Registration will be open before you know it! Where are you planning to ride in 2014?!

Answer the poll!

*tweak*

48 hours and we'll be most of the way to Nashville. My brain is remaining impressively useful, only drifting off 60-70 percent of the time, but I'm sure that's coming to an end. I offer apologies to my employer, as I do every year.

Anywhoodles, hey, look, maps and cool stuff!

Indiana road projects and conditions
Kentucky road info
Tennessee road whosawhatsis

I love map.

Weather: Kinda looking a bit meh for Saturday - solid chance of rain, temperatures in the mid-upper 70s. It'll still be awesome; the glow of 500 determined and wonderful riders and hundreds of volunteers and supporters will keep us warm and dry no matter what, and it totally doesn't matter how far you ride or how fast you do it or even IF you ride. I'm not sure what the Nashville equivalent of this standard speech is, but the Death Valley version is "if you take off and turn left instead of right and go spend the day at the pool, you're just as successful as the monster who rides the 100 miles in 4 and a half hours."

(Please tell someone if you do that, though, so we don't go looking for you.)

I'm sure a lot of our activities will center around the Bike Room; let's keep an eye out for each other Thursday afternoon and evening so we can do whatever planning we want to do. Your bike will stay with you in your room, in case you were wondering.

Man, do I ever envy the first-time riders! Make new friends. Be with your people. It's a firehose of an experience; all you can do is open yourself up and soak in as much of the emotion and power as you can. Just BE.

See you in Nashville!

Last Team Ride Before Nashville!

So in a WEEK, a whole mess of us are gonna be en route to Nashville! How 'bout them apples?!?!?! Anybody else kinda tweakin' about it? I'm getting all good and wound up; it's almost time to start making the annual Ride Weekend Packing Spreadsheet! Woot Woot!

BUT FIRST! Let's have one more team ride, OK?

Deets, in case you missed the email and don't do the Facebook thing:

Starting from Spring Grove Park, near Jamestown (MAP HERE)
Rollout time 10 am
33 or 45ish miles, with some hills
Post ride snacks and planning meeting, starting at let's say 2:30

I think what I'm gonna map out is a quick 15 mile loop that will swing back to the park, and then proceed back out for the 33 mile loop, so if you want to do 33, be at the park and READY TO RIDE by 10:45 am. We'll roll through, and if nobody's there  we'll take right off again.

OK!

1 Week 1 week 1 week!

La Crosse recap from a first time "bike tech"

When the opportunity to spend three days in a windowless room unpacking and repacking bicycles presented itself, I jumped on board (once the vacation days were approved).

This was the most amazing weekend since I participated in my own JDRF Ride to Cure September 2012. Watching new and returning riders accomplish whatever goal they had set for themselves was inspiring and uplifting, to say the very least.

As a volunteer, I was fortunate to have my own goals and even accomplished a handful of “firsts.”
1. Change a flat bike tire. Surprising, considering I was tech support, but I saved a riders last 16 miles with a quick tube change. High-five!

2. Pack a bike. If you’ve never spent 6 hours in a windowless room packing bikes (and sometimes yourself) with 3 pretty cool dudes, you’re missing out.

3. Ride a bike down a bubble wrap path. There’s video evidence of this extreme sport to be released at the 2014 Golden Globes.

No matter what role I seem to have with this incredible cause, I have my own triumphs and goosebump moments, which prove the power of the bicycle.

Ride on!
Michelle

BURLINGTON RIDE REPORT, PARTS 1-5 ALL AT ONCE

So - the plan was to get back into my habit of posting about the day's events each night....it really was. (I usta do that, really, you can look it up!)

As you might know - I kinda failed miserably at that. By the time I got back to my room - after a 14-16 hour day of hat-switching and bike-wrenchin' and what-all.....I was lucky to stay awake long enough to brush my teeth.

Sorry.

Imma gonna try harder from now on - you'll see.

But - anyway - all I can do at this point is try and fill you in on what was truly a stellar Ride to Cure weekend here in Burlington. The bar's been res-et yet again - higher than ever - and by any indications this is gonna be one All Time Show Stopper of a season! Drag up a chair (it's gonna take a few minutes) and lemme tell you why........

Tuesday - The crew assembled and rolled east. I picked up Tom Miller & New Main Guy Andy Grow @ Tom's and then we picked up Patti "Pea" Bills in GR on our way. It's about a 15 hour drive from the 616 to here.....no way 'round that but after the usual amount of road food, gas stops, GPS consults (there's no straightforward way to get here - think Holland to Kazoo for 800 miles) and a fantastic moonrise over Lake Charles we were here.

"Here" is the Burlington Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center...right offa the highway and about 5 miles from awesome downtown Burlington. Nothing special about it (unless we're here) but perfectly fine as home base for a week.

Wednesday - We were glad to find out that we only had about 30 bikes to assemble. That took some of the pressure off. We didn't have access to the "real" Bike Room until later that day so we set up shop in the loading dock. 2 selling points behind that decision (there was also a big tent set-up outside) were the MGR's promise of "no scheduled shipments" and "You won't be in the way".
Right.
Not.
We  were totally in the way! Hotel staff threaded their way through us every few minutes en route to the dumpster, recycling, kitchen and Lord-Knows-What-Else.....muttering under their breath or spilling beer from returnables. It got old pretty dang quick. And as for shipments..I guess he was "right" about that, unless you count the 2 each FedEx and UPS trucks backing into the dock.

Sigh.

Fortunately it was only for a few hours then we set up for real. With the 4 of us and virtually no interruptions from riders we had things pretty much well in hand by dinnertime, which felt great.

One set-back was the discovery that our go-to Mex joint down on the waterfront was gone...(sniff) but the discovery of a great lil' BBQ joint (mostly) fixed that.

Oh - and a stop @ Ben & Jerry's.

Thursday - Always a kick-ass day 'cuz the riders show up! It's so cool to see the faces, shake the hands and hug the folks that you haven't seen "since the last one"! One of the coolest things about this ride was that over half of the riders (88 outta 170) were first time riders so that was a hoot too! We did our thing....made folks feel welcome, tweaked some bikes, built the few that showed up on planes, etc and pretty soon it was time for the Welcoming Reception. Over paella, roast turkey and alla the fixin's I had the high honor of officially kicking off the 2013 Ride to Cure Season. The folks seemed ready and everything seemed to point towards a great weekend.

Friday - I was up early for the Coach's Ride @ 6am. The 12 of us rolled outta town, along the lake and here and there. (Sometimes a tad more "here and there" than the tip sheet called for perhaps but - hey - we all made it back, right?) Right after that was breakfast, Coach Meeting, Rider Meeting and then the Tune Up Ride. The Bike Room was swamped from 9:30-on so I never got back into my kit but the ride went fine and was uneventful. (Our fav kind!) I worked in the Bike Room until the seminars started @ 2:30. I led the Bike Fit one then teamed up w/ Ian for the "Everything You Wanted to Know About Cycling) one. By then it was almost 5:00 and I had to met w/ Aly about the program for dinner. For whatever reasons (mostly 'cuz she was gonna speak for the first time ever is my theory) she was extra-serious about making sure it rocked.

Kinda made me nervous, not gonna lie.

