An interesting start...as expected!

We got off to an auspicious start. We had a great plan to build a rack inside the van to lift the bikes up so we could store gear underneath. We had to “reconfigure” the rack to fit the bikes, but we got it to work! Mark realized he had a broken spoke on the rear wheel of his bike. So there was a quick trip to the bike shop while we packed things up. Then as we were just about ready, having fit 10 gallons of “stuff” in a 5-gallon van, Mark went to move his car and there was a nasty crunching and popping sound. That’s when we realized it was the front wheel of his bike that was under the front wheel of his car! Luckily, "Matt’s bike shop" had a spare wheel for him to borrow. Then the trip was on, and off we went!

We eventually stopped to stretch our legs. When I picked up the van, I had 2 additional keys made. So Bruce and I both had keys, as well as Chris. When we came back out, the key Chris had worked fine in the ignition, but not in the doors! Of course the other keys were safely in our bags…in the van!!!! Luckily, the backdoor was unlocked, and with some stretching and luck, we could reach my bag and the key in my bag opened the door!
So we got back on the road and made it safely to Marengo to stay with Larry and Linda. We had an outstanding dinner of burgers, fresh sweet corn, potatoes, and brownies. What an excellent start to RAGBRAI 2007!

SHOWTIME!!!!

It's Friday, July 20, 2007 . . . Showtime boys!

We'll be pulling out of South Bend around noon headed for an overnight in Eastern Iowa, then on to Rock Rapids, Iowa, Saturday.

RAGBRAI XXXV hits the road bright and early Sunday!

I can't speak for all, but I'm looking forward to a week of cycling with an awesome group of guys and some of my best friends in the world.

The Newest Member of Team Velodox

Meet the newest member of Team Velodox . . . Matt and I drove up to Mt. Pleasant, MI, on Sunday, July 8, to pick him up. Of course, no trip to Mt. P is complete without a stop for fine dining at Mountain Town Station. Matt's college roommate Jim runs a great brew pub and we had a super meal. Jim and Karen (and Evan, too) were gracious enough to let Matt and me stay the night and it was fun to catch up with them.

Monday morning, we met Terry, the proprietor of Motorless Motion (and Matt's college employer) at 8:30 (thanks for getting to the shop early just for us, Terry!) at his shop in downtown Mt. Pleasant.

I took the Surly Cross Check for quick spin while Matt and Terry chatted a bit. Man, what a sweet ride. You know the feeling you have when you "graduate" from a Huffy to a real bike? Well, it's the same when you graduate from a fitness/hybrid to a cyclocross. We inked the deal, loaded the bike on the rack and headed home.

By the end of the first week, I've got nearly a hundred miles and am pumped to take the new wheels on RAGBRAI.

Thanks Matt! for brokering the deal with Terry . . . you're a true friend.

Tuesday Night Ride on Thursday

Matt, Chris and I rode the the Tuesday Night Outpost Ride (held on Thursday because of the Indpendence Day holiday).

Great ride up through Michigan. We only got off-map once (and this time, it most certainly was NOT my fault!). A total of 35.8 miles and then back to our house for hot dogs, burgers, chips and potato salad. (Thanks Gail! for getting all that around . . . )

---

I suppose we should note Chris's latest addition to his "medals" . . . On Sunday, July 1, we (Chris, Matt, Henry Scott, and I) took a pedal up to Buchanan, MI. While no fault of his own, Chris took a tumble that resulted in 6 glorious stitches to his right elbow. Fortunately, we were not 100 yards from a RiteAid Pharmacy. Henry rounded up some first aid supplies, Matt and Chris did a little wound scrubbing in the men's room of the Hilltop Cafe, and I waited patiently at the table for the quick fix to be finished. While it would be pretty gross to actually show the wound, here is a shot of the elbow and the bandage. We still have Karen's blessing to take Chris riding in the future; we just have to promise he'll use elbow and knee pads.

Suggested packing list

Last year, Bruce and I read all the online articles about what to bring, how to prepare, etc. The result was, we finished and had a great time. Of course, we also way over packed. Here are my suggestions for RAGBRAI this year.

