End of the Year

It's late December and the bikes are put away until spring. We may get out some time this winter, if we get a sunny day over 50 degrees. But in truth winter is for pursuing indoor sports. I'll be playing basketball and volleyball. Mary actually has a trainer so she can ride inside. Ian is the one winter outdoorsman in our family. He just bought himself a new snowboard and enjoys hitting the slopes. He may also play a little indoor soccer. We'll be staying fit over the winter months and be ready to get on the bikes again when the weather breaks.

Thanks again to everyone who made 2010 our best year ever. We raised over $12,000 for diabetes research. We also raised a lot of awareness through this blog, Jake's Music Festival, and the various radio show and YouTube appearances. It's been a great year and 2011 promises to be even better. Ride On!

More Thanks

Back in August we posted a list of all the people who had donated to Team Scheidel. Since then we have had many more contributors. At this time we'd like to thank those people.

Karen Kleinheksel
Jim Rueter
Linda Milanowski (and thanks for letting Ian use Don's bike)
Christine Behrens
P Guimond
Sylvia Veal
Rip and Sonia Singh
Robin Duvall
Chuck and Rose Weiten
Tom and Florence Scheidel
Roy Dodman
Tom and Kim Vogel
Doug Gerowski
Tim Sundt
Michelle Yamazaki
Kathy Magnuson
Bruce Oman
Wendi Lewis
David Pasciak
Tim Jackson
Katie Clark
Liz Wright

Special thanks also to Third Coast Cycling, Macatawa Cycling Club, VanAndel Arena, Peggy Essenberg, and the Corner Bar. The 2010 JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes raised over $4,000,000. The West Michigan Team contributed $186,000 of that. Thanks again to everyone who helped make this year a great success.

Second November Ride

One of my friends from our Ride Team, Linda Thompson-Poeder, has set a goal to do a century ride each month this year. With the nice weather we've been having she picked yesterday as her day for November. I rode along for the first half and a couple other team mates rode the second half. Linda and I met at Riverside Park on the north side of Grand Rapids at 7:30 a.m. The skies were clear, but the temperature was only 40 degrees. We headed north on the White Pine Trail to Rockford where we stopped for some much needed coffee and a warm up. We also each handled a business call and then hopped back on our bikes and continued on to Sand Lake. This was our turnaround point and we shed a layer of clothes as the temp was now over 50. On our way south we spotted a small herd of deer, about 8 or 9 animals near the Rouge River. We watched each other until the deer scattered because I made a small noise trying to unclip. Linda and I got back to our cars with 48 miles under our tires. I headed home and she headed out to the Musketawa Trail in Marne. There she met up with our team mates Melanie and Derek and they helped Linda finish her November century.

First November Ride

I got out for my first post-Death Valley ride today. It was a beautiful fall day in Michigan so I pumped up the tires on my road bike and headed up to Rockford. Sunny skies and 55 degrees made for a glorious ride. It's late enough in the season that most of the crunchy leaves have blown away as well, leaving the trail dry and clear. I got in 16 miles and felt great. I'm already looking forward to next ride season.

Death Valley 2010 - Part 3

The JDRF Ride is the hardest and best thing I've ever done in my life. I've now participated in five rides in Death Valley; in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, and one in Killington, Vermont in 2009. Each ride has been unique, with it's own personality and own stories to tell.

West Michigan Ride Team - Death Valley start line - 2005

In 2005 there we just 14 of us from West Michigan who rode in Death Valley. We had 12 other teammates who rode in Asheville, North Carolina. We really didn't know what to expect. We had trained all summer so we were physically ready, but we were not prepared for the overwhelming emotions of Death Valley. For many of us it was our first century ride. For all of us it was a bonding experience unlike any other.

Part of the team at Jubilee Pass in 2006

In 2006 our team more than doubled in size. And we discovered an important team dynamic. When you are riding across a barren landscape and can see clearly for over 20 miles, it's easy to spot your fellow cyclists on the route. However, when everyone is wearing the same jersey and black shorts it's hard to tell your teammates from the other 300 riders. So that year we came up with the helmet decorations. Kitty ears for the ladies, devil horns for the men (except Rob, who had a special decoration). I'm not sure who gets the credit/blame, but the helmet baubles have really helped us find each other out on the course.

Team photo on Friday morning - Death Valley 2007

2007 was the year of the wind. Friday had been a beautiful day. Sunny skies, mid 90's temperatures and no wind. When we woke up at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday to go to breakfast we knew we were in trouble. It was already quite warm and the trees were swaying in the wind. On the way out the winds were swirling so it was difficult to establish a consistent pace. After the climb up Jubilee we were dealing with a full on head wind for the 50 mile trip back. Wind speeds were a sustained 30 mph with gusts hitting 40. Several of us got into a pace line in order to struggle along at 9 mph. During that pace line we had a crash which left an imprint of my chain ring on my left, um, hip. We literally finished in a dust storm. Many riders ended up in the med tent that night. But we all survived and decided to come back to Death Valley with even more people.

Part of the team posing at the Sea Level sign in 2008. One mile to go.

We had a group of 25 riders who attended the Asheville Ride to a Cure in 2008. We also sent almost 40 people back to the Valley. 2008 was the year I produced the documentary about the Ride, "More Than 100 Miles: Riding to Cure Diabetes". The weather was great that year. Moderate temps for DV (mid 90's), very light winds and even a little cloud cover. Our team rode strong. You can see more about that ride be clicking on the documentary trailer link to the left.

Killington team photo - before the rains came - 2009

For me personally 2009 was the worst year ever. We rode in Killington, Vermont and it rained all day. Not just a light drizzle, but full on, multiple storm rain. And cold. Even though the ride was in August the high temperature never got above 53 degrees. I was cold and wet all day and I didn't like it one bit. I even said to our coach, Mike Clark, that I would rather ride in 120 degree heat than cold rain. As the old Chinese proverb says, "Be careful what you wish for". But the good news of Killington is that it was our 5th year together as a team and in that time we had raised one million dollars for diabetes research.

Mary, Ian and Tom out on the course in Death Valley in 2010.