Soon enough 'twas dinner time. My role was to talk about Mile 23 and - most important - introduce the brand new "Promise" jersey. Not to mention award it! In addition I presented the Green and Yellow jerseys and kinda wrapped up the night. (For those of you wondering - the Promise jersey honors Rose Weisner, a lovely person and rider from Seattle who passed away from a brain tumor late last year. She came to Tahoe to do one more ride and upon receiving the Spirit Award Jersey asked us to keep riding after she was gone...to help her fulfill the promise she had made to her daughter to ride until there was a cure. (Damn - I have goosebumps again!) The jersey features a huge rose right above the heart and is given to whichever non T1D rider, coach, staff or volunteer who most personifies Rose's request.

Many of you know the story of Rose's visit to the Bike Room on the last day of the Ride last year...and what she said to me. Suffice to say I was well aware that presenting that jersey and talking about what it meant was gonna be a difficult thing to do.

But it's done now and it went well. I couldn't tell you what I said but I guess it was okay 'cuz people were alternately laughing and crying and.....well.....that was Rose. The winners were Tom and Nancy McManus who were here as volunteers. That's them on the new "Goosebumps Video", talking about the loss of their son Scott and their love for JDRF. (What?!?!? Haven't seen it yet!?!??! Go watch it right now. Seriously - go ahead, I'll wait) After doing that as well as talking about Mile 23...I was kinda wrung dry. I dunno if you can read the words on the sign in the picture I put up on the FB page but they go like this:
 "I wish you could have been there for the sun and the rain and the long hard hills.
 For the sound of a thousand conversations scattered along the road.
 For the people laughing and crying and remembering at the end.
But mostly.....I wish you could have been there."

Damn.
See what I mean...?

It was a great evening and a perfect setting for the 1st Ride of the year but......dang!

Saturday - Ride Day dawned crisp and clear. About 58 degrees w/ a high forecast in the mid 80's. In short - kinda perfect. So - off we rolled, 170 strong.
Bound for Middlebury.
Bound for 100 miles or 30.
Bound for glory.

There's really not much to say about the Ride. (not 'cuz I have an editor - I obviously don't!) It was pretty much perfect. The weather. The riders making smart decisions, the coaches working hard. The crew kicking butt. The medical staff and tech support bored (just as we want 'em!).

I spent the whole day 'tween the hotel and Breakpoint 2...keeping my VT record intact. (1 Killington and 4 Burlington's & I've never seen the last 1/3 of the route).

I saw tons of BikeFace, I saw people that didn't know each other 2 days ago riding together as if they had done som since they took the training wheels off. In short - I saw alla the stuff we had talked about last night - love, rage, passion, commitment, determination.....

(Dang! Goosebumps again, is it cold in here?!?)

I saw the Ride to Cure in all of its glory.

We had the last riders in by 5:15 - a mark of success by any measure - and then
twas time to celebrate!

I was lucky enough to get to present the Spirit Jersey(s) that night (one of my All Time Favorite Things to do) and I'm pleased as can be to report that our Teammate From Up North Lisa Boldray was one of the recipients! How cool is that!?!?!? Wasn't me pulling rank either - so don't go there! #1- I don't have any rank, or not that much and #2 - I didn't hafta. By the time I brought her name up she'd already been mentioned 2-3 times! Her co-winner was a young lady that is likely gonna be the first person ever to graduate from the Naval Academy w/ T1D next year!

2 worthy winners indeed!

After that the evening continued w/ a higher-than-usual number of glowing comments and thank yous. This was a HUGE success!

Sunday -  for those of you who have battled through my blatherscribble before this is where you'd expect me to attempt to wax poetic about the whole "The circus has left town" thing. Not gonna lie - it's always gonna feel that way but this weekend was so powerful and so awesome that it's different and easier somehow. We had tons of visitors down here as we packed up the bikes. We had 'em all done by lunchtime!!!!! That's a record for sure. After lunch we packed up the gear, loaded the JDRF trailer and our van. We were done by 2:30 and will be home tomorrow night - 12 hours ahead of schedule.

There's more...so much more. And 3 weeks from now I'll be tellin' you about La Crosse and - hopefully - about how....somehow...the Ride there exceeded this one.

Somehow.
I hope so anyway.
But it ain't gonna be easy!

Thanks for reading alla this.....I tried to be succinct, I really did.

But mostly.......I wish you could have been here.........

RIDE REPORT - HOLY HILLS! HOLY POOL! HOLY TURN-OUT!!!!

Yep -

Last Sunday's ride from Chris-n-Kim Monk's place in Ada was one for the books! Check it out:

A huge turnout! Had to've been one of the biggest ever. Great to see!

A perfect route - courtesy of Coach "D-is-for-diabolical" Did. ("Perfect" as in "perfect training for Nashville" that is, not "perfect" in the "Perfect for a relaxing ride in the country" perhaps)

A fantastic, delicious, refreshing post-ride party around and in the pool! (Many many MANY thanks to the Monks for their heapin' helpin' of hospitality. (Name that TV reference and win a prize!)

Imma gonna try and list the attendance...apologies in advance if my sun-baked brain misses someone.

The first loop was Kaat, Ross, Kirsten, Did, Peter, Sarah, all 3 Scheidels, Kim, LTP, Cindy, Scott and myself.

For the 2nd loop we lost a few but added all 4 Clarks, Becky, Pea, Chris, Linda, Michelle, Nick & Paul C!

The heat was high. The hills were many. And yet - BikeFace was had and fun was too! That route was just what we need to be ready for NV and Death Valley - so no hatin' on Coach Did...he was watchin' out for y'all!

And besides - alla that work made those burgers and brats taste that much better, no?

(and that pool..............daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!)

Okay - the road to a cure for Type 1 lies ahead of us, not behind! So - here's what's comin' up fast!

Saturday 7/20 - the Holland Hundred. You oughta have the details on this by now but there's a blog post AND a FaceBook invite out there.

Sunday 7/28 - Team Ride. (Details to come asap)

Sunday 8/3 - 12 Hours of Pando

Sunday 8/4 - Team Ride. Tour de Taco from our house in Holland.

Saturday 8/10 ODRAM

Sunday 8/11 - MARDO

Keep rockin' and rollin' you guys - you're the best there ever was!

Coach MC

Team Ride 8 details...

2157 Grand Valley Dr. NE, Ada, MI 49301
Multi-start ride:

Loop 1 ROLLOUT time: 9 am SHARP, 30 miles, 

Loop 2 ROLLOUT: NOON, 30 or 20ish miles.

POOL & FOOD TIME will start at roughly 3pm.

BRING: 


A dish to pass


A suit to swim in, 'cause there's a POOL!


Yer family, to ride with us or hang out with us.

Expect... hills! And a pool!

SPECIAL EVENT #2 - ODRAM! (& MARDO) SECOND IN A SERIES

"ODRAM" is the One Day Ride Across Michigan...the coolest century-and-a-half you'll ever ride! It runs from Montague to Bay City, is about as flat as a ride that long can be AND is a benefit for several of your team mates!

Is that a win / win  / win or what?

Seriously - this ride is highly recommended. The route is easy and smooth, the mid-way lunch and post-ride cookout are yummy (word is there are even more food stops this year!) and the organization is first rate. You'll see plenty of your teammates that day - either rolling or running the ride.

Date - 8/10
Cost - $30 (pre-reg deal still good for registered JDRF riders)
More Info - www.odram.com

Whassat? What's MARDO? I'm so glad you  asked! MARDO is something a few of us dreamed up a few years ago. Basically - we stay in Bay City after ODRAM and ride back the next day. It should be noted that MARDO is completely unsupported - we follow the road markings in reverse, stop @ gas stations and are on our own. However - there's no better way to get 300+ miles in a weekend, find out why MC has been called the "Brad Pitt of Morley" and have a lotta fun!

