Cycle of Hope 2011 July 16

The end is finally in sight.
The Cycle of Hope team has been asked to participate in the St Pierre-Jolys Frog Follies Parade. We will assemble at 10am for a 1 km portion of the parade. Up till now the morning has been very relaxed, we were allowed to sleep in until 6:30 with breakfast at 7:30. Lael comes to join us around 8:00 and we pack most of my stuff, and gear from a few others, into her car. She meets a few of the new riders and chats with a few she knows from past rides.
At 10:30 the parade starts and there are comments about the difficulty of this part of the ride. The walking pace of the parade makes balancing in close quarters a bit tricky. The CoH riders need to leave the parade a bit early in order to get into Winnipeg for the final part of our ride.
The bikes are loaded onto the trailer for the last time and driven to St Vital Shopping Center. My mom and dad are there to meet me and we chat for a few minutes before our parade starts. The police will escort us to the build site just east of the Regent Ave overpass. It is amazing how fast you can get across the city when you don't need to stop for traffic lights. Finally at the build site and our adventure is finished, there is an emotional speech by Gord and an address from the new home owner, an announcement about the 2012 ride(Green Bay) then it's over. I pack my bike into the car and we drive to our home.
Many thanks to all the TrainingCoop members for your support/ encouragement and reading the blog.
Thanks Scott and Deanna, for seeing me off two weeks ago, 5:30 is early any morning even if there is a GP race. Thanks to Tom for our GYBOTS race.

24 Hours of Falcon Ridge - Oh That Was HOT!!!

WOW ... that was an AMAZINGLY HOT weekend, an AMAZINGLY WELL RUN EVENT and an AMAZINGLY COOL (;-)) RACE to have participated in! Huge thanks to the organizers and helpers at Birch, FGBC and RRR for putting on a first class race and making it fun and family friendly!

It was great to join up with Scott for this event and I really appreciate his support and relaxed attitude throughout our own personal challenges of the race and the whole weekend. It was "Africa" hot, the race course was a great mix (but bumpy as you would expect in the Canadian Shield) and that made it a huge challenge for everyone.

No time mention details, but in short, the heat got to both Scott and I early in the race after the first few laps and for me the only solution was dunking in the lake after each lap (until it cooled down near mid-night!) and more chamois cream!   I loved my Niner Jet 9 full-squish bike ... it was perfect for the race.  The night laps and the very last one were the highlights of the riding.  Hanging with Scott and all the friendly folks out at the race was the best.



JP and Cat rocked the solo events and leave me astounded ... congrats!

Details and reports here:  Official, FGBC, Velo Artisan Bread, ...

Here's a couple pics from the good folks at the Birch Club (thanks again Bill and Paul):

GYBOTSRace - We Have A Winner -> BRIAN!

After the exact kms from Brian's Cycle Of Hope Ride and Tom's 24 Hrs of Falcon Ridge Race are inputed in the charts, we have a final result:

Brian stays in 'Yellow' and is the winner of our "Get Yer Butt On The Saddle Race"!
In the end, after 6 and 1/2 months and over 4000 kms of riding each, it came down to only 3.07 Kms difference!!
Congrats bud and thanks for the motivation to get on the saddle and ride in all conditions!


We knew it was coming down to the wire, but with neither Brian or I knowing how much either would ride on 16/17 July, it's a cool finish and a well earned result Brian (you had tough conditions to deal with on the COH ride this year!).

I wonder what that medal looks like? :-)

Cycle of Hope 2011 July 15

Today we get to ride to the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Itasca State Park. I’ve ridden in this park several times and it is always a treat. Weather this morning does not look great and more rain is a definite possibility, but, the temperature is warm. We leave Walker, MN after a brief shower and head down the Heartland Trail.

I’m riding mid-pack along with James and we are pulling several other riders along at a good pace. Rob is complaining about the spray I’m kicking up even with my fenders on(sorry Rob). I didn’t know how bad the spray was until later in the day when Jenn pulled out from behind me and had a considerable amount of grit on her face(probably something you would pay money for at the spa). At 27km we reach the first support stop. The group we had been riding with has stretched out and when Jenn and I pull in there is no one directly behind us. As a few more cyclists arrive the rain begins to fall, softly at first but turns into a downpour. All the riders gather under a bit of shelter and wait. There has been some thunder and lightning and the procedure is to wait 30 minutes after the lightning before we are allowed to go on. We stop for a total of about 50 min and then are given the ok.(my GYBOTS race with Tom is too close for comfort and even though it is wet I can’t afford to have the rest of the day cancelled)

While we wait we are treated to some of Steve’s culinary specialties. Each support driver tries to come up with a unique treat and Steve is offering us Rice Krispy Squares with peanut butter and banana.

We ride into the town of Park Rapids and turn onto Highway 71 for the final push to Itasca State Park. Jenn and I slow the pace down a little but hope to reach the park with enough time to ride to the Mississippi headwaters location. In the end we arrive a bit too late and cannot continue. Our reward for the day is ice cream. We watch(along with the riders already there) as the rest of the group finishes the journey. The bikes are racked and we start our drive to Canada. Lunch is in Bagley,MN and supper in St. Pierre-Jolys where we enjoy a bit of the Frog Follies weekend.

24 Hours of Anticipation ...

In less than 24 Hrs, Scott and Tom start this (both solo):


and ... In just over 24 Hrs, Brian will end this:

GYBOTSRace NEWS FLASH: BRIAN'S IN YELLOW!

CONGRATS BRIAN!  It's a slim lead, but Brian's taken the Yellow Jersey right off my back!


Two more days of COH riding left for Brian and 24 Hrs of Falcon for me ... how will it end? I think it's too close to call - giddy up!

