ODRAM Update

ODRAM (One Day Ride Across Michigan) is shaping up to be the best ever. It is scheduled for Saturday, August 18. Register here.

Need to raise funds for your ride account? The ODRAM organizational team has a few easy and exciting opportunities for you.

How about a very fashionable "JDRF" jersey bin? The bin is 6" X 4", made of thick flexible plastic with a secure press and seal closure. Perfect size to keep your phone, keys, ID, or snacks dry (or, think about it for boating, beach, or other places you want to keep your stuff dry/clean). Easily fits in one's jersey pocket. For each one you sell @ $5, half ($2.50) will go into your ride account. Sell 25 to your friends and you just covered a shift at Van Andel. Contact Tom (616-402-0097) or Chris (616-304-4250) with how many you want and we'll get them to you. Return the unsold bins by July 8 and we'll make them available for sale at the 5 JDRF national ride sites.

Jersey bins, not your thing - how about a new bike? We've partnered with Christian Family Services and Giant Bicycles to receive a Talon 29er Mtn bike to raffle (a $650 value). Raffle tickets can be purchased for $3 each or two for $5. For every two raffle tickets you sell, $2.50 will be deposited in your ride account. The winner may exchange the 29er for a different bike of the same value courtesy of Village Bike. Contact Tom or Chris to obtain tickets to sell. The raffle will begin at the end of June and run through August 30.

Want to be a part of ODRAM but not up to riding 152 miles or already have plans for August 18... how about an ODRAM jersey? The cost for one of these bad boys is a paltry $60 ($65 for XXL). Your order must be received by June 1 for it to be available on ride day. You can purchase online at the Bikereg website or contact Tom with your money and size desired and he'll take care of the rest.

Ride on, ride safe and have fun!

Team Ride Number 5 (or so) - Do! Not! Miss! It!

Ok, so I'm fresh(ish) from a couple hours of hammock-napping, so I've got, oh, 45 minutes or so before I zonk out for good here. The important thing here is:

This is the first of the EVENT team rides. Like, you don't wanna miss it! Our inimitable JD Stone will be hosting from Eldean's Shipyard on the south side of Holland, which means... a lot! We'll have a nice couple of routes to ride, and then we'll have showers, a pool, a gazebo, a really soft lawn (suitable for napping), and foooooood!

Seriously, ya wanna hit this one.

Now, since our rides are starting to get a little longer (distances for this one will be 30 or so and 45 or so), and as we want to maximize our post-ride hangin' out time, we're gonna roll out at NOON. Right? You know the drill!

So, the details:

Date: Sunday, June 3

Location: Eldean's Shipyard, park in the lot on the right side of the road past the big shed, unless directed otherwise.

Rollout time: NOON

Distances: 30 and 45 miles (-ish considerations apply)

Post-Ride Giggery: Oh Yeah. As above, and bring some munchies to share.

RSVP? Please! Comment here or post on Facebook; we'd like to have a headcount.

Guests? Heck yeah! But please let us know ahead of time!

Rocketty rock, y'all - see you Sunday!

Team Ride Report 5/21/12 / Lotsa Cool Stuff Soon!

Hey Team! Man - we had a sweet lil' Team Ride outta Johnson Park yesterday! 20 of us rode 25-ish under sunny skies and 90 degree temps. And then (and this will shock ya) we hung out and enjoyed each other's company as well as lotsa cookies 'n chippies 'n such.

The Honor Roll:

All 3 Scheidels
All 3 Dykstras
Jeff and Aimee
1st Heather
J2
Lindsay
Paul & Nick
Cindy
Chris Radford
Lauren
2nd Heather
Paul
Lin and your intrepid reporter (that'd be me!)

No flats, no crashes, really no drama of any kind......just a buncha friends enjoying the the day (and wondering where the rest of their team was......?)

So - what "Cool Stuff" is a-comin' up? Glad you asked! How's this:

Saturday 5/26 there's a chance to meet and hang w/ Team Type 1 member and Holland native Jeff Bannink @ Velo City. Jeff worked for me back-in-the-day and was way too fast even then! Now he does stuff like ride across the whole friggin' country w/ a few of his teammies in LESS THAN 6 DAYS on the way to winnin' the Race Across America not once but twice! He'll be here @ 3:00 - spinnin' yarns and tellin' tales of what it's like to be an elite athlete w/ Type 1 - as well as details on how you actually do something like the RAAM.