Date - 8/11 (duh)
Cost - whatever you spend on food and chamois butter
More Info - get ahold of MC, Kaat or Derek.

SPECIAL EVENT #1 THE HOLLAND HUNDRED! (1ST IN A SERIES)

As promised - this is the start of a veritable avalanche of info on a few extra special events comin' our way here in the next few weeks. The Coolness just keeps on a-rollin'!

The Holland Hundred is one of the largest and longest running tours in West Michigan - if not the state. It offers loops of 18, 36, 67 or 100 miles, a pancake breakfast and several other food stops. The route pretty much shows you the best of Allegan County (the "Holland" part of the ride's name is a bit of a misnomer) and there will likely be 1500-1800 riders from all over the Midwest.

In short - it's a great ride.

Ready for the cool part? As a registered JDRF rider you ride for free! Not only that - but ride the HH (for free, remember) and you'll be entered (along w/ other JDRF riders) in a drawing to win a $300 donation to your Ride Account!

All courtesy of our good friends at the Macatawa Cycling Club.

There will be some paperwork - we'll try and have that w/ us @ the Team Ride on 7/14. There will also be an e-mail soon covering any other last-minute logistics and the details of how to hook up w/ the rest of the team the morning of the ride. We'll be treating the HH as an extra team training ride.

Date - 7/20
Time - around 7:30am
Cost - NONE, remember?!?!?
More info - http://macatawa.cc/holland-hundred

I sure hope to see you there!

You guys rock, but you know that, right?

Coach MC

Hope on 2 Wheels........take 2

Okay....so I'm back in the 616 after another trip out East to do the Hope Ride. Once again I'm still blown away, inspired, humbled and awestruck from the events of the 5 days and I kinda wanted to share it w/ y'all...since you couldn't all be there.

Background for those of you what needs it: The Ho2W Ride is the brainchild of JDRF coach and father of 2 boys w/ T1D Scott Kasper. Along w/ his fellow S. Jersey Coach Mike Chadwick they created this relay-style marathon ride to draw attention to JDRF and T1D research. (You can hide a post on 2012's ride in the blog archives if yawanna). This year's ride started @ Camp Joselin, a camp for T1D kids in Western MA and ended @ Camp Nejeta in Northern NJ. The total distance was 216 miles w/ about 14K of climbing.

Friday - Dr Professor Patti "Pea" Bills and I hit the road in the AM. It's 740 miles, 3 tanks of gas and $60 in tolls 'tween here and there. We arrived @ Scott's house in Mt Laurel NJ and hit the hay.

Saturday - After a diner breakfast we got to work. 'Twas our job (Pea and I) to unpack and assemble any bikes shipped in by team members. Truth be told - not a lotta heavy lifting - only 9 to get ready. That afternoon we did a nice lil' ride w/ the few other members of the squad that had arrived. Afterwards we hung out, talked logistics and ate way too many brats from Scott's grill.

Sunday - Kind of a crazy day. The logistics of getting 29 riders from literally all across the US of A, about 10 crew, 6 vans, 2 motorcycles, 29 bikes and alla the other crap we needed up to MA is no small task! Our van headed North via Newark Airport where we grabbed up 5 other riders. The others went via NYC (dodging the Gay Pride Parade which was blocking access to the original rendezvous point) and then North. Then there were the folks that had flown into Boston...or were local.

In a word.....craziness!

Regardless....we somehow all found our way to Camp Joselin for dinner. The kids there were excited to have visitors (that's a huge understatement!)and we feasted on lasagna, salad and garlic bread whilst being "entertained" by the kids. (My ears are still ringing). After we did our lil' presentation...telling the campers that we were riding to remind them that T1D doesn't haft ahold you back (about 2/3s of the riders are T1  - including 13 year old white jersey winner from Tucson Ethan Ericksen of Salt Lake City) and a brief team meeting we piled back in the vans for the brief drive to our hotel. Final sorting of gear and efforts to be hydrated ensued - interrupted for some by near-compulsive weather report checking. (It wasn't looking good but - strangely - looking at it every 5 minutes didn't change that. Weird huh?) Bed time came soon enough...a 4am wake up call will do that.

Monday - Ride Day. Finally. We kitted up (there's something kinda weird about pulling on a pair of bibs @ 4:00am knowing that you're gonna be in them until at least midnight) and headed to the lobby for breakfast. The plan was to drive back to the camp for a 6am roll out. We actually almost made it. After the mandatory flurry of tire-pumping, bottle-filling and last second adjustments we were off.....following 2 Harleys and bound for NJ and hope.

The route was broken up into roughly 20-25 mile "stages" - w/ all 3 teams rotating. Unlike last year where we had "A", "B" and "C" teams based on riding ability this time we were "1", "2" and "3" and the effort was made to mix the stronger and weaker riders evenly so all the teams would benefit from the experience of the more experienced riders. I was "road captain" of Team 1)
Just like last year all 29 of us did the 1st stage, then our team kept rolling while the others climbing into their respective vans to leapfrog ahead. Pea and I rode my tandem for that initial 50 miles.

It was wet....a steady drizzle combined w/ wet roads ensured that we were soaked and grimy pretty much right away. (It became a running joke all day that Team 2 stayed suspiciously clean all day...they missed almost alla the rain). During our transfer up to the transition point where we'd get back on the road after "taking the baton" from Team 3 the skies darkened up and then opened up! Thunder, lightning, flooded roads, low-visibility...the whole enchilada! Kinda ugly, actually. We waited in the van and they trickled in in small groups (and a few in the van). Some were visibly shaken by the challenge of negotiating  long fast descents on narrow roads in those conditions. (I don't blame them).

We hung out for a few, giving the worst of it a chance to move through, then saddled up. Our leg started w/ a 4 mile climb - kinda rude on cold legs I thought! After that we got it together (Pea and I were on single bikes now) and made good time. Our team rode together really well all day I thought)

Soon enough we were rolling into lunch (after a slight "directional snafu") - 109 miles in and w/ the weather starting to co-operate. Lunch was courtesy of the local JDRF Chapter and was pretty dang awesome. Then we loaded up and off we went.

For our next stage we were joined by last year's team mate Annie S. She's Scott's sis-in-law and was signed up for this year before a family tragedy derailed those plans. She met us for 1 stage and rode w/ me on the tandem and had a blast. The highlight of this leg was crossing the Hudson River into NY on a cool old bridge about 1.5 miles long and about 300' above the water. The bike lane was metal plate and mesh.....awesome!

A couple hours later we were pulling into the final transition area - 23 miles from the finish line @ Camp Nejeta. The plan was for all of us to ride together from here. The other 2 teams finally pulled in (Team 2 in their vans and still oddly crisp kits) and Team 3 rolling in - once again kinda shattered. Their leg had some serious hills (they all did!) and a few of their number were feeling it. Ethan was low......way low and it showed on his usually beaming face. There was talk of leap-frogging a few riders ahead Ride to Cure style but he wasn't into that at ALL. I offered up the tandem and that proved to be the perfect solution..

By now 'twas about 8:00pm - we had almost 2 hours of riding to do (& lots more climbing - including the steepest bit by far) so we fitted up the lights and rolled out. As daylight waned the fireflies and headlights kept us company as we rolled - as one - towards the camp. After a final stop @ the outskirts of the camp to re-group we rolled in to a thunderous welcome. There was a last sharp left and steep climb into the camp proper (and you HAD to make in in front of alla those people!) and up top we found the campers from Cabin #7 waiting to greet us. We wasted no time parking our bikes and heading into the dining hall where a veritable feast of BBQ chicken, pulled pork, ribs, mac-n-cheese and cornbread was quickly decimated.

