November 10 at noon -- Bike Masters in OmahaWe're about a month out, and things are coming together quite nicely. Prizes from very generous sponsors are on the way, and I gotta say they're very, very cool. So cool, in fact, I wish I could win 'em. I won't say what they are, exactly, but notice the addition of Twin Six and Ergon as sponsors on the right. You're gonna like what you see. And thanks to
Mr. 24 and the T6 boys.
And, obviously, the site has been prettied up a bit. I must thank
Mallie for that, because without her work (for free, no less), things would still be quite white and quite boring. So, many thanks to her. Plus, she scored some stuff from Bad Lasses, which is a pretty cool company for the ladies.
Local shops have also been kind to us, so check them out, too. They'll be tossing stuff onto the prize pile, as well.
Here are some answers to a few questions I've seen:
What's this gonna cost me?Whatever you spend on the items on the list, that's it. There's no entry fee. The items will cost between 10 and 20 bucks, probably.
Can I use a BOB trailer?Sure, go nuts. I'll give you a time bonus if you use it to bring back an actual turkey.
What if I want to ride a singlespeed or a fixie?Good for you. We'll have four categories: ss/fixie men, ss/fixie women, geared men, geared women. And yes, there will be prizes for winners in each category.
Prizes? Like the Twin Six stuff?Yeah, but that stuff will be won in a drawing. Everybody will get a fair, though random, shot at the goods.
And if it's cold?Dress warm.
No, really cold!Dress warmer.
What are we going to do afterward?Hang out, give out prizes and eat. We'll have two or three kinds of soup and probably some sloppy joes. You're welcome to bring food to share with the masses as well. Just shoot me an email -- bredemske at hotmail dot com to let me know.
Can I donate something if I can't make the ride?Sure -- send me an email and we'll talk about it.
How will this whole thing work?You'll check in, preferably around 11:30 so we can get you signed in, then at about 11:50 you'll get your shopping list. At noon, you'll hop on your bike and ride. Whenever you get back, you'll check in and weigh your bag. After that, you're done. Grab some food. When everybody's back, we'll draw for prizes. Do feel free to hang out, too. Bike Masters has been kind enough to host us, so check their stuff out.
I think that's it -- email or post a comment if you have other questions. I'll try to get 'em answered pronto. And thanks for being a part of what could be a pretty cool event.
We delivered 820 pounds of food and supplies to the Omaha Food Bank in our first Cranksgiving. It was a stressful, but rewarding, experience and I can't wait to do it again. Thank you for supporting our efforts. We helped a lot of people in just a few hours -- and our contributions were appreciated.
Giving instructions -- we had 43 riders and 8 volunteers beside Chris and I. We had near-perfect numbers and near-perfect weather, with the only complaint being a stiff SE wind.
The LeMans start is underway. That's Eric Brunt out to a lead he never relinquished. And he was on a single-speed.
Some riders ran up the hill with their bikes, others went out through the parking lot.
Brady Murphy, left, checking in. Mike Munson is in the background. Munson had an advantage of sorts -- he went with me on a pre-race test about a month ago. He must have soaked up a few secrets.
From left, Brandon, Rod and Janna checking in a rider.
Our smallest volunteer enjoyed the soup cans the most.
Ryan and Roxy checking in with their loaded BOB trailer bag.
Sean Kennedy has nice technique.
The SS men's winners -- Eric Brunt in gold, Rafal Doloto in silver and Dale Rabideau in bronze.
Women's geared winners -- we had no SS riders -- Suzanne Wilson in gold (she was third overall), Stephanie Vandermeulen in silver and Julie Harris in bronze.
Men's geared -- Marco Vasquez in gold, Kevin Murray in silver and Mike Munson in bronze.
This is either Andres or Camilo Torres. He got a new Crumpler backpack to replace the flimsy little drawstring bag he used. Let me know which one of you it is, guys.
Bob Brindamour pulled his son Ben in a Burley. Each had their own bags of stuff. Bob got a Snickers cheesecake made by my mom for having the heaviest load.
Joe Savoie had a 25-pound bag of flour on his bars. It broke. He -- and his bike -- were covered.
Volunteers loading up the food. We had a LOT of it -- more than 700 pounds' worth.
Nicol Woody giving the high-wheeler a shot. It was a bit too big for her, though.
Well, mostly finalized. I have some minor stuff to deal with, but we're ready to go.
Green is good. Ergon green is better.