1,263 pounds! (updated)

Hey, I just got an email from Heather at the Food Bank. Our final number was 1,263 pounds of food and supplies. After filling up the big blue barrels the Food Bank provided, Bike Masters had to get a few boxes out to carry the rest to to the van. That's pretty awesome.

I should mention our overall winner, Lucas Marshall (center, with third-place finisher Rafal Dotolo on the right). He was at the first stop before some people left the parking lot, and ended up ditching last year's winner, Eric Brunt, in the Kum & Go parking lot after Brunt flatted less than five minutes into the race. Ouch. Lucas wrote about his race here, and has photos here.

Jennifer Limpach (center) was the women's winner, followed by Lisa Vignolo (right).

The single-speed/fixed winner was Mike Douglas (right), followed by Stephen Osberg.

And, finally, there's the story of trailer-class winner Mark Stursma. He pulled more than 200 pounds, and got all of the goods in the door with only a few seconds to spare (trailers had a 3-hour time limit). For his efforts, he took home a Heath bar cheesecake made by my mom.

We owe quite a bit of thanks to the riders, volunteers and sponosors who made this a success. The weather (wind chill in the 20s) no doubt kept a few riders away, but to be able to donate 1,263 pounds to the Food Bank is always a good thing.

Results: (apologies for butchered names)

Geared men
1. Lucas Marshall
2. David Randlemann
3. Rafal Dotolo

Geared women
1. Jennifer Limpach
2. Roxanne Abbott (but since she was gone, we stole her silver cassette)
3. Lisa Vignolo

SS/Fixed men
1. Mike Douglas
2. Stephen Osberg
3. Jon Hood

Trailer
1. Mark Stursma, 203.8 pounds
2. Jason Johanning, 60.9 pounds (and a case of Fat Tire. We thank you.)
3. Bob Brindamour, 59.7 pounds (and a kid in the trailer)

Video: here.

Next year: November 14, 2009. Mark it down right now.

First numbers

1,200 pounds this year, though it'll be confirmed by the Food Bank on Monday. Thank you to all who rode, donated and volunteered. Your efforts will make a big difference for those who need it most.

We'll have more pictures soon, plus the story of Mark Stursma, who pulled more than 200 pounds in his trailer. Yikes.

Weather watch

Well, it's gonna be chilly for Cranksgiving. That happens sometimes in November, huh?

If riding in the cold isn't your deal, please consider coming to Bike Masters anyway. While you won't be eligible for the golden crank, nobody will complain if you hop on your bike and ride the half-mile to Target at 132nd and Maple, buy everything and come back.

You'll still get soup. You'll still be eligible for a sponsor prize, and -- most importantly -- you'll still be helping the Food Bank.

And if even going to Target on a bike sounds horrible, go there in your car and bring us a couple of bags of canned soup, vegetables or pasta. Again -- helping the Food Bank is the most important part. The ride is just the bonus.

Cranksgiving week

The early forecast for Saturday says highs in the mid-30s, which is pretty chilly. But the sun is supposed to be out, it shouldn't be too bad. Dress accordingly and keep an eye on the forecast.

Tidbits:
--We got a big donation on Friday from WellBound Fitness and Health in the form of a stack of one-month memberships.

-- We're set for volunteers, but we may need help with soup. If you'd like to bring a batch or two of soup, let me know. I have the recipe, and I'll email it to you. On Saturday, we'll dump it into a big roaster and end up with a lot of soup for cold riders. bredemske at gmail dot com.