Then back in the vans and off to the hotel.....desperate by now for a shower and to get that kit off!

1:00am found many of us - w/ glazed eyes and wet hair (ok - I said "most") hanging around the lobby...completely spent but unwilling/able to let the day end.

But end it did.

Tuesday - came soon enough, since we were expected back @ the camp for breakfast. Once again the kids entertained us w/ songs, we did our thing, posed for pics and sharing many hugs, handshakes and high fives. All to soon it was time......time to load up and commence the involved process of wrappin' it up. I found myself offering to drive a van back so after a stop @ the Newark Airport Pea and I headed back to Mt Laurel. We got there about 1:30, grabbed some lunch, re-packed the bikes, loaded the van and headed this-a-way about 7pm, arriving back in the 616 about 8am Wed.

This whole experience was an exercise in love & hope & dreams...and as such was essentially a small scale JDRF Ride. I have other stories to tell and yarns to spin but Imma gonna save 'em for the next ride, okay?

I sure hope to ride w/ you soon......we got T1D ass to kick!

Looking ahead - July & August!

Can that headline be right?!?!?!? Can it possibly be time to talk about the 7th and 8th month o' the year already?!?

(I know - we just put away the arm warmers and toe covers, right?)

And yet - the calendar tells no lies - so discuss July and August we shall!

Dates - let's talk about dates, huh?

7/8 - Next Team Ride! Location will be Mullaly Park up in N Muskegon. Times and details to be announced soon. (Watch your e-mail and/or FaceBook)

7/14 - Team Ride hosted by Kim Monk in Ada. (a pool! a pool!) Again - specifics to follow.

7/20 - The Holland Hundred. I've waxed poetic about the generosity of the Macatawa Cycling Club and their efforts on our behalf elsewhere on this forum but suffice to say that any JDRF riders get to ride for free and will be eligible to win a $300 donation from the club!!! Let's make a big showing and turn it into a team ride and JDRF jersey festival! We're planning 2 group starts - one for folks doing the 19 or 36 mile routes & another for the 67 milers and century riders. (The oft-mentioned coming e-mail will fill in the gaps)

7/28 - Team Ride! (Details blahblahblah)

8/3 - 6 and 12 Hours of Pando!

8/4 - Team Ride - Tour de Taco! Our annual celebration of grilled fajitas and fellowship @ case de Clark in Holland.

8/10 - ODRAM!!! (and MARDO!)

Dang! Is that a rockin' list of chances to git'cher BikeFace on or what!?!?! (Looks like 7 more pieces of evidence that we're the Coolest Team Ever to me!)

Okay - it's time to wrap this up. I can't wait to ride w/ you again at some (or all!) of these upcoming chances to get together - 'cuz Type 1 needs to know that we are coming and its goose is COOKED!

Thanks for all you do - you all ROCK w/ a capital R and I'm prouder n' proud to ride alongside you!

See you soon, Ride on!
Coach MC

TEAM RIDE 5 REPORT AND LOTSA BIG NEWS!

We had a pretty good ride today. Our traditional Father's Day Team Ride is never a huge one (lots' going on after all) but 10 of us gathered @ Scheidel's and headed for the hills! (Literally!)

Roll Call:
All 3 Scheidels
2 Dykstras
2 Clarks (Lin & I)
Tom Miller
Chris Radford
LumberKaat

As has been often mentioned - Coach Did, Kaat and I were in various stages of duress/recovery following our 100 mile ATB race yesterday so it might not've been the FASTEST ride in the team's history but we covered 30+ miles on a perfect day. Plenty of hills on one of the best loops yours truly has ever ridden in Kent County!

Afterwards we put a SERIOUS dent in a variety of snacks while enjoying the company and the patio.

Please read on for details on the next Team Ride AND a couple of other REALLY COOL THINGS comin' up!

Next Team Ride - Next Sunday - The Allegrina 100! Our good friends and past teammates Heather & Brian are throwing a ride to celebrate her father's life and raise $ for the scholarship that they've created in his name @ GVSU. The A100 has been referred to as the best ride in the 616 and I'd concur 100%! There are loops of 33, 66 and 100 miles - as well as a "Family Ice Cream Ride". All the loops leave at scheduled times so we can all ride together regardless of your desired distance.
The 100 milers roll @ 8:00am
The 66 milers leave @ 10:30am
The 33 milers take off @ 1:00pm. (As well as the Ice Cream Ride)

There will be a SERIOUS after party @ the Felt Mansion sponsored in part by the New Holland Brewery.

All the details @ www.allegrina100.com where you can also pre-register if yawanna.

Hey team - let's make this a BIG DEAL, huh? It's a great cause (much like JDRF's!) it's a great ride and Heather and Brian are great folks.

JULY 20 - THE HOLLAND HUNDRED! There are a couple of really cool things happening w/ the HH! This is a great ride and many of us do it every year. Here are a couple more reasons to do so:

FREE ENTRY TO JDRF RIDERS! That's right! Show up in your JDRF jersey (Ride Day, current Team jersey, Herman Miller version, they're all good) and ride the HH for free! (Only applies to riders registered for a 2013 Ride to Cure event)

 BE ENTERED IN A DRAWING TO WIN $300 FOR YOUR RIDE FUND!!!! The Macatawa Cycling Club has stepped up HUGE to support our team! Every registered rider attending the HH will have their name entered in a drawing. At the end of the day 5 names will be chosen to receive a sweet $300 bump to their fund-raising efforts! How ever-lovin' cool is that !?!?!?

All the answers to your questions are at www.hollandhundred.com Again  - this is a great ride and the MCC is being MORE than generous!

AUGUST 3 - THE 6 AND 12 HOURS OF PANDO! Sure - it's a ways off yet but you KNOW this summer's gonna fly by. Mark your calendars now for this fun day! This is a solo,  2 or 4 person relay race on a great lil' 4-ish mile singletrack trail that you can't ride any other time! (It's only open for races). Coach Derek and I wanna eliminate all of your objections right now.....

I don't have a mountainbike - we'll find you one to use!

I don't really "do" off-road - This trail is a blast and you can do as few laps as you'd like!

I don't race - It's not really a race as much as an all day festival. We'll hang out together ALL DAY having fun and being together!

I don't have any lights - Either race on a 6 hour team or ride only during the day on a 12 hour team or borrow some!

Here's the thing....Brent Walk (the race promoter) has been a huge supporter of our team and JDRF over the last couple of years and it'd be GREAT to see a BUNCH of teams out there comprised of our riders and their friends. It'll be a blast, I promise!

Interested? (I sure hope so!) Contact me with your team details OR if you want me to put you oin a team. (I'll just need to know 6 or 12 Hour and 2 or 4 person)

www.funpromotions.com

AUGUST 10 - ONE DAY RIDE ACROSS MICHIGAN! This ride is gonna be bigger and better than ever this year! The easiest Century-And-A-Half you'll ever do and a fund-raiser for some of your teammies to boot! 152 miles, lunch and dinner included and the option of riding back the nexy day if yawanna!

More on this fanTAStic day @ www.odram.com

Okay - enough for now! (Good lord!) Needless to say there are PLENTY of reasons to get'cher ride on as we prepare ourselves to give T1D another punch in the neck!

Speaking for myself, for Coach Derek and the entire Ride Committee....it would please us to no end to see all of y'all out @ the Felt Mansion this coming Sunday....as well as all of these other great events and the other Team Rides on the calendar. (Tour de Taco - 7/14!)

