Bikes coming home TODAY!

Apologies for the late posting, here - I was trying to think of desert limericks and forgot that HEY! Your Bike Will Be Home Today!

So, you need to come pick it up, again from JD Stone's office garage at 10963 Paw Paw Drive just east of Holland (mmmaaap). Pickup times are from 5pm-9pm Friday, October 21 (that's tonight!), or Saturday, October 22 from 10am-2pm. If you can't make one of those times, and you live in the GR area, Coach Mike will be able to bring a VERY few noble steeds to the KissCross race on Sunday at Manhattan Park. Bring a cowbell!

If none of the above options work for you, you need to get in touch with us to make other arrangements. Storage is extremely limited, so we really need you to get your bike today or tomorrow.

Yah OK!

Bike Room Verse

So - I'm not quite ready to write about DV yet.....gimme a few days. (Don't let that stop ya'll though - hint!) but I was goin' through the huge pile of receipts and stuff from the last 2 Rides and I found some haiku and other stuff from the Tahoe Ride. It turns out that Patti "Pea" Bills shares my fondness for playin' with words and we started taping little notes all over the wall of the Bike Room w/ our respective efforts at capturing the mood. Since there's not really anywhere else to put it - here ya go:

From lycra and sweat

Riders forge their own stories

Of hope and a cure (MC)

On Ride to Cure eve

Riders, coaches, families

anticipate joy (PB)

Bike Room Onomatopoeia:

Snap Crackle Pop

Whirl Whrrr Grind Turn Squeak & Squish

Slide Spin Crank & Smile (PB)

Greasy hands throbbing

bikes leaving boxes behind

BikeFace in the air (MC)

There once was a wrench wench named Pea

Her skills were there for all to see

She'd put 'em together

No matter the weather

And actually did it for free! (MC)

Riders wear stories

of diagnosis and hope

on bikes and in hearts (PB)

Quiet in the Bike Room

nervous stomachs try to sleep

pedals await cleats (MC)

Anyway.......ignore at will!

SAVE THE DATE (Because the fun continues!)

SAVE THE DATE

2011 JDRF West Michigan Ride Team Celebration

Saturday, November 5

6:00 p.m.

Tom Miller's House

Grand Haven, MI

(address is in your email!)

Plan to join this awesome team for a celebration of all we've accomplished in 2011. We'll have fresh DV stories to share, lots of memories from Vermont/Wisconsin/Tahoe, and even one rider looking forward to an awesome ride in Tucson/Tuscon later in the month!

More details to come, but plan on a pot luck fiesta. We'll have awards, photos, pool, ping pong, and lots of good cheer too. Kids welcome.

*For those of you riding the Iceman that morning up north--we can't wait to hear the tales that night @ the party!

More to come!

The Updated Death Valley Primer

It's been a year since Tom Scheidel wrote this invaluable thing, and pretty much all of it is valid. There are a couple of updates, though, numero uno being cell phone coverage. Due to a stubby little tower right near the playgroud, there is now one billion times more cell phone coverage. AT&T folks even get 3G data; Verizoners have to make due with just coverage. Once you're away from the oasis, though, that coverage drops away reeeeal fast.

That said, anyone caught holed up in their room on Facebook will be have their phone mailed to Cuba, and will be forced to pick all the fleas off of Mr. Coyote's nether regions.

I'm not sure we mentioned it, but you might want to hydrate.