Which brings us to this year. 2010 - back to the desert. Back to the heat. This was the biggest JDRF ride ever. We had the biggest West Michigan team here ever. This one ride raised over $1.3 million for diabetes research. It is incredible to be part of something that is so much bigger than each of us individually. We have made lifelong friendships while raising money that will help to someday cure our son Jake of diabetes. Thanks to everyone who has been part of this journey.

Jake Scheidel - the reason we do this. Diagnosed September 17, 1997.

Death Valley 2010 - Part 2

This year's ride was very difficult. It was the second highest temperature ever recorded for October 16th. During the climb up Jubilee the thermometer hit 111 degrees. The near record heat sapped the strength of many a rider. As the day went on it became more and more painful to ride. But through it all we had the opportunity to ride with some great people and to meet old and new friends.

The West Michigan team before the Friday training ride.

The west Michigan team numbered 42 riders. We also had about a half dozen volunteers out on the course. These people come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are parents of diabetics, some have diabetes themselves and some have no personal connection. Although one could argue that, after all the training and riding we have done together, everyone now has a personal connection. We have people who were doing their sixth ride in Death Valley and those who were doing their first. Our entire team, in fact all 350 JDRF riders, did themselves proud on Saturday.

Ian Joyce, North Carolina Coach and 2007 West Michigan Team adoptee.

The Ride gave me the chance to see old friends like Trish Patterson and Aly Levine from the JDRF national office and Ian Joyce, the coach from one of the North Carolina teams. I also finally got to meet Andrew Shafer from Tennessee. Andrew has Type 1 diabetes and rode for the first time last year in Sonoma. He found this blog and reached out to us for fund raising ideas and support. We have been conversing on email ever since. Somewhere around mile 30 Andrew and I ended up riding next to each other for a few miles. It was great to finally talk face to face. Andrew is a strong rider and a wonderful advocate for JDRF.

Kathy and Paul McBride at Zabriske Point, on the training ride.

Paul and Kathy McBride are long time members of the West Michigan team. They ride for their son Graham who has Type 1 diabetes. Even though they live over two hours away, on the east side of the state, they have become great friends. We see them every year at the ride and it's just like old times. They are an asset to the team and we love having them represent "eastern" west Michigan.

Team Scheidel; safe, sound and smiling at the finish line.

There are many people who make incredible contributions to our team and JDRF. But there is one group I want to call special attention to. There are only a handful people who have been with the West Michigan team since we started in 2005. Mary and I want to say thanks to Mike and Teresa Howard, Sarah Andro, Derek Dykstra and Mike Clark for their dedication to the cause. Because of people like them, this year the Death Valley Ride raised over $1.3 million for diabetes research.

Death Valley 2010 - Part 1

So much happened during this year's JDRF ride that this will be a multi-part post. There were more riders than ever in Death Valley; 350 riders in total, 42 of them from West Michigan. The temperatures were very hot, but the winds were much lighter than most years.

Ian, Mary and Tom Scheidel at Zabriski Point on the Friday morning training ride.

It was great to have Ian in Death Valley with Mary and I. Over the years we have told the kids a lot about our rides out there. So when Ian said he wanted to do the ride this year we were pleased but cautious. This is quite the endeavor for a trained athlete. A 15 year old soccer player who had never ridden more than 18 miles could have been trouble. But Ian trained hard all spring and summer and he absolutely rocked Death Valley. Despite the 111 degree heat, Ian (and Tom) completed 88 miles in the desert.

Ian riding between Ashford Mills and Mormon Point.

Ian led our group on many occasions. He impressed the more veteran riders with his ability and his toughness. He even made friends with a nationally ranked mountain bike rider. She rode up to him and the two of them rode together up a hill just chatting away for several miles. The rest of us were working to hard to talk. The kid can definitely ride a bike.

Mary, Ian and Tom with Don Milanowski's bike on top of Jubilee Pass.

The highlight of the ride had to be at the top of Jubilee Pass. This is a six mile climb up a 6% grade. Very similar to some of the climbs on the Tour De France, except that this one is in a desert. The three of us made it to the top, at almost the same time. We wanted to get a group picture holding the bike Ian has been riding. That bike is very special. It belonged to Don Milanowski, a good friend of ours who had ridden with the JDRF team in Whitefish, Montana in 2007 and Death Valley in 2008. Don passed away due to a heart attack in 2009. When we were looking for a bike for Ian this past spring Don's wife Linda suggested Ian use Don's bike. To say we were honored would be an understatement. Ian trained on that bike all summer and on October 16, 2010 Don Milanowski's bike was once again on top of Jubilee Pass, this time powered by the youthful legs of Ian Scheidel. Thanks Linda and Don for helping Ian reach the top.

We are back

Back from the Valley, that is. It was a great ride, but it is very late and there is much to tell. There are also many photos. So check back here tomorrow for stories and pictures of the the 2010 Ride to Cure Diabetes in Death Valley.

Leavin' on a jet plane...

In just about two hours we will be boarding a plane in Grand Rapids and heading to Las Vegas. From there we catch a shuttle bus out to Death Valley. The training and fund raising is done. Now is time. This is what we have worked for. My next report will have details of this amazing trip.

Thanks to everyone who has supported us financially and emotionally through our journey.

GOAL!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who has contributed top our ride this year. With Ian joining us this time around we were looking at raising a minimum of $12,000. Each JDRF rider is responsible for raising $4,000. So adding Ian to Team Scheidel meant upping our fund raising numbers by a third. But thanks to some very generous friends, family members and even strangers, we have achieved our goal. We have raised over $12,000 for diabetes research! It is a great feeling knowing we can go to Death Valley this weekend and just concentrate on riding.

Team Scheidel.
Jake, our reason for doing this; Mary, 6 time rider; Ian, first time rider; Tom, 6 time rider; Colleen, big sister.

Thank you once again to all our donors. Because of you we are closer than ever to finding a cure for diabetes.