In the meantime - keep riding, keep fund-raising and keep rocking!

I love you guys,
Coach Mike

Team Ride 5 is tomorrow

I know it seems like we just had a team ride last week. That's because we did. We're having another one this Sunday (as in tomorrow). Coaches Mike and DID are doing the Lumberjack ride today and wanted to add to their weekend suffering by scheduling another team ride, with hills. So here are the particulars. The ride leaves at NOON from Tom and Mary Scheidel's house in Rockford. There will be loops of 20, 30, and 40 miles. (please add an -ish to each of those distances). This is a hilly ride. The 40 mile route has almost 1,000 feet of climbing. Before you start whining, that's considerably less than you'll be doing in Nashville or Death Valley. There will be a post ride patio party with whatever snacks you all decide to bring. There will be some of my mom's famous dill pickles. (Just for you Linda Clark.)

Location: 6184 Archer St. NE, Rockford, MI
Date: Sunday, June 16, 2013
Arrival time: 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Introductions and the ceremonial handing out of tip sheets: 11:45 a.m.
Clip in and roll out: 12:00 p.m. SHARP

If you have questions or need directions please contact Tom Scheidel as the coaches are busy today. "Oh, I'm a Lumberjack and I'm okay..."

TEAM RIDE 4 REPORT! (The day the weatherman lied)

The forecast for Ride day (Sunday 6/9) was all over the map - all day rain (that was Thurs), chance of rain all day, especially afternoon (Fri), rain in the evening (Sat) etc etc etc. What they NEVER called for was "delightful sunny awesomeness, w/ just enough clouds to break it up, a bit too much wind if you were riding a bicycle south and a few sprinkles just as you were packing up to make you feel kinda smug for squeezing alla the juice outta the day."

So - naturally (this being the Mitten n' all) that's EXACTLY what we got!

We had a decent turnout, in light of all the graduation parties, vacations and other challenges out there:

Coach Did & Kirsten
All 3 Scheidels
Vern V
Special Guest Star Patti "Dr Professor Captain" B
J2
Kim M
Brad S
Host-With-The-Most JD
Chris R and daughter Kristina
Scott W
LTP
Tom M
Paul B
Michelle "Please don't gimme anymore nicknames!" C
Special Guests Bill & Sue G (Fam of JD's) as well as John D from GR
Coach MC & Lin

Not to mention our "Ground Crew" of Maggie & Donna - keeping it real on the grill!

It was a fantastic ride - one that my buddy John D called "the best group ride he's ever done" - we rode together down to New Richmond and across the old bridge. After that we split into a 30 and a 43 mile group and went our merry ways. Both groups rode well together (Hey, I'm the coach - I hear things!) and the goodly assortment of ups were dealt with in style.

Back @ the lake much consumption of brats, chicken, cookies, cupcakes and other critical elements of an athlete's recovery process was observed - along w/ laying in the grass, laughter and general group awesomeness.

A fine day indeed - that's all I'm sayin'.

Our next Team Ride is a week from today - on 6/16. Yes - that IS Father's Day and we certainly understand that family matters may well intrude. It's ALSO the day after Did, Kaat and I attempt the Lumberjack 100 mountainbike race so if you've been lookin' for a chance to put it to us - here ya go!

The details will be sent via e-mail ASAP - but you can count on the location being on GR's east side. (Yes - where the hills are - sigh)

Okay - enough for now........thanks again to everyone that made today special and an even BIGGER thanks to everyone on the team - 'cuz y'all are ALL making everyday special and keepin' T1D looking over its shoulder!

You guys ROCK - you know that, right?

Coach Mike

TEAM RIDE FOUR A-COMIN'!

HEY TEAM!

Here are some numbers for ya:

51 days 'til Burlington!
72 days 'til La Crosse!
93 days 'til Tahoe!
107 days 'til Nashville!
135 days 'til Death Valley!
170 days 'til Tucson!!!!!!

In other words.....time is slipping by! I trust that your riding AND fund-raising is in good shape as I type these words on a sunny-if-kinda-cool Wed morn.

This Sunday brings us a Special Team Ride - hosted by long-time teammate JD Stone out @ Eldean's Shipyard in Macatawa. This be-YOO-ti-ful spot is right on Lake Mac, offers a pool and picnic area and we ALWAYS have a blast!

The deets:

We ROLL at noon. Not 12:10. Not 12:18 after we see you roll in @ 12:10. NOON. Please arrive in time to kit up, pump your tires, fill your bottles and roll at NOON.

(Did I mention that we roll @ 12:00?)

There will be 3 lovely route options of 43, 32 and 20(ish) miles. Those of you who ride in these parts often are well aware that there are limitless options to add (or subtract) a bit if need be.

The post-ride repast is will be anchored (a boat reference - har!) by GrillMeister JD's brats and chicken. Please bring something to share (if you are so inclined) and we sure hope to see you there!

You should have an e-mail w/ location details - holler if not.

See you soon, keep it rolling and keep on rockin'!

Coach MC

TEAM RIDE REPORT - May 26

'Twas an eclectic group of JDRF warriors that gathered @ Ada Park earlier today for our Team Ride. Coach Did and I were kinda thrilled to see so many folks there (given the Holiday Weekend n' all) and the new faces and new guests were both way awesome!

We rode the traditional out-n-back from Ada down to Saranac w/ an optional "Hilly Extension Option" luring a few further south on the return leg. The weather was perfect (even from the warped point of view of a dude that just spent a week in desert temps and sun) and back at the park we shared chips, cookies and cold drinks - as well as fellowship and tall tales.

Roll Call:

Team members Kim M, Sue W, LTP, the Ninja, Linda C, Coach Did, Greg and Simon S, Paul B and meself.

Special Guest Stars Natalie B, John D, Kelli, Jennifer, Mike and Diane-from-Florida (who is riding La Crosse for a Florida Chapter but summering here in the Mitten - if on the east side)

Everyone rode well and had a blast!

The NEXT TEAM RIDE is Sunday 6/9. It's the traditional ride from Eldean's Marina here in Holland and you know what THAT means! (start/finish on the lake, pool open afterwards, JD grillin' brats and chicken.....yeah!)

So - make sure that date is marked in red on your calendars and keep up the riding, fund raising and general rocking that y'all are famous for!

You guys DO rock, you know that, right?

Coach MC

OTHER WEEKLY RIDE OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND!

I know that our Team Rides are the Coolest Rides That Exist (w/ the possible exception of the actual Ride to Cure events) but there just ain't enough of 'em! So - as an alternative or an addition to the Team Rides - here are some group rides happening around the 616 that'll get'cha more miles.

(Note - as these aren't "official" Team Rides you might not find a one of your coaches or even (shudder!!) anyone else in a JDRF jersey. So you need to be somewhat self-sufficient - a great idea in any case. I'm listing these rides 'cuz I believe that members of our team will enjoy 'em - no aggressive testosterone - drenched hammerfests here!)

Monday - our sponsoring shop also sponsors the Rapid Wheelmen Time Trials from Ada Park. A time trial is a race against the clock - so it's just you going as fast as you can. For those of you looking for a new challenge - or for a great way to gauge the progress of your training they can be very valuable. (Not gonna lie - they kinda hurt). You'll see plenty of teammates  - Susanne, Kaat, Tom and Ian Scheidel and myself amongst them. There's no fee to enter - but you hafta be a member of the Rapid Wheelmen. (a 1-time $30 cost). They run all summer and registration is from 5:30-6:15 w/ the 1st rider starting @ 6:30. It's a fairly flat 15 mile course and there are lots of prizes @ the end of the season.

