I just ordered my Road ID yesterday. They gave me a coupon code to share with my friends good for $1.00 off. If anyone doesn't have one yet, you should seriously consider it. Go to http://www.roadid.com/Common/default.aspx, choose your style, and enter this coupon code upon ordering: ThanksCraig546419. Feel free to share this with your friends. It can be used 20 times in the next 30 days.
Kippis,
Craigers
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Maywood Earth Ride '09
Earth Ride came and went too fast this year. I was joined by the Big Cat & Mrs. Cat (along with Team Lasky), and Jonny K. BC, Jonny, and myself along with the other two memebers of Team Lasky completed the 50 mile route. Jonny's Dad & brother did the full Century (we'll get there eventually). Some brutal hills to climb in the Northern Kettle Moraine, but I still kept an average speed of almost 14 mph and finished the ride in 3hrs 27 min.
Thanks to all the volunteers that helped to make this a great ride again this year! There were over 700 riders total and I think we raised over $30,000 for the benefit of Maywoood environmental park (http://gomaywood.org).
A picture says a thousand words so here you go.
Suck it in Jonny!
That damn racoon again
Groove Family Cyclo - Family Portrait
This was on the front page of the Sheboygan Press newspaper - let's play "Where's Trail Dog?"
I'm ready for another 50
And so is Jonny
Team Fatty?
Thanks to all the volunteers that helped to make this a great ride again this year! There were over 700 riders total and I think we raised over $30,000 for the benefit of Maywoood environmental park (http://gomaywood.org).
A picture says a thousand words so here you go.
Suck it in Jonny!
Big Cat looking all buff
That damn racoon again
Groove Family Cyclo - Family Portrait
This was on the front page of the Sheboygan Press newspaper - let's play "Where's Trail Dog?"
I'm ready for another 50
And so is Jonny
Team Fatty?
Monday, September 21, 2009
North Carolina's Outer Banks (The OBX)
Okay, so I have enough material for at least two posts. Let's start with the trip to the OBX. I will be completely honest and say that while it busted me up on the inside, I didn't pedal at all while on vacation. I analyzed my situation and came to this conclusion: If I can ride somewhere that I wouldn't be able to at home, I'll pedal. I vacationed with that theory in the back of my mind. I did go running on the beach in the mornings (as that is something I don't have the opportunity to do in FDL).
While out walking with the Mrs. one morning, I noticed two Pugsleys in rack with the rentals at a local bike shop. I proceeded to run into the shop. I asked the gal behind the counter what they charged to rent one of the "pugs". She said I could BUY one, not rent one. She was kind of a bag so I left. I did go to another shop, Kitty Hawk Cycle Company( http://www.kittyhawkcyclecompany.com/index.html ). Even though I didn't rent, I did buy a shop T-shirt, and Michael, one of the owners, and I had a very pleasant conversation about riding, Twin Six, and other nice things that cyclists talk about. If any of you are in the OBX and need a rental or parts or anything "bike", go visit Michael at KHCC. Thanks Michael, I'll wear my KHCC shirt with pride.
The rum was great (in case you were wondering coastkid), and the atmosphere was even better. Here's some photos to wet your whistle. Check out the OBX Visitors Bureau for more info ( http://www.outerbanks.org/ )
If you zoom up on this one you can see the dolphin coming up for air
Penny Hill Sand Dune
Wild Horses of Corolla
There's a beer commercial in here somewhere
OBX Sunrise
Not sure what this structure is but it made a good picture
OBX Sunrise #2
Tame that gator!
My new friend Tortuga
Smile Pretty!
While out walking with the Mrs. one morning, I noticed two Pugsleys in rack with the rentals at a local bike shop. I proceeded to run into the shop. I asked the gal behind the counter what they charged to rent one of the "pugs". She said I could BUY one, not rent one. She was kind of a bag so I left. I did go to another shop, Kitty Hawk Cycle Company( http://www.kittyhawkcyclecompany.com/index.html ). Even though I didn't rent, I did buy a shop T-shirt, and Michael, one of the owners, and I had a very pleasant conversation about riding, Twin Six, and other nice things that cyclists talk about. If any of you are in the OBX and need a rental or parts or anything "bike", go visit Michael at KHCC. Thanks Michael, I'll wear my KHCC shirt with pride.