Bike Stuff

• Bike (remember both wheels if you put your bike in a fork mount rack)
• Helmet
• Good gloves
• Cycling Shoes
• A couple of tubes (you can always buy more)
• Tire levers
• Frame Pump or CO2
• Multi-Tool
• CamelBak (some people like water bottles, I prefer lots of cold water)
• Extra cleats for your shoes/pedals (you never know)

Clothes
Riding:
4 each (we have free laundry on Wed night)

• Cycling shorts
• Jerseys or wicking t-shirts
• Cycling socks
  
  
• A light windbreaker/rain gear to carry on your bike

Overnight:

• Shower shoes/Crocs/Slides
• A basic pair of shorts
• A couple of t-shirts (you’ll only need 2-3, you’re not in them very long each night)
• A pair of pants (in case it gets cold)
• Sweatshirt or something for a cool evening (it’s not likely to get that cold, but you never know)
• A pair of gym shorts for sleeping in and running for the bathroom

Toiletries

• Sunscreen (you’ll apply it 2-3 times a day!)
• Toilet paper (corn fields don’t have that and neither do some Kybos)
• Small pack of baby wipes to carry on the ride
• Basic personal hygiene stuff
• A camp towel (something that dries quickly)
• Chamois BUTT'r (don’t laugh, it works!)
• Gold Bond Powder (trust me!)

Camping

• Tent
• Sleeping bag (you’ll sleep on top of it most nights)
• A Sheet to sleep under
• Good sleeping pad
• Battery powered fan (a little one will move a lot of air in a tent)
• Small pillow
• Camp chair
• Tent & pole repair kit

Misc. Stuff

• Trash bags/HUGE ziplock backs (to pack stuff in, bags are placed outside rain or shine until you pick them up each day)
• Sunglasses
• Skull cap for sweat and sun protection
  
• Camera
• Batteries for said camera
• Memory for said camera (Bruce this means shoot at high resolution!)
• Ear plugs
• iPod
• cell phone
• cell phone charger/car charger
• a good book
• journal
• laptop (it will travel in the support vehicle, some towns will have WiFi)

Snacks

• Twizzlers Bites
• Cliff Bars
• Energy drink powder (pre-measured in bags makes life easier)

Money

• Budget a minimum of $30/day for food/drink
• Bring some cash and traveler’s checks
• Most things drinks cost $1-2
• Most meals cost between $5-7
• We’ll figure out fuel at the end

Things that Velodox, Inc will provide:

• Floor pump (pump your tires up EVERY morning)
• Dead blow hammer for tent stakes or Bruce
• Bike Stand
• Basic bike tools (yes, a cassette tool, too!)
• Cooler for evening festivities, support car will refill each afternoon with drinks/snacks
• We'll all donate to the "refill" fund . . .
  

Things not to bring

• Bad attitude
• Ego
• Too many clothes
• Perishable food
• Race mentality! (this is a RIDE, have fun)
• Expectations: whatever you expect RAGBRAI to be, it will likely be something else
  

Photos from the road

Bruce and Chris rode the Oak-Savannah and Prairie Duneland trails today.

Four weeks left!

There are exactly four weeks of training time left before RAGBRAI. Are you ready?

Milestone

I hit exactly 1000 miles for the year yesterday as I pulled into my garage. It feels good! My next task is to get used to clips on the pedals.

Just an Idea

Hello everyone...
 
Since we have formed this Bike Club, I  have decided to be more physically active.  Beginning this  weekend, I will ride at least 5 kms  everyday.  If any of you   would  like to join me, please let me know and  we  can make arrangements. I will supply any riding equipment needed....

I  think it would be appropriate to ride somewhere between  4:00pm and 7:00pm.  We can call it happy hour, if it will make you say yes.
 
I  have enclosed a photo of my bike

Last Wednesday

As I started my regular commute, my pedal was making noise but I kept going. About half way to work I heard a noise and thought, "darn! a flat!" I turned around and saw that my rack had come loose and my trunk was dragging on the sidewalk. I managed to velcro it to the seat post and start back up. The pedal was quiet by now, but wobbling a little. I got to campus and showered and headed to where I was suppposed to be conducting a workshop. Then right in front of the library, my pedal and its arm fell off the bike! I jammed it back on and did a sort of pedal-pedal-kick, pedal-pedal-kick to get to where I needed to be for the class. When I got there, the room was locked and the building manager was not expected until long after the time I was supposed to start. A custodian unlocked the door in time for me to get started about ten minutes late. Halfway through the two-hour session I was about to take a break when the fire alarm went off ... What a morning!

