Tomorrow is Groundhog Day...

So, something happens with some sort of rodenty creature that a century ago would have been made into a fur coat that supposedly tells us how much more winter we're gonna have. What I don't get is, so the bugger sees his shadow and we get more snow, right? So Punxsutawney Phil (or, as he is known to science, rodentia meteorologicus) comes out on a sunny day, and it's six more weeks of salt trucks and snow shovels? I don't get it. This goes on my list of evidences that Old Timey New England folks spent most of their time in bars or licking toads or something.

But I digress.

It seems something else is happening tomorrow, something rather more important than an easily startled woodchuck with a fan club. What was it again? Something reggy - Reginald? Regency? Regurgitation? No, it's...

REGISTRATION!!!!

Yep, at NOON on February 1 the phone lines (so to speak) will open, and you'll be able to sign up for your location of choice. The consensus seems to be largely for Death Valley, though no one's gonna get upset if you want to go elsewhere. Me, the last two times I didn't go to Death Valley, I felt like I was missing out on something amazing - and I was. It's a place of strange magic. Also, there's a little barrel cactus at the top of Jubilee Pass that I want a summertime picture of.

SO: round about noon tomorrow, click on "REGISTRATION" up there (or right here) and you'll go to the Ride registration page. If, under the pull-down menu for "Ride location I'm registering for," you can see, well, anything, you can register.

If you want to go to Death Valley, you'd probably best not dawdle. There are NO reserved spots for anyone this year - it's strictly first come, first served. DV hasn't sold out the last couple of years, but indications are that may change this year, so... there ya go!

Onwards, rockin' folk!

ONE MORE WEEK TO REGISTER FOR THE U.C.C.!

You heard it here first kids.........registration for the Ultimate Cycle Challenge is only open through 2/5! What happens after that you ask? I dunno - but why tempt fate?

So - get'cher self on over to www.ultimatecyclechallenge.com , click on that there "individual registration" button, pick your fav-O-rite team from the drop-down menu (hint - it has "JDRF" in the name) and yer all set! Then - get ahold of me (mike@velo-citycycles.com or 355-2000) and I'll get'cha set w/ a time slot.

Here's who I have thus far:

8-10pm - JD
1opm - Tom M
11pm -
Midnight - Kris B-C
1am-
2am-
3am-
4-6am - Kaat
6-8am - Brad S
8am-
9-11am- Katie C
11am-1pm- Coach Did
1pm-3pm - Kirsten D
3pm - Kris B-C
4pm-
5pm-
6pm-
7pm-

Now - I'll be glad to fill in - I'm sorta waiting to see what you guys want before I grab any timeslots - and I'm good for 2-3 hours here and there. As you can see we have some good times still open.

The sooner you register - the more choice you'll get!

More later, lots goin' on.

Rock on you Rockstars!

Coach MC

Hi, nice ta meetcha

Well, it took a lot of late-night negotiation sessions, but I have indeed agreed to be a coach this year. It was the offer of being allowed to use the JDRF Ferrari that ultimately sealed the deal (it’s the only Ferrari in the world with a 4-bike hitch rack installed).

On a more serious note, Coach Emeritus Nicole deserves a round of thanks and appreciation for all that she did last year. She set the bar seriously high with the amount of work she put in to coaching last year, and really broke the new ground necessary to being the team’s assistant coach. To paraphrase Isaac Newton, whatever I achieve this year, Nicole deserves much of the credit for. So, in advance of what is sure to be an awesome year, thanks Nic – in a team of folks who rock, your rocking knows no bounds.

I am no less indebted to our stellar Chief Coach Mike Clark – there’s a reason this dude’s been tapped so heavily by the National ride program. I may be a coach, but MC is still MY coach.

Now, me – who is this oaf, anyway? Well, a full explanation would take almost half a page, so the basics: as Nic said, I started this adventure in 2005 with the first formation of the West Michigan ride team. I remain somewhat startled by what that turned in to; I would never, ever have guessed in those early days that I would still be doing it 6 years later, would have spent hours selling dollar hot dogs at Van Andel Arena, and certainly that I would be a coach on the team. Why all that did happen is due to another thing I didn’t expect – that I would meet all of you, and that type 1 diabetes would change from something I didn’t know about to something that hurts my dear friends. I can point to a string of eye-opening moments that have cemented my resolve to see that thing ended.

As for the other stuff, yeah, all of our bikes have names, as do our cars, our computers, our cats, and even our child. Due to an unfortunate year during which I couldn’t go 50 miles without a flat, I am pretty good at swapping a tube by the side of the road. Any other mechanical aptitude is really just me just liking shiny things. As for strength, well, this potato-shaped lump of flesh I call home takes some effort to get movin’.

And there is nothing wrong with pink cable housing. Ruby likes a bit of color.

With all that up and out of the way, my first official act as a coachy person is to re-plant the idea of the upcoming Ultimate Cycling Challenge; we have a JDRF team registered for this event, and we need to fill 24 hours worth of time slots. To sign up, you need to register for the event, and then get in touch with MC to pick out a time slot. Don’t write off those middle-of-the-night spots, either – I’ve done a couple of those, and it’s way cool.

Things are starting to ramp up, folks, and I’m thrilled to be where I am. I hope you are too; you’re the folks who make this thing get better every year. Hey, I get to officially say it now – you all rock!

NEW TEAM NOTE OUT - DID'JA GET ONE?

Hey Team!

The first big Team e-mail was sent out recently and you should have it in your inbox by now. (Or - even better, printed out and held to your 'fridge door w/ a Death Valley or Whitefish souvenir magnet!)

Lotsa info that you might wanna have access to -details on the Ultimate Cycle Challenge, 2010 Ride registration, Team Corporate Sponsorship...you name it!

So - if you did not receive one pleas let me know (mike@velo-citycycles.com) and I'll make sure that you get this one and that you're on our e-mail list.

It's gonna be a GREAT year, I can't wait!

Coach Mike

Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival

We just got word that the Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival will be held on February 13th and that "More Than 100 Miles" will be one of the featured films. The event takes place at Wealthy Theatre and is a fund raiser Western chapter of the MMBA. So if you haven't had a chance to see the film yet, or would like to see it again on the big screen join us on Saturday, February 13th. There will be other bicycle related films showing as well.

Skiing, anyone?

Hey gang... Tom Miller and some folks are looking to head up for a day of skiing at Crystal Mountain next Tuesday 1/12. It's only about a 2.5 hour drive from either Grand Haven or Grand Rapids. They're looking to leave early in the morning, ski until the afternoon, and head back. The more the merrier....if you're interested in joining up, contact Tom.