There's also the MCC (Macatawa Cycling Club) ride from the Aquatic Center in Holland @ 6pm. There are several groups for different abilities. I'm a tad hesitant to include this ride because the track record for embracing the less-than-zippy rider has been spotty and I haven't ridden it this season. (If anyone has some input please share!)

Tuesday - There's a new-and-growing ride from our sponsor GRBC's Gaslight shop. It rolls @ 6:30 sharp, covers 25-ish miles and offers a 20+ mph group and one @ a 16-17mph pace. We'll add a 3rd group as required.

In Holland Velo City offers their ride - but...again...I've heard grapevine grumblings about this one too. (Again - feedback please if you have it!) 6pm. Several groups.

Wednesday - Past-n-Future team mate Jeff W hosts a ride from the City Flats hotel in Holland. They roll @ 6pm for anywhere from 25-40 miles. Pace is in the 17-18mph range.

Thursday - The Shut Up & Ride Club (in Holland) continues the tradition of Jan's Ride - a 25-ish mile loop and breakfast afterwards. The pace is usually around the 17-18mph range but the group's pretty accommodating to folks that wanna go faster or slower. It meets @ the Good Earth Café on 7th Street @ 8:30am.

Tom Miller hosts a ride from his house @ 11881 Mistral Lane in GH @ 6pm. Nice route, nice group, (2 if required) and beers on the deck afterwards.

Friday - Another SU&RC ride - the Bagel Ride rolls from the same place @ 8am. The route is usually around 30 miles and the pace is usually in the 18-19mph range. Bagels and such afterwards? But of course!

Saturday - There's a nice ride from GRBC's East Paris shop that usually includes some hills and a stop at fellow team riders Sarah and Peter's sweet lil' eatery in Ada for gourmet doughnuts. We roll @ 8am, cover 35-ish miles and the pace is generally 17-19mph.

Please - if you host a ride or know of others that you think we should share w / the team please respond to this post to let folks know!

Okay you Rockin' RockStars......keep it up!

Coach MC

Annual T-shirt Design Contest - Entries due May 25

Team West Michigan creates a team t-shirt each year, provided to riders free of charge and available for purchase for friends, family, supporters, donors, etc.

These shirts are usually worn sometime during the Ride event weekend, and often team members will wear them as they volunteer at events or attend cycling 'stuff.'

The 2013 Team West Michigan Ride to Cure Diabetes T-shirt Contest is Now Open

When:  Get your design in by Sunday, May 26

What:  You can hand draw, use a computer program or ask a designer (screen print shops usually have them on staff). Please have a JPG file prepared to send for submission. If your design doesn't assume a t-shirt color, please provide that in your email.

What information is needed on the shirt:  

• JDRF
• West Michigan or Michigan Great Lakes West

Most shirts also have the year and the ride logo (below) too. But these aren't required.

How:  Send your t-shirt idea to Katie Clark by May 26. Again, JPG is preferred.

What You Win: Bragging rights! And seeing your design on the World's Coolest Team.

Once all entries are in, we'll post them here and the voting opens. Good Luck

Past winners:

2007

  2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

Whatcha Wearing?

Riding bikes is fun, but looking good while you're doing so is even more fun. Here's some information on what people are wearing for various Ride events... 

Ride Day jersey

Every rider participating in the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes receives a ride day jersey. It's really special to look around and see hundreds of people, all there to celebrate a ton of money being raised for JDRF to help cure, treat, and prevent T1D! There is no out-of-pocket cost to riders for this jersey. The chapter will order your jersey for you and ensure you have it before you go to your ride destination.

If you've ridden in years past, you should know that the sizing of this particular jersey type is different from before. Use this chart to double check your measurements to ensure you don't need to change your size. (Hint, at last weekend's team ride, many folks tried on samples and many are bumping their size up one).   

Riders selected a jersey size at time of registration. If you would like to double check or change your jersey size you selected when you signed up for the ride, contact Katie Clark ASAP (these are being ordered SOON!).

West Michigan Team Jersey

Team West Michigan team has its own jersey. These a usually worn on team training rides, at cycling events (represent!), and usually on the tune-up ride at your ride destination. This jersey has an out-of-pocket rider cost of just $48 (and if you've been jersey shopping, you know that's a great deal) if 10 items are purchased team-wide.

Pricing and sizing information may be found here. Yes, there are a ton of cool options with this design, and your order of anything works toward our goal of at least 10. The first item, the CS Tech Short Sleeve Jersey, is what you see above.  Any other items ordered will be in the same color scheme as the jersey above.

Ordering:  The team will make one order. Katie Clark will collect all order requests and money, compile all the items requested and make one purchase (in hopes of getting to 10 pieces).  Please email Katie with your order (assume we'll make it to that  "CS10" column pricing)  what you think your subtotal is. She'll double check it, and will email you back her address to send a check.   

We need to get the order in soon - so please get your order list to Katie by Sunday, May 18!

T1D Rider Jersey

New this year: A jersey just for T1D riders will be available (no cost to you, or our chapter). If you have T1D and would like the T1D Rider jersey, let Katie Clark know! *Sorry, no image available yet
Questions? Let us know!

CINCO DE MAYO TEAM RIDE REPORT!

'Twas a rowdy n' ready crew that gathered @ Rosy Mound Natural Area this morning - ready and willing to saddle up and punch ol' T1D where it hurts again.

6 of us (Coach Did, Brad S, Ross S, Kaat T,  Kevin C and I) met @ 9:00 for some "prelim" miles - heading south along Lakeshore and wandering into the Olive Hills area courtesy of Brad's suggestion. (There's an awesome little boardwalk out to a pier back there - who knew?) (Answer - Brad did!)

Anyway - we headed back to meet up w/ the gang for the "official" Team Ride and were rewarded w. many faces indeed...all seeking BikeFace. The roll call:

Katie, Steve, Anna & Ellie C
Becky and Chris M
Coach Did
Nicole
Michelle "Please don't call me Carps" C
Kaat T
Newly minted DOCTOR Patti B
Heather A
Ross S
June and Scott W
Kevin C
Brad S
Linda C
Tom M
LTP
Greg and Simon S
and yours truly.

Everyone rode well - progress was made and miles were ridden. Upon arrival back at the park we all loaded up and headed over to Kirsten & Coach Did's new crib to celebrate their new casa on Cinco de Mayo. Many tacos were consumed, along w/ cookies, brownies, cake and various other confections.

In short - 'twas a FANTASTIC day and I can't wait for the next ride!

(And when might that be, you ask? The next official ride will be on 5/26 but there's a high likelihood of a Mom's Day Ride too!)

Ride on you rock stars!

Coach MC

2013 Team Ride Two...

Hey hey hey, it's all warm and stuff outside - let's have us another team ride, OK?

SUNDAY, May 5, right?

11 AM roll-out time
Starting from Rosy Mound Natural Area, just south of Grand Haven - mappitty map here.
20(ish) or 32(ish) miles - shorter options possible, too.

***CAN'T STOP WON'T STOP OPTION***

Gotta have more miles? Freaked out about the hundred mile MTB race you signed up for that's coming in like 6 weeks? Love sitting on 6 square inches of synthetic leather? Have we got a deal for you! Show up ready to roll by 9 am from Rosy Mound, and we'll do 20-25 quick miles before the official team ride at 11. How can you resist????

Post ride shindig with taco bar at our house - details will be at the ride, if you don't have them already.