One week to go

Seven days from today we will be riding in Death Valley. It's almost hard to believe that the months of training and fundraising are nearly over and we're headed for the desert. Next Saturday morning will start early. Breakfast is at 5:00 a.m. Then we get our bikes and assemble at the starting line. Roll out is at sunrise at 6:45 a.m. Our first stop is Badwater Basin, 17 miles away. Badwater is the lowest spot in the western hemisphere at 282 feet below sea level. On the way to the next break at Mormon Point the sun will finally make it over the Funeral Mountains and we'll have no more shade until nightfall. Ashford Mills is the last break before the climb up Jubilee Pass. The climb is six miles long at a 6% grade. It takes about an hour to go up, we turn around at the top and take ten minutes to come back down. Now we have 47 miles left to ride in the afternoon heat and sun. The predicted high for Saturday is 98 degrees. The afternoon is also when the wind kicks up and it's usually a head wind. But if all goes well we should finish before sun down. The finish line is a great scene as we greet our fellow riders as they finish. There's lots of smiles, lots of hugs, and more than a few tears. There's beer and ice cream, sometimes together. But most of all there's the satisfaction of knowing that you've done something difficult and important that will help the millions of people who suffer with diabetes.

We received word last week that the Death Valley ride has already raised over $1,000,000 for diabetes research. Thanks to everyone who has contributed.

Why Death Valley?

Lots of people have asked me this over the years. Usually I get a big grin on my face and say it's because I'm more than a little crazy. Death Valley is unlike any other place I've ever been. And to try and ride a century there is definitely pushing the sanity envelope.

This year we have several team mates who will be making their inaugural trip to the desert. A few of us veterans put together a primer to tell the newbies what to expect. I thought it would be interesting to share it here so you can get an idea of how those of us that are riding approach this event. Click here for the full story.

If you want to hear my interview about the ride on the WGVU Morning Show click here or on the link to the left.

JDRF Ride on the Radio

Tune in Tuesday morning to the WGVU-FM Morning Show with Shelly Irwin. I will be talking about the JDRF ride in Death Valley. Air time in 10:04 a.m., right after the news. 88.5 on your FM dial. If you happen to live near Lake Michigan you can pick up WGVU on 95.3 FM.

10 days until we leave for Death Valley!

Two weeks and counting

The Death Valley ride is getting very close. Our bikes leave by truck this Saturday and we leave by plane in two weeks. Then, on October 16, we will pedal 105 miles across some of the most starkly beautiful landscape in the United States. Sometimes it's hard to believe that we've been doing this for six years. I personally have ridden over 8,000 miles in that time. And every step of the way has been with one goal in mind - to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the years. We are close to our family goal of $12,000. We still need a little help, so if you would like to make a donation the easiest way to do it is by clicking on one of the links to the left. Thanks for helping us find a cure to this terrible disease.

Listen to the WGVU Morning Show on Tuesday, October 5. I will be interviewed about the ride sometime between 9 and 11 a.m. I'll post the exact time when we know it.

Apple Cider Century Photos

The group we started with: Tom, Stewart, Cindy, Mary, Brenda, Ian and Herb.

The Fat Tire Twins. It's hard to tell us apart, isn't it.

Ian, on his way to his first century.

Brenda and Herb at the second rest stop, right before they dropped us.

Mary, looking coy about 80 miles into the ride.

Team Scheidel at the finish line.

Apple Cider Century 2010

What a great day to ride. It was a cool, partly sunny, typical Michigan autumn day. The route was a little breezy, a little hilly and very different than previous years. The Apple Cider Century starts in Three Oaks near the Michigan/Indiana border. Normally we head north, skirt the shore of Lake Michigan and then do the last third of the ride through Indiana. This year we started by going south and almost 60 miles were in the Hoosier state. No big lake views at all this year. And quite a few more hills than any of us remember. This was our sixth ACC and we had a great time. We saw and/or rode with several of our JDRF team mates. Normally we ride with our friends the Hayes from Chicago, but they had other plans with their daughter so it was Team Scheidel on the road. We ended up being the last of the large JDRF group to roll in. But when we did roll in, just under 10 hours from when we started, we had completed the full 100 mile century. It was Ian's first century ride. He is now officially ready to go tackle the century in Death Valley in just under three weeks.

We'll post some pictures later on this week. Good job Ian. Great training and great ride today.

Ride Team on Fox-17

Great coverage from WXMI Fox-17 last night. They did a live interview with me at about 6:15 p.m. and then ran taped interviews of Tom Miller and Katie Clark at 6:40 p.m. During the 10:00 p.m. newscast they ran another different piece that featured clips by all three of us. Plus they had footage of our team riding on the White Pine Trail and even some footage from the documentary "More Than 100 Miles". Here are the two clips from the 6:00 news.

 

 

All the News That Fits

Lots to report on so let's get started.

Yesterday I rode into downtown Grand Rapids. That's a pleasant and flat ride since most of it follows the Grand River. On a Sunday evening there isn't much city car traffic so it was a good 23 mile ride. There was all kinds of activity going on downtown with people setting up for ArtPrize. It looks like the parking lot of the B.O.B. is again going to be a happening place. See the SteamPig!

Tuesday night the West Michigan Ride Team will be featured on the TV17 newscasts. We will be on LIVE during the 6:00 p.m. newscast. During the 10:00 show TV17 will feature interviews with some of our riders. Approximate times for the live shots are 6:15 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. on WXMI-TV. That's our local Fox affiliate.

Sunday, September 26 we will be riding in the Apple Cider Century down in Three Oaks. Lots of our team mates and at least some of the Hayes from Chicago will be joining us. The Apple Cider is always a great ride. Our plan is to get Ian his first century!

Monday, September 27 is Dogs for Dollars night at the Corner Bar in Rockford. 15% of the proceeds of all food served between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. next Monday will be donated to the Ride to Cure Diabetes. So come on up to Rockford, have a hot dog and help cure diabetes.

And finally, we leave for Death Valley in 24 days.