Great poster!

A short ride today...anyone have an extra tube?

Charmelle and I did a short ride. We were shooting for about 25 miles. I took my Trek carbon road bike out for the first time in years. I had tuned it all up last week and was ready to ride it for the season rather than buying a new bike. At 8 miles, my front tire flatted. No biggie. these wheels have always been flat-pron. Did a quick tube change and found a problem with the rim strip so I fixed that and off we went. I got to try out my new pump a Topeak Morph, way nice pump. Thanks for the suggestion Henry. So off we go on our ride. at about 16 miles, my rear tire goes flat! OK, I'm annoyed, but I have another tube, and a patch kit just in case. So I change the tube and take off again. At 25 miles, my front goes again! We were close to home, so Charmelle grabbed the car and picked me up. It was such a nice ride on a great day, just flat city though. Anyone want to buy a set of Campy wheels...cheap!!!!!
I've always hated those wheels, hard to get tires on and off, and frequent flats. The road bike is getting parted out. So if you need some Campy stuff, I have a nice set :-)

Sort of a group ride!

Some of us had a great ride today. It was just 25 miles, but it was a beautiful day. It was the Outpost Sports Tuesday Night Ride in Granger. Dave, Charmelle, and I rode the Group B ride (about 16-18 mph average). Then it was back to Yesterdays for a drink and a snack. Bruce (a.k.a. “Lefty one thumb Spitzer”) showed up for a drink.

All-in-all it was a great night. Both Dave and I took demo bikes from the shop. Dave took a Lemond Buenos Aires out. He left his Pilot in MI, so it had to ride in tennis shoes, but he made it. I took a Lemond Tourmalet out. There is a strong chance one of these might be ordered for me tomorrow. It’s a great value, thanks to employee purchase, and a very comfy ride! Charmelle just rode “Sparkle.” Her trusty Jamis Aurora. She’s too dang strong : - )

Maybe next week Lefty and Chris can come along?

As Official as it Gets

It's getting more official every day! Here are our RAGBRAI wristband numbers:

• Matt: 91610
• Chris: 91611
• Charmelle: 91612
• Dave: 91613
• Mark: 91614
• Bruce: 91615
• Steve: 91616
• Driver: 4028
  
  If you don't believe me, click HERE to go to the lottery results page and see for yourself.
  

We should be receiving our ride packet in the very near future. They ship near the end of May. We'll get ride credentials (wristband, bike bands, luggage tags), and any jerseys, posters, and t-shirts anyone ordered with their registration. Upon receipt, I think we deserve another PARTY! This one truly to celebrate the upcoming ride.

We are looking for a driver, too! My cousin Larry who had agreed to be our driver has had some family things arise that require his attention this summer. If you know someone who'd be interested in driving, give a shout. (There aren't many job skills needed: willingness to put up with 10,000+ cyclists is prime; and a tolerance for tent camping in hot, humid weather is pretty important too.)

Ride on!

Ride in Culver May 19

I will be out of town, but if anyone else is looking for a good ride this weekend, check out the "Tour de Max." It starts in Culver (about 40 miles south of South Bend) and goes through some very pretty country. You can go 10, 30 or 63 miles. See http://www.geocities.com/tour_de_max/

Trail blazed by dynamic duo

000_0016
Originally uploaded by G.Chris Clark.

Bruce and Chris put in 50 miles (each) today at the Kal-Haven trailblazer. It was a great day and Chris' new child behaved herself very well. The worst mishap was the loss of a mirror. From the photo, you can see that Bruce was careful to conserve his energy. Chris has his 500 training miles, so he is going to stop until RAGBRAI ... not!

The Clarks have a new family member!

Congrats to Chris and Karen on their new arrival. Bruce and I were right there with Chris as it all happened. What a beautiful scene. There were smiles, laughter, and tears of joys. It was quite touching to see Chris gently cradling their new addition.