Questions? Bug me!

Allez!

THE FIRST TEAM RIDE REPORT OF 2013!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my my my..........T1D you are REALLY in trouble now,  you big jerk! The World's Coolest Team has made it know that you are on their list and it will NOT go well for you.

I almost feel sorry for ya..........almost.

This past Sunday was the 1st gathering of the aforementioned W.C.T......and there was much flexing of muscles, pumping of tires, consumption of chili and such - as befits such an occasion.

We gathered @ the home of Katie, Steve Ellie & Anna Clark (sorry - I forget the cat's names) and after meeting & greeting new friends and past teammates we saddled up for forays ranging from 12-29 miles. The weather sort of co-operated (especially held to this "Spring"s sad standard) and the temps were benign. The wind, however was somewhat less so and suffice to say that all concerned held their own but were okay w/ being done as the homestead hove into view.

The Roll Call:
Greg S (new rider!)
Simon S (ditto!)
Scott W (ditto ditto!)
Kim M (ditto x 3!)
Vern V (ditto again!)
Ellie C (ditto x5!)
Steve C
Katie C
Jeff W (guest star / past rider)
John J
Chris R
Julie R (guest star)
Linda T-P
Kaat T (finishing up her April Century)
Coach Did
Kirsten D
Becky M
Tom M
JD (back this year - yaaaay!)
Tom S
Mary S
Cliff L
Super-stoker Cam L (extra-special guest star / future rider)
Linda C
Andy G (super-special guest star and #1 Bike Room Guy for this year!)
Jason (Andy's teammate)
and - yours truly.

Thanks a ton to  the Clark's for their traditional over-the-top hospitality, to Chris M for takin' one for the team and stayin' behind w/ the young'uns (you KNOW he wanted to roll!) and to everyone that contributed to the post-ride spread.

The next BIG TEAM RIDE is on May 5. Details will be out soon but expect an early ride from the Grand Haven area and then the house-warming bash @ Derek n Kirsten's place afterwards!

Okay - keep rocking like you do / keep fund-raising, recruiting new riders and gettin' some miles in.....I'm lookin' forward to seein' you on Cinco de Mayo if not before!

You guys rock, I've mentioned that, yes?
Coach MC

NEW TEAM BIKE SHOP SPONSOR (the details)

We'd like to welcome Grand Rapids Bicycle Company as our new bike shop supporter. They have 2 locations - on East Paris (next to Bill & Paul's Sporthaus) & in Gaslight Village on Lovett 'tween Wealthy & Lake.

The owners and staff of the shops (which includes yours truly since 3/1) are happy and excited to back up the World's Coolest Team & JDRF's mission to rid the world of T1D.

We carry bikes from Felt, Cervelo, Jamis and Scott / clothing, helmets and shoes from Louie Garneau and plenty o' cool stuff.

As a member of the aforementioned World's Coolest Team - you'll receive the following discounts from GRBC:

20% off any Felt bike.
10% off any Jamis bike.
10 or 15% of Scott bikes. (It varies w/ the model)
10% storewide on any accessories, clothing, etc.

Also - during the JDRF "Meet & Greet" on Thursday (@ the E Paris shop from 6-8pm) you can order any Scott or Syncros stuff (everything from carbon wheels to floor pumps, shoes to saddles) @ a one-time discount of 20% off.
(Can't make the party? They'll extend the offer for a week)

So - that's the story.

I hope you're riding a bit (despite this lousy weather) and I hope to see all y'all @ the 1st Team Ride of 2013 on 4/21!

Rock on you rollin' rockstars!

Coach MC

BIG WEEKEND Y'ALL!

Hey Team! 3 HUGE events happening this Saturday (as in "4/13") that you wanna be aware of -

The 2nd Annual Dunecross Race goes down @ Shoreline Township Park in Saugatuck (home of the Felt Mansion). This race is gonna be a blast and if you don't race (which you should re-consider) at LEAST come on down to yell and ring a cowbell and watch the fun!

The C / Fat Bike race goes off @ 11:00 and the B/A race @ noon. Lotsa chances to see friends get all dirty and sweaty and tons of fun in general!

All the proceeds benefit the hungry Ride Accounts of Cliff and Nicole and thus - JDRF!

It's NOT to be missed!    www.dunecross.com

Later that day......work yourself over to East Grand Rapids where the 9th ever Jake's Music Festival takes over the venerable Wealthy Theatre for an evening of fun music from 7 different local acts (including yours truly kickin' things off @ 7:00 w/ my Last Call Band buds) and offers a silent auction, yummy snacks, frosty adult beverages and tons o' fun.

This rockin' event benefits the Ride Accounts of Team Scheidel so c'mon down!

www.jakesmusicfestival

So - izzat a big day or what?!?!?!?

And on Sunday - various members of the team (Kaat, Michelle, Coach Did, lil ol' me) are racing again @ the Fisk Knob Time Trial in Sand Lake. Come up and see us! (Although - truth bew told, there's not a TON to see @ a TT!)

Oh yeah - are you wondering what the THIRD THING is that's happenin' Saturday!!?!?
Linda Clark's Birthday!

Keep rockin' and start rollin' you rockstars!

Coach MC

SPRING HAS SPRUNG! (...IS SPRINGING?)

Hey Team!

Wow! That big yeller spot in that purty blue sky can only mean one thing, huh?

Spring!

Finally!

Yay!

I just wanted to remind y'all of a few important and way cool dates that are comin' up FAST!

April 2, 3, 4 - Ride Venue Webinars. Here's your chance to learn everything you're wondering about Burlington, La Crosse, Tahoe, Nashville, Death Valley or Tucson. Hosted by our esteemed Ride Producer Chuck Hodge - you'll have an opportunity to get any questions answered as well.
http://jdrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Ride-Venue-Webinar_2013.pdf

April 13 - DuneCross Race @ Shoreline Acres Park / Felt Mansion. This is the 2nd edition of this super-fun event. There will be catagories for Fat Bikes as well as MTN / CX bikes and a ton of fun is guaranteed! This race is hosted by Nicole and Cliff Lewis and benefits their ride accounts. Come to race, come to watch, come to help! Racing starts @ 11:00.
www.dunecross.com                                                                                                
           
April 13 - Jake's Music Fest. This is the 8th year for this concert and a fund-raiser for Team Scheidel. It takes place at the Wealthy Theatre in GR and the music starts @ 7:00. There's no cover or ticket price - but donations are accepted. (Even encouraged!) The show features a total of 7 acts - commencing w/ yours truly's band kicking things off. There are also drawings, snacks and general coolness going on.
www.jakesmusicfest.com

April 21 - Team Ride #1! It's time to get this party started, huh? The traditional First Ride O' The Year happens @ the home of Steve, Katie, Ella and Annie Clark in Grandville @ 2:00. There will be eats and fellowship afterwards. (More details coming soon)

So - how's THAT for a buncha coolness?!?! I'm looking forward to sharing all of this and more w/ you guys!

Ride on!
Coach MC

THE ULTIMATE CYCLE CHALLENGE APPROACHETH!

Okay you Rock Stars! Time to step up and be counted! As has been the case for the last chunk o' years we're signed up to do a 24 Hour team @ the UCC. It's a lotta fun (way more than it sounds like it would be for sure!), gives you a chance to break a sweat and get'cher ride on, hooks you up w/ too-long-absent-from-your-life team mates and benefits (another) good cause - namely the Livestrong Foundation. (Let's face it - they've likely not had the Best Winter Ever and could use a boost!)

So - here's What It Is and How It Works...........