7500

Seven thousand five hundred miles. That's how many miles I've put on my Cannondale road bike since I purchased it shortly before the Death Valley ride in 2005. That works out to about 1,500 miles a year. The most recent 40 took place yesterday when we rode out to my parent's house north of Lowell. It was a great day to ride. Mild temperatures, sunny skies and not enough wind to talk about. We turned the route into a loop instead of a straight out and back. We basically headed east on Cannonsburg Road to Lincoln Lake Road (with a couple of unintentional detours to add extra mileage). After a visit with my parents (Happy Birthday Mom) we continued south on Lincoln Lake to Bailey Road. We rode that to Pettis and then headed north-ish to Knapp. We crossed the river on Knapp and then turned north on Grand River Avenue. Turning right, which was north (twisty roads), on Northland Drive brought us back into our neighborhood. I noticed that I was 4 tenths of a mile short of 7,500, so I did one lap around our block to roll over to that magic number.

To put 7,500 miles in perspective that like riding from New York to California and back and then riding to St. Louis. 7,500 is also the approximate number of times Jake has poked his finger to test his blood sugar in the last five years. So with every mile I pedal I can think "That's one more finger poke". I long for the day when I'll be able to ride my bike just to ride my bike. But for now every mile is a reminder of what my son has gone through for the past 13 years. I'm not even counting the insulin pump site changes, injections, doctor's visits and other things he's had to endure, just to stay alive.

7,500 is a great milestone. But it's also a great reminder of why we started on this journey in the first place. And why we'll continue to work until a cure is found.

Dogs For Dollars

You can help our cause and have a great dinner all at the same time. On September 27th from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. we will be hosting Dogs For Dollars at the Corner Bar in Rockford, Michigan. The good folks at the Corner will donate 15% of all food sales that night to our ride team. All you have to do is come up to Rockford and eat some hot dogs (or other tasty treats). It would help if you printed this flyer and brought it along. No worries if you can't print it, we'll have extras there.

So come on up for a great time. Meet members of the West Michigan Ride Team. Have some fantastic food. And help us beat Type 1 diabetes.

Death Valley Training

Yesterday we had the most Death Valley-like team ride ever. The temperature was in the mid-90s. The route was very hilly, with lots of long extended climbs, like DV. We actually had over 4,000 feet of climbing on the 75 mile route, which is very similar to the Death Valley ride. We also had a large portion of the team participating, between 25 and 30 people. All in all it was great training for what we'll be doing in 6 weeks.
Thanks to Paul and Kami Weninger for the use of their cottage as our base of operations. And thanks to Scott and Linda Poeder for designing the route.

Putting in the miles

Late this afternoon I got out for a ride and turned a conventional route into something a little more interesting. I started by heading north on the White Pine Trail. Nothing new there. My original plan was to just head up to Russell Road and then turn around and head home. But I was feeling good and I had time so I continued up to Indian Lakes Road...and turned left. Oooh, off the trail. Can you feel the excitement? I rode across the US-131 overpass and turned back south on Edgerton. This is a fun road. It flanks the highway but it twists and turns and has quite a few fun little hills. I got back to 12 Mile where I turned left again and then hooked up with the WPT for a very fast ride home. 25.5 miles in all, giving me 1,199 miles for this year. I probably should have added another half mile so I could have rolled over 1,200. Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

An average week

Not a big mileage week, only a shade over 50 miles. I rode to the Whitecaps ballpark and back on Thursday afternoon. Today Mary, Ian and I rode out to my sister's house in Nunica for a family get together. Just a little 37 mile, fairly flat ride.
The impressive thing that happened over the weekend was my 17 year old nephew Michael completing the ODRAM (One Day ride Across Michigan) yesterday. He just got a road bike from VeloCity this summer and had a total of 300 miles on it before Saturday. Yesterday he rode 150 miles! Wow. Congratulations Michael and welcome to the ranks of the crazies.

Team Scheidel

Ian, Mary and Tom Scheidel just after Sunday's ride.

It was a great weekend for cycling. On Saturday Ian and I went out to Luton Park with the extended Williamson family. It was Ian's first trip out there. We had a lot of fun doing the Blue (2X), Green, Orange and Black loops. On Sunday Mary joined us and five other JDRF team members in Montague for a 31 mile, fairly hilly road bike ride. The weather both days was close to perfect; clear skies and warm temperatures.
Next Saturday, October 21 is the One Day Ride Across Michigan. The ODRAM is a benefit this year for JDRF. I'll be manning registration at Meinert Park in Montague at 6:00 a.m. Stop by and say "hi" on your way across the state.

Thank You!

Even though we still have two months until we head out to Death Valley for the JDRF Ride for a Cure I wanted to take a moment and thank all those who have donated so far. Every donation is very important to us. Every dollar raised puts us a little bit closer to finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes. So if you name is on this non-alphabetical list we thank you for your support.

Kim Summers
Peggy Essenberg
JD Stone
Joe and Mary Powell
Peter Orlick
David Darling
Pam Hanson
Barb Porter
June Hennip
Bill and Ginger Young
Chris and Julie Radford
Brent and Jennifer Deuel
Paul and Brenda Schab
Brian Shane
Doug VanderJagt
Tim Holtkamp
Bill Cole
Joel Penny
Kim and Joan Mulder
Jacquelyn McCarty
Steve and Stacey Farr
Steve and Karen Salyer
Mark and Jane Longstreet
Lynn Gallagher
Don and Janet Rutgers
Dennis and Kim Moline
Tim and Colleen Colleran
Chris and Paula Briggs
Michelle and Kevin Bassett
Mary Ellen Koziol
Mike and Jean Oele
Henry and Mary Jane Wieten
Connie and Jim Hennip
Janet and John Chambers
Leo Isaguirre
James and Shirley Musial
Lori Caldwell
Paul and Kristin Buth
John and Liz Sinkevics
James Osborne
Joshua and Amy Duggan
Priscilla Hansma
Subterranean Sound
X-Cel Chemical Specialties Company
Smiley Family Dentistry
Stonecrest Productions
TruVue Inc.
Natural Landscape Services
West Side Distributing

Thanks to these generous donors we have raised over $9,000. We still have $3,000 to go to meet our family goal. Thank you once again.