The rum was great (in case you were wondering coastkid), and the atmosphere was even better. Here's some photos to wet your whistle. Check out the OBX Visitors Bureau for more info ( http://www.outerbanks.org/ )
Views from our balcony
If you zoom up on this one you can see the dolphin coming up for air
Penny Hill Sand Dune
Wild Horses of Corolla
There's a beer commercial in here somewhere
OBX Sunrise
Not sure what this structure is but it made a good picture
OBX Sunrise #2
Tame that gator!
My new friend Tortuga
Smile Pretty!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Rum so nasty it could kill the devil.
So it's off to North Carolina early Sunday morning. I'll be offline for about a week or so, but I hope to have some great pictures to share with you all upon my return. I also hope to get some cycling along the beach and through the east coasts tallest sand dunes. I'll feel like I'm riding with coastkid with some of the scenery around the Outer Banks.
We're staying in a place called Kill Devil Hills. Rumored to have gotten it's name from the rancid rum that would wash up on shore from ships that had been plundered by pirates. This rum was so bad, it was said to be able to "kill the devil". The whole area is rich in history. The next town up the coast is Kitty Hawk, the birthplace of flight, where the Wright brothers mad their historic first flight. Should be pretty cool.
The Saturday after I return is Earth Ride 2009, so I'll a pretty busy week to say the least. I'll post as soon as possible.
Blog at you when I get back.
Kippis,
Craigers
We're staying in a place called Kill Devil Hills. Rumored to have gotten it's name from the rancid rum that would wash up on shore from ships that had been plundered by pirates. This rum was so bad, it was said to be able to "kill the devil". The whole area is rich in history. The next town up the coast is Kitty Hawk, the birthplace of flight, where the Wright brothers mad their historic first flight. Should be pretty cool.
The Saturday after I return is Earth Ride 2009, so I'll a pretty busy week to say the least. I'll post as soon as possible.
Blog at you when I get back.
Kippis,
Craigers
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Why we do what we do - Part I
There are those among us that have aquired a certain addiction to "adventure sports" or adventure travel". For many of us, this addiction comes after many years of not being so nice to our bodies. Ray Zahab has always said he was a drinker and a smoker - a club guy for lack of a better term. Than one day he decided to start running and before you know it he was running across the Sahara desert. Quite the change. Not only for Ray, but I'm sure for his family and friends as well.
How does one explain to their family why they get up at 3:00 A.M. to go running. Or why they have to rent a bike on vacation because they can't go a week without riding. How does one explpain to their friends, that they used to "party" with that they don't want to go out on a Friday or Saturday night anymore, because they need to train in the morning. And most difficult, how does one leave their spouse and children for periods of time, hours, days, or in Ray's case, months, to complete these "tasks".
I recently began reading "The Masked Rider" by Neil Peart (my favorite author by the way). It chronicles his bike tour through Cameroon in western Africa. I'm only one chapter into it, but something already has resonated with me and I'd like to share it here.
Neil writes:
"The best part of adventure, it seems to me, is thinking about it. A journey to a remote place is exciting to look forward to, certainly rewarding to look back upon, but not always pleasurable to live minute by minute. Reality has a tendency to be so uncomfortably real.
But that's the price of admission - you have to do it. One reason for making such a journey is to experience the mystery of unknown places, but another, perhaps more important, reason is to take yourself out of your "context" - home, job, friends."
Of course there is more to it than just that, but I felt this was a good starting point. Use it as you see fit.
Kippis,
Craigers
How does one explain to their family why they get up at 3:00 A.M. to go running. Or why they have to rent a bike on vacation because they can't go a week without riding. How does one explpain to their friends, that they used to "party" with that they don't want to go out on a Friday or Saturday night anymore, because they need to train in the morning. And most difficult, how does one leave their spouse and children for periods of time, hours, days, or in Ray's case, months, to complete these "tasks".
I recently began reading "The Masked Rider" by Neil Peart (my favorite author by the way). It chronicles his bike tour through Cameroon in western Africa. I'm only one chapter into it, but something already has resonated with me and I'd like to share it here.
Neil writes:
"The best part of adventure, it seems to me, is thinking about it. A journey to a remote place is exciting to look forward to, certainly rewarding to look back upon, but not always pleasurable to live minute by minute. Reality has a tendency to be so uncomfortably real.
But that's the price of admission - you have to do it. One reason for making such a journey is to experience the mystery of unknown places, but another, perhaps more important, reason is to take yourself out of your "context" - home, job, friends."
Of course there is more to it than just that, but I felt this was a good starting point. Use it as you see fit.
Kippis,
Craigers
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