"It" is the Ultimate Cycle Challenge. It starts @ 8pm on March 1 and goes for 24 hours. The location is Ridgepoint Church in Holland/Zeeland (right offa 196 near Herman Miller).

We'll provide the trainer, mat and front wheel riser block - you bring your bike and your-own-bad-self. (Wear a JDRF jersey please!)

It's 30 bux. If you sign up by 2/15 you get a tee shirt. There's live entertainment (including my band from 8-10pm on Friday), lotsa snacks and lotsa folks! Seriously - it's fun and also a great way for us to be a part of the Larger Cycling Community, fly our JDRF flag and...who knows?....maybe even meet some potential team mates!

So - what happens next? It's easy! Follow these steps:

1 - www.ultimatecyclechallenge.com
2 - "register now"
3 - chose "JDRF West Michigan" from the team list
4 - Let me (MC) know that you're in and which hour(s) you'd like to ride.

It's that easy!

As of right-this-second I only have a few hours covered so the sooner you get back to me the less likely it is that you'll hafta cover the dreaded "Bad '80's Music Videos in the middle of the Night" shifts!

8pm - John J
9pm - Michelle C
10pm -
11pm - Mary G from Chicago
Midnight - ditto
1am -
2am -
3am -
4am -
5am-
6am-
7am -
8am -
9am - Michelle C (should we just call her MCtoo?)
10am - Paul Brown
11am - Ditto
Noon -
1pm - The Clarks
2pm- Ditto
3pm- Ditto Ditto
4pm - Kirsten D
5pm - Ditto
6pm
7pm

Connie's Cakes Grand Opening

I know this post has nothing to do with cycling, but it does have a lot to do with one of our team mates. Mary Scheidel, 8 time (soon to be 9) JDRF rider is celebrating the Grand Opening of her shop Connie's Cakes on Thursday. All the pertinent details are below. We hope to see everyone there.

Connie’s Cakes announces the grand opening of their new store at 1416 Robinson Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan in the historic Kingsley Building.  The open house will take place from 9:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, February 7th, 2013.
Mary Scheidel, owner of Connie’s Cakes and the honorable George Heartwell, Mayor of Grand Rapids will lead a ribbon cutting ceremony at 11:00 A.M. on February 7th. “I am so happy to be in the Eastown neighborhood” said Ms. Scheidel. “We see a very bright future for Connie’s Cakes in our new location. We hope all of our new friends and neighbors will drop by to see us at our grand opening.”

About Connie’s Cakes
Connie Hennip and Wanda Faber, two sisters who enjoyed making and decorating cakes at Family Fare, decided to enter into a partnership and opened Connie’s Cakes -n- Crafts in 1995. They specialized in baking and decorating wedding cakes as well as cakes for other occasions. After 15 years in business Connie decided to retire from the business side of the operation. Connie’s niece, Mary Scheidel purchased the business in early 2010 and renamed it Connie’s Cakes, LLC. While the ownership may have changed the same great cakes, iced in the original buttercream, are still available. In January 2013 Connie’s Cakes moved into their new location at 1416 Robinson Road in the historic Kingsley Building in the Eastown neighborhood of Grand Rapids.

GONNA JOIN US THIS SUNDAY?

Hey Team!

Just gimme an idea if you plan on makin' the scene @ Tom Miller's house this Sunday - either for the Indoor Ride or just to socialize and eat - it's all good!

Just text me (616-610-0334) or drop me a line (616mhc@gmail.com) if ya could.

Much obliged!
Coach MC

Team Indoor Ride this Sunday!

Get your trainer and bike out and c'mon over and join your teammies for a good sweat-n'-spin session this Sunday!

We'll ride for 60-90 minutes and then re-fuel on pasta and other yummy goodies.

No trainer? - let MC or Derek know (616mhc@gmail.com / derek_dykstra@hermanmiller.com)

MC's making baked spagetti - please bring something to go alongside that to share. 

And yes - it's a "No Drop" ride!

When - Sunday 1/26,  5:00-7:30(ish)PM

Where - Tom Miller's Pain Cave - 11881 Mistral, Grand Haven

Who - You and anyone you wanna bring!

Why - to break a sweat, to see your friends, to eat lotsa pasta guilt-free.

See you there! Questions? Coach MC -616 610 0334 / 616mhc@gmail.com

IT'S TWENTY THIRTEEN BAY-BEE!!!!!

And that mean's it's time to rock AND roll! I just got back from scoutin' the course in Nashville and then a quick trip down to Cincy to help their team kick off the season so I am ALL kinds of excited.

2013 is gonna be the biggest and best year ever and it's time for the World's Coolest Team to put it in the big ring and put another whuppin' on Type 1.

There's plenty to talk about here - please bear with me.

First and foremost - 2013 Registration opens this coming Tuesday at noon. Yep. Then. Earlier than ever.
Why register ASAP? 2 HUGE reasons -

#1 - Odds are good that both Nashville and Death Valley will fill up. DV is limited to 300 riders by the Park Service, no slack there a'tall. There's no actual rider limit in Nash-Vegas but the facilities (hotels and such) are gonna limit us to 400-some riders. With alla the buzz all over the Us of A about the Music City - you're better off registering sooner than later!

#2 - As soon as you register you can commence the fund-raising proper! Your on-line page is the easiest way for most folks to donate and it'll be ready! (A free prize to whomever texts me w/ the proper movie reference in this paragraph. 616-610-0334)

The other Rides have virtually no limits.....and you can find a wrap-up of all the venues elsewhere on this blog. And - there's info on Nashville (a course write-up, short video and even training ideas) on the Ride to Cure FaceBook page.

And - let's talk about how we're gonna grown this team this year, huh? Recruiting new riders is a Win Win Win for everyone......you introduce your friends to what an Awesomely Cool Thing we're up to, they get to ride w/ us ;) and together we raise more $ for JDRF! Have you posted something on your FaceBook page asking your friends and fam and especially riding buds to join? Sent out e-mails? I'm gonna!

On top of those 2 MAJOR topics, there are some other things I wanna talk at'cha about....

Linda Thompson-Poeder is looking to get a Team Outing together to go tubing @ the Pando Ski Area in Belding. Let's hear some talk about some dates that'd work!

Coach Did and I are trying to get a venue that'd work for some Team Indoor Training Rides, where we culd set up a  buncha trainers as get our sweat on. The date for the the first one is 1/27.....stay tuned. (Got an idea for a place that may work? Let Derek or I know!)

Speaking of Indoor Rides - Tom Miller hosts one @ his place on Wed nights @ 7:00. Join us!

Annnnnnd - We're doing a Team @ the Ultimate Cycle Challenge again. This is a 24 hour indoor relay spin to benefit Livestrong. (Hey - they've had a tough winter, let's help them out.) It runs from 8pm Friday March 1st to 8pm Saturday. There are live bands (mine kicks it off on Friday night) and its weirdly fun. And a great way for us to fly our JDRF flag!
Wanna ride? Here's how it works:
Go to www.ultimatecyclechallenge.com and hit "register".
Join the "JDRF West Michigan" team.
Contact me (616mhc@gmail.com) to pick your time slot. (Usually an hour but you can ride longer if ya wanna) Obviously the sooner you register the better the choice of time slots.
No trainer? No worries, got'cha covered!
Cost? $35 and you get a tee shirt and snacks.

Questions? Contact me!

Okay - that's enough for now methinks. Let's get registered, recruit some new riders and get this season started!

You guys rock......it's gonna be a GREAT year!

Coach Mike