Wine Wednesday

Wednesday night was one of the best nights of the summer. What started out as a few people going out for a short ride and then sharing a glass of wine afterward ballooned into one of our better team rides of the year. We ended up with 15 people from the JDRF West Michigan Ride Team at our house at 7:00 last night. We proceeded to do a really nice 18 mile loop. Some hills, but nothing too drastic. We finished with a great descent down 7 Mile hill. Several people hit over 40 mph. The top speed demon was Coach Derek with just a shade over 45 mph. I believe he exceeded the posted speed limit!
After the ride we retired to the patio where there were many wonderful snacks and a plethora of wine. We finished 5 bottles and all the food. No surprise there. We also swapped stories about the Death Valley ride. We've got a few "Death Valley virgins" on the team this year. Some are a bit apprehensive, but we know they'll do fine.
It was a great night and one we will have to repeat soon.

1000

Tonight Mary and I rode the White Pine Trail through Rockford up to Russell Road and back. 20 miles of a nice, but uneventful ride. Except that I rolled over a milestone tonight. I have now ridden over 1000 miles this season. Compared to the people on our team who have ridden a century ride every month or ride 200-300 miles a week this doesn't seem like a great accomplishment. But 1000 miles is a lot of miles any way you look at it. And we still have 10 weeks until the Death Valley ride, so I'll have the opportunity to add hundreds of miles to that total.

Team Ride Goodness

Sunday was a beautiful, if warm and muggy, day. We did a team ride starting in Wayland heading out past the Yankee Springs area and then looping back to the start. Sounds easy enough, except several of the roads we're poorly marked and we ended up getting off route quite a bit. Who's kidding who here, we were almost never "on" route except for the first 10 miles and the last 10 miles. In all we rode 52 miles in the rolling hills and chip sealed pavement. This was the first ride in a while that Mary, Ian and I all participated in. It was actually Ian's first ride since the Holland Hundred. He's been busy with Band Camp and Soccer Camp since then. For me the first 10 miles were a little rough, still feeling the effects of my crash earlier in the week. But once I got warmed up everything was fine. That ride gave me just over 100 miles total for this week.

10 weeks until we saddle up in Death Valley.

On the lighter side

From the comic "In the Bleachers" by Steve Moore.

A Cautionary Tale

Today, Jeff Hill and I went out for a lunch time ride. We decided to ride Kent Trails, leaving from the new trail head off Butterworth and heading toward Millennium Park. Now we understood that Kent Trails is a multi-use trail. We saw walkers, cyclists, mountain bikers and dog walkers. About two miles down the trail is where the story becomes "interesting". There was a family, mom and two kids about 8 or 10 years old, walking toward us on their left side of the trail. Since we were riding on our right side we were coming face to face with them. So as we approached Jeff and I moved to our left so we could pass by safely. Just as we were side by side with them the little boy turned and ran across the trail. Right in front of me! I had literally no time to stop or even swerve. The right side of my handlebars hit him in the back and knocked him to the ground. I went flying off my bike to the left, landing mostly on my left hip judging from the road rash there.
If our coach Mike Clark was telling this story this is where the cautionary part would come in. "That's why I don't ride on bike trails. You never know what people are going to do." Mike has a point, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here. When I fell I could feel my knee hit the pavement, then my hip, then my shoulder and then my head. Except it wasn't my head that hit the trail - it was my helmet! It was my first experience in a fall where my helmet actually made contact with the ground. I'm here to say that my red Bike helmet kept my noggin safe today and I am grateful. It was a bizarre experience to feel the pavement digging in to my skin as I skidded to a stop, but to have my head beautifully cushioned. I like my head. I'm really glad it's okay.
So the moral of this little tale? Always wear your helmet. Whether you're on the road, riding through the neighborhood, or on a "safe" multi-use trail. I can't say that the helmet saved my life today, but I do know I wouldn't be writing this right now if I hadn't been wearing a helmet.
Ride On. Ride Safe.

P.S. The little boy was fine. Shook up by the experience, but walked away under his own power.

Good news

This past week wasn't a great one for riding, but it was great for fundraising.
First the bike news. I only got 25 miles in. 16 on Tuesday night with Mary. We rode up to Rockford via the White Pine Trail. Then on Sunday morning I put in 9 miles on the mountain bike. Along with 7 other JDRF team members we attacked Luton Park. But from the bumps, bruises, cuts and falls I'd say Luton fought back pretty well. Nothing serious and it was an absolutely fabulous morning to ride.
In fundraising news we passed a major threshold. We have now raised over $8,500. That means two of the three Scheidels are paid up to go to Death Valley. We just need $3,500 more to send the last one. We have until we leave in October to raise the money so we aren't worried. Still, if you haven't donated yet, don't delay. Just click on one of the "Donate to..." links on the left.
And thanks for your support.

Best Week Ever (at least this year)

I put in 142 miles on the bike this week. Starting on Tuesday with a ride into downtown Grand Rapids and then 20 miles in GR and then home. That was 43 miles. Thursday brought 8 miles on the mountain bike out at Luton Park. Saturday was the Holland Hundred which was the Holland 69 for me. Capped off the week with a team ride of 22 miles in the Muskegon area.

Tom and Ian halfway thru their second metric century of the summer.

The Holland Hundred was a great ride this year. The weather was warm and windy, but not as warm and windy as Death Valley, so we felt good. There were a lot of our JDRF team mates out on the route. There was a group that did the full hundred that left at 7:00 a.m. Our group doing the metric century left about 8:30. A few people split off at the halfway point and ended up riding a 52 mile route. Even with the different distances we kept seeing each other at rest stops, along the route and at the finish line.

The Pink Peloton rolls south of Muskegon.

We were not expecting a great turnout for the Sunday team ride because of all the miles ridden on Saturday. But as the above photo shows a good chunk of the team made it up to Muskegon to do a short, flat, stretch out the legs ride. The short route was 22 miles with an option to do 40. But a large storm blew in off Lake Michigan, so the long option was discarded as we hauled back to the starting point before the rain hit. We would have made it if not for the flat I suffered about 3 miles before the end. Right after I got it changed the skies opened up and I started having flashbacks to Killington. Very similar weather, except it was about 20 degrees warmer.

We head back to Death Valley in just a shade under 3 months.