Brian and the COH "Canadian Wave" hit the local US News

Brian and his fellow COH riding friend James are pictured here in a pic from an article in the Brainerd Dispatch local news:

Brian and his laptop after a days ride ... yup, looks just about right! ;-)

Cycle of Hope 2011 July 14

The forecast today is rain and cool temperatures and that is what we got when we woke up in the morning. We knew about this yesterday so I spent some time last night prepping for the conditions. I've changed tires, wheels and put my fenders on. All my wet weather clothes are out and I’m about as ready as I’ll ever be. Breakfast is finished and the riders move outside into the rain.

The route today leads us out of Brainerd onto the Paul Bunyan Trail. The trail is an old rail bed and will take us to Walker, MN. Our support people have a bit of a challenge because they can’t follow us. Instead, they have set up stops in several towns along the way. They are counting riders so that no one gets lost. The rain falls steady but with the water proof gear I am not getting wet from the outside but I am starting to get a bit sweaty on the inside. The fenders I put on are working great and help keep me and my bike clean. Never having tried them out it is a pleasant result. Three support stops are set up and Jenn and I stop at each one. Stops are kept short because we cool off quickly. 91km later(mostly on the trail) we are finished.

The school we are staying in tonight is huge. The small gym has two basketball courts across, the other one has three across with lots of space around the perimeter. Because we are done so early there is time to relax, do a small bit of laundry service the bikes and eat.

At dinner there is lots of sharing and thank yous but for me the real treat is hearing of the accomplishment of one little girl, who with hardly any training before the CoH has managed to ride 215km today trying to reach her goal of 1600km. Crystal is sitting at a table eating her dinner, telling friends about her day and laughing.

Cycle of Hope 2011 July 13

Today’s distance is not too long and an early finish is expected. The weather is very nice this morning, a bit on the cooler side with a mostly crosswind. During the first nine days winds have been very light, it is the first day that the wind will challenge our progress .

Lunch will be at around 47km. After the first hour I settle in at my pace and ride to lunch with Kathleen and Henry. Our ride started later today due to racking the bikes first thing and driving around Minneapolis to avoid any traffic issues. There is a set of HED wheels I’m interested in looking at and the HED office is only 3.5km off our drive through the city. Alas it was not meant to be and since I have not talked to Lael about this it is probably best not to surprise her with more bike parts. I’ll stick with the socks from Big Shark bikes and G.O.A.T.S (Go Out And Tour Somewhere) bike club in Galena.

We arrive at lunch near the front of the pack and hang around for some fantastic food. I walk over to a service station to use the washroom. When I get back Kathleen and Henry have left without me. I spend the next 40+ kms chasing them and finally catch them 4kms from the end. We can’t get into the YMCA until 3 but it is so nice just to sit on the lawn and enjoy the cool day and the nice breeze. Everyone is on their own for dinner this evening and a small group gathers at Giovanni’s Pizza. Mike talks about some of the trips he’s been on and some he would like to ride like the Tour d’ Afrique. We head back to the Y and scramble to get ready for tomorrow.

This 'GYBOTSRace' will come down to the wire!

Well, I am still in 'Yellow' but Brian is closing in as expected.  I was just given one more day in the lead of our little friendly race.
Here's the latest stats:

Just a small lead left. Safe riding Brian and have fun bud :-)

Cycle of Hope 2011 July 12

The morning starts smoothly, I get dressed, haul most of me gear out to the trailer and have something to eat. The forecast is for cooler temps, 68-75F and low chance of rain. We roll out from the school the temp is pleasant with very light winds. Conditions are good for 157km today but around 20 km the rain starts to fall and by 29 kms I’m wet and cooling off. With no rain gear with me I make the choice to stop.

Other cyclists pass as I wait for the sweep van. Along with me are two others who have also called it a day. We stop at a service station to get something hot to drink for those who want. I offer to get some Pringles for Steve but he hears spring rolls and declines. I repeat my offer of Pringles and to that item he accepts, after all we would never find spring rolls at a service station convenience store. But on this trip stranger things have happened. When we walk into the store there is a food warmer with egg rolls on it. Steve and I can’t believe our eyes but resist their purchase. At the next few support stops a few other riders rack their bikes and get into the vans.

This is not how I wanted to complete this event but my head is not in it today and the thought of riding 130 additional kms in the wet is too much for me this time. I admire the riders that tough it out and ride in these conditions. The rain started around 7:30 and at 11:30 there is still a light drizzle.

After lunch the weather is gets better and if the rest of the group manages to dry out they will finish well. At the our destination I am immediately called on for some bike maintenance which I gladly supply.

Cycle of Hope 2011 July 11

The lights were turned on at 4.15am this morning by some guy delivering milk to the cafeteria. I only snoozed a bit after that until 5:00 am alarm. Should have gotten up to check the weather as there were thunderstorms in the forecast. A quick look outside is hardly required, the thunder and lightning tell me all I need to know. We get ready as usual but are told that the departure time has been pushed back ½ hour and then will be reassessed then. The mood is much less frantic with extra time.

People are just hanging around waiting to ride. I set up my netbook and play some of the video I’ve shot. A small group gathers to watch.

The rain has stopped and shortly after 8:00am we move out. All the time spent cleaning my bike the day before is erased in minutes. The wet roads show no mercy. With all the things to do each evening I haven’t found any time to change my wheels or install the fenders so my Chris King wheelset is going to get dirty. Anyway the pace is brisk as the wind pushes us North.

Crystal is using my other GoPro today and is happy to get some other footage for me. She is having another good day and plans to ride 1000 miles over the two weeks. That means she is often riding extra kms. Her and Alvin stop a bit before our destination, we have a soft drink and then move onto the school where Crystal then heads out to ride 30 more kms.