If you like to see some pictures and get all the important info, click here. Oh, by the way, it’s a bike not a baby! Chris picked up a blue 2007 Trek 7.3 FX. Congrats and many happy miles to him.

We're in!!!!!!!!!!!

So it looks like Team Velodox lives on. Below is a copy of the email from T.J. about us getting wait-listed. Start peddling!!!!! We will need to start looking at the "logistics" of this now. Bruce and I will post a suggested packing list in the coming weeks. The basics that are needed are a tent (get a good one, if we get a bad storm, you'll be much happier), a sleeping bag, and a sleeping pad. Other than that, it's the creature comforts, and your bike. Ride-Right!!!!!

From: Juskiewicz, TJ
Sent: Sat 5/5/2007 8:50 AM
To: Spitzer, Bruce Alan
Subject: RE: Lottery Results?

You are in, just on the waiting list and are waiting to be assigned
wristbands. You did not make it through the initial lottery and were
placed on the waiting list. At this point, we have enough cancels that
we will be able to reassign those wristbands to you. We should have the
tags assigned in the next week to 10 days and we will be able to give
you wristband numbers starting May 16. Please contact me after that
date if you want you numbers.

Thanks for the patience.

Sincerely,

T.J. Juskiewicz
RAGBRAI(r) Director
P.O. Box 622
Des Moines, IA 50306-0622

Unfortunate Results

Well, Team Velodox has hit a snag. It looks as though we, along with many other teams were not selected in the lottery for RAGBRAI XXXV. I have a request in to find out when we will receive our refund. As soon as I hear anything I'll post it. Bruce has posted a message on the RAGBRAI forum looking for passes for us. We'll just have to take a wait and see approach.

Bike Rides in Indiana

The Bike Rides in Indiana web site http://brinin.org is a great place to find details on events you might want to attend.

Logest ride so far

Today was my first over-40 ride of the year. It was a beautiful cool afternoon, so I headed to Potato Creek - exactly 15 miles from my house. After I got there I rode the 4 miles of bike trail in the park and headed back. Unfortunately, the wind had changed, so half the way back I pedaled into a headwind. All in all it was a great ride, though.

Kal-Haven Trail Blazer May 12

Ride 25, 40, 75 or 100-miles. The brochure is a little unclear, but if you plan to ride on the trail (not paved roads), I think you can start in South Haven or Kalamazoo. You can register for $15 until May 4 ($20 afterward). Click this post's title for a brochure, click the image to for the trail web site. I'm going and I PLAN to ride 75 miles, based in South Haven.

Back on the road again

It felt really go to get back on the bike after three weeks, due to weather and traveling. I put in 25 miles on Sunday and it was just a gorgeous day. So far, I have been able to bike to work two days out of two. Not sure about tomorrow.

odds?

What are the odds that we get in?

And so it begins

Hi Everyone,

The weekend of May 4th, is the Northern Indiana Fat & Skinny Tire Festival in Lake Winona Indiana. Some of our team will be participating in the Mountain Bike Race on Saturday, and some of us slackers will just be doing the pre-ride on Friday night. The festival is a lot of fun, and I thought I’d let you all know about it.

The other part of that weekend is a Team Velodox dinner for any of you that can make it on Friday night. Mark. Malaby will be in town from Muncie, and Stevel Wellinski will be in from IL. Bruce and I were thinking it might be fun to all get together for dinner somewhere. Maybe Politos (Lots of Pasta for the racers).

As an FYI, May 1st is a BIG day. We will know if we are going to RAGBRAI or not on that day. So keep your fingers crossed. There is an 8,500 rider limit for week-long riders. So the lottery results will be announced on May 1.

Assuming we get in, this blog can be used to keep a record and keep in touch through the spring and summer, and while we ride across Iowa. This year we will have a SAG vehicle for the Team, and that will allow us to have a laptop, etc. There are wireless hotspots in most of the host towns, so we can put info up for our families/friends to see.

Hopefully some of you will be able to make it to dinner on May 4 and meet the rest of Team Velodox!

Happy Riding