There's Something About Thursday

Tonight was another great Thursday night ride. It seems like all summer long, every Thursday evening ride has been excellent and memorable. Tonight was no exception. Tom Miller and I left the road bikes in the garage and headed to Luton Park near Rockford for some trail riding. Today was a hot, humid and cloudy day in west Michigan. But at about 5:00 a breeze came up, blew away the clouds and dropped the humidity. This provided for excellent riding conditions. Apparently several other people thought so as well. The parking area at Luton was packed. Tom and I did the main Blue loop twice, the easy Green loop once, the significantly harder Orange loop once and the crazy Black loop once. In total we road about 8 fun filled miles.
I've ridden my road bike past Luton Park several times, always thinking that I should come back on my ancient mountain bike and give the trails a try. Seriously, I have a Raliegh M50. It's the biggest mountain bike Raliegh made, it has no suspension and it's at least 20 years old. And I had a blast riding it. Although I have to admit, every time I ride the Raliegh I really appreciate how smooth my Cannondale is.

Team Ride Video

We had a great ride last Saturday and here's the proof.

Saturday team ride

We had an excellent team ride on Saturday. 21 of us got away from the holiday weekend barbecue long enough to get in a ride around the Holland area. Depending on time constraints (which there were understandably a lot of) people did somewhere between 38 and 46 miles. Ian and I ended up with a shade over 39 miles. We finished in time to get to New Holland and watch the World Cup match. With Ian, bike riding is a definite second place to soccer.
I also shot some video on the ride. Watch for edited version coming soon.

Thursday's the night

This is the third Thursday evening in a row that I've been out for a ride. And the third Thursday in a row that it's been glorious. Maybe there is just something about Thursday evening. Tonight I rode toward the JDRF office as Mary was riding her bike home from there. We met up on Grand River Avenue. Rather than just turning around (for me, Mary could have kept going straight) we decided to tool around the new little park on Grand River. There is an extensive paved nature trail that we zipped along on. We also climbed to the top of an old silo that has been converted into a lookout tower. We then headed home via the curvy, relatively quiet street. We eventually merged onto Northland Drive, right near Plainfield. That last mile before we turned into our neighborhood was a bit harrowing. Cars going too fast and getting too close. But we survived and I logged just over 20 miles.
One small technical issue. At one point as I was riding down Pettis my bike computer suddenly said I was doing 0.0 miles per hour. I was pretty sure I was going quite a bit faster than that. A quick check of the hardware revealed that the sensor on my front wheel had come loose and slid out of position. A quick re-tightening and I was once again blazing along.

Riding around the lake

So apparently it was a pretty stormy day in southwest Michigan today. We were at our friend's Susan and Elvin's cottage on Lake Paw Paw. We got a little rain around noon and a great light show, but it was all over in about an hour. It seems that the big mass of the storm went north and south of us. Which meant we went out for two rides. 13 miles in a counterclockwise direction around the lake before the storm. Then 11 miles in a clockwise direction after the rain. We're still not sure why it was shorter in one direction than the other. It probably has something to do with Daylight Savings Time.

Happy Father's Day Ride

Today the JDRF team had a beautiful ride. We started at Townsend Park and rode into Rockford. We then went up Summit hill and took 13 mile out to Wabasis Lake before heading down Ramsdell and past Pickeral Lake before returning to the park.

Coach Mike and Kathy in downtown Rockford

The ride was 35 miles. Ian and I completed the full loop. Mary did a shorter route of 22 miles as she needed to go to the Detroit Airport to pick up Colleen. Colleen was returned from three weeks in Mexico. So now the family is all back in Rockford.

Ian and Mary about 12 miles into today's ride.

It's great riding with our team and getting ready for the big JDRF ride this October in Death Valley. All the funds raised help to find a cure for diabetes. Thank you for your support.

The JDRF West Michigan Team on the road

Great night for a ride

Yesterday evening I had to go to Muskegon for business. We have several team mates who live on the lakeshore. So I got a hold of Amy and Melanie and after my meeting got done we went for a ride. We left Norton Shores and headed south toward Grand Haven. We rode by Hoffmaster State Park and along Lake Michigan. It was an absolutely gorgeous night. The temperature had cooled off, there was no wind and the sun setting over the lake was beautiful. We rode a shade over 25 miles and we had a great time trying to keep pace with Melanie.

After the ride we had an impromptu beer tasting on Amy's deck. We picked up an assorted 6 pack at a little party store near her house and had great fun rating the different beers. Winner's were Anchor Summer Ale (my favorite) and a Belgium Blond Ale (Amy and Mel's fav),

White Pine Trail Update 2

Yesterday I went out for a short afternoon ride and started by heading north on the White Pine Trail to see how badly the Memorial Day storms had damaged it. The trail is closed by barricades from about one mile north of Belmont to House St. The damage is in three sections about a half mile south of House. The trail has been undercut and washed away on the downhill side. Snow fence and hay bales have been erected to move trail users who ignore the barricades (that would be me) off the trail and into the dirt on the uphill side of the trail.

This is not going to be a quick fix. The DNR cannot just resurface the trail, the actual hillside must be rebuilt. And it's washed out, as in the above photo, in three separate locations. The Powers That be know about it but so far there is no timetable for the repair. This section of the trail will probably be closed most of the summer.
In other news I completed 18 miles yesterday on a beautiful, if slightly windy day. That gives me 468 miles for the season so far. Kind of paltry when compared to some of my team mates who have been doing a century every month. But I still consider it early, since we don't do the Death Valley Ride until October.

100 Grand

Our friends from Chicago, Elvin and his son Eddie, joined Ian and I for the Rapid Wheelman's 100 Grand Ride today. The ride leaves from the west side of Grand Rapids and travels in a big loop out into Ottawa County. We all did the 65 mile loop, which was actually closer to 67, but who's counting. The route was wonderful, taking us through the little hamlets of Lamont and Conklin. [Unfortunately Fenien's Irish Pub doesn't open until noon and we went by there at about 10:30.] At the 45 mile rest stop they were serving pulled pork sandwiches along with the usual ride goodies like bananas, chips and gorp. There was also a bluegrass trio playing live music for us. That was very nice. Ian did great, this was his longest ride ever. Up until today the most he'd ever done was 29 miles at our first team ride. He did hit a little bit of a wall at 50 miles, but he pushed through and finished the ride. So three months after starting training he's completed his first metric century. The kid is tough and he doesn't turn 15 until Tuesday.

