we have waves! Hot tub and sauna aren't as much fun in the day time, but if you're truly interested I could make it available. I live just one hill away from Tunnel Park. Hope you can come.

WHODUNIT?

A tire, not young, but with many more miles to enjoy - no more sprints, no more hills, never again more wandering through the countryside, and above all, no more riding along with friends - cut down, slashed mercilessly into a limp hoop of useless rubber and Kevlar, a Continental Grand Prix 4-Seasons, never to see another season again.



Who would do such a thing? WHO?

Was it - the razor blade? Rusty, malicious, and brutally sharp?



Or might it have been - the steak knife! Oh, we know the steak knife's lust for the carving of flesh. We know those wicked serrations!



Or, horror! Did they collaborate? Are the blades uniting against us? Will our world end in a hiss of escaping air?



Ride with caution, my friends. Ride with your eyes open wide, watching for the gleam of honed, slashing, lusting steel!

It's Been Too Long............

....................and that's my bad! There's been a lot going on and it's good to know that everyone seems to be getting some riding in! Let's keep on it............Asheville is only 8 weeks away!

We do have a Team Ride scheduled for this comin' Sunday......it's from Ada Park and we roll @ 2:00. The schedule calls for 50 miles so figure on being out for 3+ hours. There will be some hills, I promise!

I'll try and have a 30-35 mile option mapped out as well.

I have a pretty good selection of post-ride snacks left over from the party @ my house so we'll have plenty to munch on afterwards.

Looking ahead............the next Team Ride after this weekend in on Sunday 6/29 from Carmen's house here on the Northside of Holland. I hate to miss it but I'll be in Sonoma doing the tech support for the first JDRF Ride of the season. I'd encourage you to make it...it oughta be a blast!

Lots of other cool Team Stuff coming up.......rides, events, parties.......be sure to keep an eye on the Team Blog and the website to make sure that you are up-to-date on everything!

Hope to see you this weekend!

Mike

Dad's Day Ride

Nothing like a family ride on Father's Day to help you appreciate family. My Mom and Dad had wanted to go riding on the Cannon Township Trail and Sunday ended up being the day. I appreciate all the training I have done in preparation for Ashville as I rode up to the Township Office to meet them. The trail is a brief 4 miles out and back, but provided beautiful scenery with the fantastic weather. I ended up sprinting home as I had an evening commitment after the ride. Nothing can compare to celebrating Father's Day with Family Time. Next week, it's back to the miles. Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend for the team ride.

Speaking of Katie...

As many of you know, I wrote a story about Katie for Grand Valley Magazine (which is a quarterly magazine produced by Grand Valley State University, where we both work). The story has been posted online in PDF format. You can take a look at it at www.gvsu.edu/gvmagazine.

Sunday Ride

I'm looking to do a ride on Sunday and thought some of my fellow JDRF'ers might too. So, I'm going to host an impromptu ride this coming Sunday.

I'll be hosting it from Hager Park in Jenison/Georgetown township. My plan is to get started at about noon.

The plan, at the moment, would be to a ride of abut 60 miles or so. But, it would have Grand Haven as the halfway mark. I'd probably want to stop for a little lunch and relaxation. Enough to recover for the ride home.My route will take us out past GVSU, then north to Leonard. Leonard all the way to Grand Haven. Lunch. Then, back home along the south side of the river and back in to Jenison.

Total route shows 58.87 miles...but, would include enough rest time in Grand Haven to allow for a little recovery.If there is some interest...I think it would be fun. If not...well...I'll do it by myself darned it. I still think it will be fun!

Ross

New Board Member

Congratulations to Katie Clark who was elected to the JDRF West Michigan Board of Directors at last night's annual meeting. Katie will serve a 2 year term starting on July 1.

Former board member congratulating new board member, and discussing relative height requirements of double decker buses.

Wanna play hooky and get dirty?

Gonna do a little fat-tire riding at Owasippe Boy Scout Camp on Wednesday morning, meeting in the parking lot there around 9:45 or so. It's a hoot; some good, fairly tough trails, all scenic, all good. There's a $5 day fee, and you'll probably get a "Save Owasippe" bumper sticker under your windshield wiper.

Map to the parking lot is here...

did

Speaking of Photos...

...I just found this hilarious post, literally like 30 seconds ago. I'm practicing right now. Tom, great job with the photos and video yesterday...we're truly a mega-multi-media team. :)

New photos added

Check out the photo site here for pics of Sunday's team ride, including this great shot of Ted in his man capris.