Later that night many of us are working the Van Andel Red Hot Chili Peppers show. I hear tell that Cindy is still lookin' for workers if you're interested........

Sunday 5/27 there's an "unofficial" Team Ride! I'm 90% sure that Jeff will join us - that's the plan anyways - and it'll be cool to get a chance to ride w/ him, don'cha think? (dude punches a BIG hole in the wind.....seriously!). The time and locale will be determined soon - watch the FaceBook page and your inbox for the update!

Sunday 6/3 - Big Team Ride @ Eldean's Marina here in Holland. - Great routes, grillin' by the lake, a pool and swingsets for the kids........mark this'n in your calendar in Red!

Okay - enough for now. Keep sending all the healin' vibes you can muster in the direction of Kaat and LTP as they recover from a busted arm and knee surgery respectively.

And I hope to see y'all very soon!

Keep rocking, keep riding, keep being the Rock Stars you are!

Coach MC

2012 Ride T-shirt contest

It's time for the 2012 Michigan Great Lakes West (AKA West Michigan) Ride team t-shirt contest.   The t-shirt with the most votes wins.


Steps - figure out which shirt you want to wear.

Note:  It's likely we'll put Ride logo on the sleeve and date (if necessary).   

Once you figure it out - VOTE!   Right over there in the poll on the right side of this page!! --->>>>
Voting will end in two weeks - that's right - get your vote in by June 3rd.

*********************** Option 1 ************************

*********************** Option 2 ************************

*********************** Option 3 ************************

Option 3

**************** Option 4 (front & back) ******************

Eldean Ride Highlights JUNE 3rd

1.The pool. Bring the whole fam Daley and hang at the pool while Mom or Dad rides. (or both)

2. The ride. Derek's best effort route will include climbing, Hutchins Lake, a cookie stop, possibly Lama view, No rain, multiple lengths so if you ride the 100 grand, you can do this ride too because - see # 3.

 3. The FOOD, Brats from Montello with their donated Buns, Lamberts chicken breasts, a variety of salads, baked beans, Deserts, beverages or whatever special treat you may wish to share.

 4. YOUR PRESENCE,and what each of us brings to the party by joining this effort to WIN the fight to FIND THE CURE against Type 1.

 Hosted by Maggie & JD Stone and the Holland contingent of the West Michigan ride team. and see JD actually ride his bike on a team ride for the first time this season, I promise.

Team Ride 4 this Sunday!

Yowza, it's been a while on here!

First off, before I bore you to tears, we've got Team Ride #4 this Sunday, from Johnson Park in Grand Rapids. Rollout time will be 2pm, routes of 23 to 36 miles available. Weather looks gor-freakin'-geous!

Now, back in time a bit - the last team ride (I math that out to being Team Ride #3) resulted in some extra hardcore points being awarded, as we rode the whole dinkin' thing (all 22 miles of it) in cold rain. Killingtony! Points were awarded to Cindy A, Patti B, Paul B, Linda C, MC, Jack C, Amy F, John J, Host Tom M, Lindsey S, and li'l ol' me, with double points to Heather A and Michelle C for new rider badassery in the face of wretched conditions.

Since then, Your Coaching Staff bravely faced Tulip Time and rainy weather by pickin' up its skirts and darting off to the desert, in the company of Patti, Kaat, and Jan (of cookie fame). It was warm, dry, and dusty, and we came home with fully 95% of our limbs unbroken, which sounds pretty good put that way, but means Kaat needs your healin' vibes for her left forearm. Don't make me show you the x-ray! The amount that this completely sucks cannot be overstated - there will, however, be opportunities to do some sort of rides with her, and there's no doubt that as the bones knit she'll come roaring back in true Gato Diablo fashion.

Anywho, there's gonna be lots of ride opportunities coming up - at least a couple over the Memorial Day weekend, including an opportunity to meet and ride with Team Type 1 racer and Holland native Jeff Bannink. The 100 Grand ride is the Saturday after Memorial Day, with a team ride the day after. Details will be forthcoming; until then, keep riding, raising, and rockin'!