White Pine Trail Update

Up here in the Rockford area we had a lot of rain yesterday. A LOT of rain. There was a small lake in our backyard. There are several dirt road wash outs and a couple of parking lot driveways that had asphalt stripped away. I was going to ride yesterday, but decided to wait out the storms and ended up going out late this afternoon. My intended route was to head north on the White Pine Trail through Rockford and up to 15 mile. I was then going to do a country road loop and head home with a 20 miler under my wheels. Things didn't turn out that way.

About one mile north of the Belmont trail head there was a large washout that sent part of a hillside and several trees over the trail. A member of the Friends of the WPT was there taking pictures. He said there were two more washouts farther north, one of which had actually cut away part of the trail. He was concerned that there was too much work for the volunteer group to handle and that fixing the trail may be a state job. However considering the lack of money the state has right now he wasn't optimistic about the trail being repaired. I didn't see the other damaged areas. The first one makes road bike travel difficult. You have to slog across 30 feet of mud and water with several downed trees mixed in. The trail volunteer made the other problem areas sound worse. I'll take a ride around the damaged areas later in the week and make a report.

I did get my 20 miler in. I just went south on the WPT instead. I rode all the way to Riverside Park and back. A pretty interesting afternoon on the bike.

Three days, three very different rides

Let's begin with Thursday. It was a beautiful warm spring day. I had an evening event to attend so I jumped on my bike after lunch and knocked out a quick 13 miles up to Rockford and back. Then on Friday Ian and I planned on attending our teammate Sarah Andro's JDRF fundraiser at Grand River Grocery. We were going to ride to Ada, do the fund raising ride and then ride home. It would have been 35 miles. However it rained most of the day, so we got a car ride down to Ada when the rain stopped. Then we started the fund raising ride and the rain returned. It was quite reminiscent of last year's Killington ride. Very hard rain, but luckily about 10 degrees warmer. We ended up only doing 10 miles. After the ride we had some good food (and I had a tasty Magic Hat Wacko) as we tried to get dry in the event tent. Best of all our teammate Chris Radford gave us a ride home.
On Sunday we had an official JDRF team ride that left from our house. We did a large loop the crossed the Rouge River 3 times, went around Meyers Lake and past Pickeral Lake, and through Townsend Park. There were 20 folks in attendance and we did the 40 mile route in 85 degree heat. Well, actually only 7 of us did the full route. Mary and about half the group took the 26 mile short cut down the White Pine Trail. A few more cut off the last loop that took us down Egypt Valley and Pettis to avoid the last few really big hills. The entire route was quite hilly with almost 1000 feet of climbing. Just getting us ready for Death Valley in October. And that makes over 60 miles in the saddle this week for me.

Separate but equal

Mary and I ended up at separate rides today. She went on the team ride in Grand Haven and I took Ian to his soccer game and then went on a solo ride.
Mary's ride was 37 miles in very windy conditions out near Lake Michigan. She rode with about 25 members of the West Michigan Ride Team. It was her first ride in a couple of weeks because she's been so busy at the cake shop. (www.iloveConniesCakes.com)
After we got back from Ian's game I went out to check out the second half of the route for the team ride we'll be hosting next week. I put in 27 very hilly miles. Some of the hills were caused by backtracking when my original route turned into a dirt road. Still our team is in for quite a bit of climbing next week.
Oh, and Ian won his soccer game 2-1.

Connie's Cakes

A little over a month ago Mary purchased her aunt's cake shop Connie's Cakes -n- Crafts. The shop has been around for 15 years. Mary's aunt wanted to retire and Mary wanted to own a business, soooo...
Mary has has dropped the "-n- Crafts" part of the name and has developed a whole new image for the shop. She's been busy getting to know the business and I've been helping her develop a web site. Today the web site has gone live. Here's the link. Check it out and then pop over to FaceBook and let us know what you think.

A perfect ride day

Another great day for riding in West Michigan. This has been a fantastic spring. Warm. Sunny. Just down right pleasant. Ian and I took a little jaunt today when he got home from school. We went north on Post Road to Pine Island and then back east on House. This is a great twisty, rolling hills kind of road. We jogged back west at 10 Mile to Jewell which turns into 11 Mile which turns into Edgerton before it crosses 12 Mile. More twisty turny hilly fun. Then the easy part, 12 Mile east to the White Pine Trail to home. A 20 mile round trip. It will also the first half of our team ride route on May 23rd. I now have to get out and figure out the second half of the route.

Friday Ride

Several of my JDRF ride buddies decided to take yesterday off from work and do a century ride. Cindy, Linda TP, Brenda and Trike Mike (on a two wheel bike) started on the Musketawa Trail at 7:00 a.m. New rider Kisten joined them for that leg of the ride. Kirsten turned around when the group headed down 6 Mile bound for the White Pine Trail. I joined the group near Belmont, when they already had over 35 miles under the tires. We rode the WPT almost all the way to Sand Lake before turning around. There was a bit of a head wind to fight and since I wasn't going the full 100 with them I was elected to ride the lead as a wind block. I was only too happy to oblige.
We stopped at the Corner Bar in Rockford for lunch. After a lovely, quick meal it was back on the bikes for just a few more miles for me. The Fearsome Foursome however had to ride all the back to Marne. They did end up completing their century and I finished with 40 miles. This is the only group I know of that would call me a slacker for riding only 40 miles. :)

A nice afternoon ride

I got out on the bike for a solo training ride this afternoon. I started by heading up 7 Mile hill. It's a pretty tough climb and only one mile from the start, so you're not really warmed up yet when you hit it. But you are certainly warm by the top of the hill. I then rode north on Blakely to Kies. East on Kies to Meyers Lake Rd and then south to 9 Mile. That took me back to Blakely and then back down 7 Mile hill. It's a whole lot more fun going down and about 30 MPH faster. In all it was a 15 mile loop in about an hour. Lots of hill climbing which is really good at this point in the season.

In other news, Jake's Music Festival this past Saturday was a big success. We had more people in attendance, more sponsorship money and more donations than ever before. If you'd like to see some photos from the event click here.

Jake's Music Festival is this Saturday!

Jake's Music Festival takes place this Saturday at the Wealthy Theatre. We'll have some of the best local musicians performing from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. There's also going to be a silent auction, adult beverages on tap, and free cake samples. So come on over for a great time. A full line-up and more info can be found on our other blog. Just click here.

First Team Ride

What a great day to be out on the bike. Today was our first JDRF West Michigan team ride of the season. We had about 25 team members there and rode 29 miles. We started in Grandville and then headed south through Jamestown and Burnips before turning east and then riding north to complete the loop. There were quite a few hills to negotiate but the weather made for a good time regardless.

Ian did a fantastic job. He pulled away from his Mom easily and finally dropped me about 25 miles in. He ended up finishing with the leaders. Must be all that soccer building up strong legs and good wind. He is going to do great in Death Valley.

Welcome to April

The weather has now turned more traditional April-ish (50s and rain) but the first few days were beautiful. I got some miles in and also got a bike for Ian. Well, it's just a loaner from Coach Mike until May, but it will help him get used to riding a road bike. By the way Mike, thanks for loaning him a bike that puts mine to shame. You are spoiling my kid!

We got Ian all kitted up; new bike shorts, a 2005 vintage red and yellow JDRF jersey,matching socks, my old Shimano shoes and some cool shades. With his red helmet he looked great on the orange, red and yellow Cannondale from Mike. We rode 16 miles on the White Pine Trail. I wanted a nice easy ride for his first time on a road bike. Ian couldn't get over how easy it was to pedal and how responsive the handling was. Way different than his too small hand-me-down mountain bike. He will be looking good for our first team ride this Sunday. By the way, if you'd like to donate to the little guy click on the link to the left or right here.

In like a lamb, Out like a summer day

Hard to believe today was the last day of March. It was sunny with temperatures in the mid 70's. In other words, nicer weather than most of last summer. Now we all know that Michigan weather can be a bit . . . unpredictable. No one who has lived in this state for more than a year would be surprised to see snow next week. So when the weather turns this beautiful, regardless of the month, you just gotta hop on your bike and go!
I went out today. Just a little jaunt north on the White Pine Trail and back. 22 miles round trip. I felt so good on the way out. I was surprised I was riding so well so early in the season. The reason was that I had a tail wind, as I found out when I turned around and started to head home. 20 MPH gusts straight out of the south. Luckily a large percentage of the WPT is tree lined and that helped knock down the wind. However in those areas where I was riding past farm fields my average speed was drastically reduced.
It's supposed to be nice for the next several days, so I'll have to get out again. Who wants to go with?

National Ride Video

After seeing the "More Than 100 Miles" documentary the folks at the national JDRF office were very pleased. In fact they contacted me about re-editing the footage to create a 2010 Ride marketing video. After several months of meetings, scriptwriting, shooting additional footage and editing, the final product was finally unveiled this weekend. This new marketing video will be sent to every JDRF chapter around the country and used to recruit riders for the 2010 season. We are all very pleased with how it turned out and we hope you will enjoy it as well.

Gotta Love the Weather

We have been having amazing weather for this early in March. Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 40s to low 50s. That's almost shorts weather in Michigan! It's a great time to get some outdoor riding in. But not on the road bikes. There is too much dirt, salt, water, mud and even snow still on the roads to travel via skinny tire. So it's been mountain bike time. Yesterday I took Ian out for a short 6 mile ride, trying to get him ready for the JDRF season. He did great, even on a couple of pretty serious hills we climbed. It will be interesting with three of us in the house training for the October Death Valley ride. We should always have a riding partner. I can hardly wait for a nice spring rain to clean the roads so we can get the fast bikes out.

First team ride is April 11.

Back to Death Valley

Last year we decided that after four JDRF rides in Death Valley it was time to try something new. So we headed out to the brand new Juvenile Diabetes ride in Killington, Vermont. And it was something new. It was cold and rainy, the very opposite of what we experience in Death Valley. So in October it's back to the Valley for the West Michigan team.

Tom and Mary in Death Valley in 2008. Inset is Ian, 14 years old.

This year we have a brand new rider, our 14 year old son Ian. Ian's brother Jake was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1997 when Ian was only 2 years old. Ian has never known a time when his big brother hasn't had diabetes. Ian not only wants to help Jake, he is also very motivated by the physical challenge of riding 105 miles in Death Valley.

Our family goal this year is $4,000 each, which is a total of $12,000. That money will go a long way to help find a cure for diabetes. If you'd like to contribute you can click on one of the "Donate to..." links on the left. Or to donate to Tom click here. To donate to Mary click here. Or to donate to Ian click here. Thank you very much for your support.

GR Bike Film Fest Update

The documentary will be shown this Saturday, February 13, at the Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival. The Wealthy Theatre will be using two different screening areas to show films. A 10 minute excerpt version of the documentary will show in the main theatre. The full documentary will be showing in the Koning Micro Cinema. The evening session starts at 6:30 and runs until 10:00.

West Michigan JDRF Coach Mike Clark says "Allow me to put in a plug for this event. It was a blast last year and there's no reason to expect otherwise this time 'round. A nice "gathering of the clan" if you will and some fun flicks. Lin and I will be in attendance and hope to see you there!"

For more info click here.

Jake's Music Festival 2010

If you read this blog then you are among the first to know. We have breaking news about Jake's Music Festival, our benefit concert that is a major fundraiser for our JDRF ride. Over the past five years the Festival has been held in the late summer/early fall. This year we are moving up to the spring. April 17th to be exact. Details and bands are still be worked out, but mark your calendar now for the music event of the year.

Jake's Music Festival
April 17, 2010
Wealthy Theatre, Grand Rapids, MI
Band line-up to be announced soon.

Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival

We just got word that the Grand Rapids Bicycle Film Festival will be held on February 13th and that "More Than 100 Miles" will be one of the featured films. The event takes place at Wealthy Theatre and is a fund raiser Western chapter of the MMBA. So if you haven't had a chance to see the film yet, or would like to see it again on the big screen join us on Saturday, February 13th. There will be other bicycle related films showing as well.