I was reading a cool article in Bicycle Times magazine about a guy who refurbished a 1984 Super LeTour 12.2 Road bike, complete with a black and white paint job and gold striping and embellishments. It is a sweeeet bike with hammered fenders and sports the owner's last name on it, as if it were the brand. Technically, it is his own brand.
I thought about how personal our bikes are to us. Last week at Tampa track, a young girl had just gotten a beautiful purple Intense 20" racing bike ... she looked thrilled when I asked if she'd pose for a pic. I had to send it to my purple loving kid in Hawaii. Together with Frankenbutt, they built an almost completely purple HH cruiser when she was in her teens. She loved showing it off!
Although I love my bike, it raises eyebrows from other riders. My bike has been customized for me and Frankenbutt is probably the only bike mechanic that would consider doing all the crazy things I've asked. The latest? Well, I needed my bar ends extensions to be more about what's comfortable for me. Most riders position the extensions tilted forward and slightly in. I wanted mine to be upright and bent into almost an "L" shape. After much discussion, Frankenbutt agreed. Of course, I needed them wrapped in red cushioning tape, which he obliged. Red is my favorite color and I feel better with bright red accents on my white frame bike.
So, I got an idea. I'd like to invite all of our Ride the Nation followers to email us (ridethenation@yahoo.com) a pic of you and your bike. Include a note with your first name, where you're from and a little something about your bike. We'll post it on our "Me 'n my bike" page. Show off your ride! I'll get a good shot of my bike and me and post it, too. Let's face it, for 4 and a half months, my bike and me will be almost inseparable ... I better show it some love now!
Speaking of "showing some love", I'm really pleased at the way people have embraced our ride and are helping us to meet our goals. Today, I emailed all the tracks we are planning to visit to let them know how they can build local publicity for their track via the story of our ride. Here's a response I got from our new friends at Hagerstown, MD BMX: "Hagerstown Bmx would be glad to have you! Call anytime, and we will do everything we can to help you in your adventure!!"
Thanks again to all our supporters, cheerleaders, idea givers and followers!
Below is our planned bike route. Hope to see you out on the BMX circuit!
Ride the Nation Bike Travel Plan
Weds, 4/20: Home to Tampa, FL Track, 28 miles;
Thurs, 4/21 and Fri, 4/22: ride towards Sarasota, FL Track, 68 miles
Fri, 4/22-Sun. 4/24: Sarasota, FL Track National
Mon. 4/25: Ride to Charlotte BMX track in Punta Gorda, FL, for Monday Practice, 50 miles
Tues, 4/26-Thurs, 4/28: Ride towards West Palm Beach, FL track (no tracks en route) 136 miles
Fri, 4/29: West Palm Beach, FL track Gator Nationals
Sat. 4/30, Sun 5/1 and Mon 5/2 - after race on Saturday, bike north 124 miles
Mon, 5/2: Stop @ Palm Bay, FL Track if they’re open
Tues. 5/3-Fri, 5/6: Ride towards Jacksonville, FL track, 209 miles (Jacksonville track said they‘ll open for us)
Sat. 5/7-Tues., 5/10: Ride towards Lexington, SC track, 290 miles (they practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
Weds, 5/11-Sun, 5/15: Ride towards Clemmons, NC track for Dixieland National, 185 miles
*Mon, 5/16-Thurs 5/19: Ride towards Richmond, VA track (practice on Thursdays), 224 miles
Fri, 5/20-Thurs, 5/26: Ride towards Pottstown, PA, 299 miles
Fri. 5/27-Sun. 5/29: Pottstown, PA track for Memorial Classic National
Mon.,5/30-Thurs., 6/2: R&R, Visit w/family and friends from NJ, local PR
Fri, 6/3-Weds. 6/7: Ride to Kingston, NY track; (Race Wednesdays), 183 miles
Thurs 6/9: Ride towards New Paltz, NY for "ride in/parade" with local riders and friends, 14 miles
Fri 6/9-Sun 6/11: New Paltz, NY track for Empire National
Mon, 6/12-Tues., 6/14: Ride towards Hershey, PA; stop at HOTEL on 6/14, (½ of 211 miles)
Weds., 6/15: The Beast's 13th Birthday
Thurs., 6/16-Sat., 6/18: ride towards Hershey, PA, (other ½ of 211 miles)
Sun 6/19: bmx day @ Hershey Park with Pottstown, PA and Hagerstown, MD riders invited
Mon 6/20-Sat. 6/25: stop@Gettysburg, PA historic area, 56 miles then Ride towards Hagerstown, MD, 32 miles
Sun 6/26: Hagerstown, MD track for Sunday race
Mon. 6/27-Weds. 6/29: Ride towards, Cumberland, MD, 91 miles
Thurs, 6/30: Cumberland, MD (Riverside) track for Thurs. Practice
Fri 7/1-Sat. 7/2: ride towards Johnstown, pa, 75 miles
Sun, 7/3: Johnstown, PA track for Sunday race
Mon 7/4: ride towards Westmoreland, PA, 64 miles
Tues, 7/5: Westmoreland track @ Apollo, PA (practice Tuesdays)
Weds 7/6-Thurs 7/7: Ride towards Pittsburgh, pa, 40 miles
Fri. 7/8-Sun 7/10: Pittsburgh, PA track for Stars N Stripes National
Mon 7/11-Weds, 7/13: Meet up and visit with Canadian friends
Thurs, 7/14-Sat. 7/16: Ride towards Butler, OH, 172 miles
Sun, 7/17-7/23: Neva at Ohio Dreams
Sun, 7/24-Thurs, 7/28: Ride towards Waterford, MI, 201 miles
Fri, 7/29-Sun 7/31: Waterford, MI track for Great Lakes National
Mon 8/1-Thurs, 8/4: Ride towards Gahanna, OH, 229 miles
Fri, 8/5: AMArrive @ NBL offices @ Gahanna, OH; Afternoon, ride towards London, OH
Sat, 8/6: Arrive @ London, OH Track for Saturday race, 38 miles
Sun, 8/7-Mon 8/8: Ride towards Dayton, OH, 49 miles
Tues, 8/9: Practice @ Dayton, OH track
Weds,8/10-Thurs 8/11: R&R
Fri, 8/12: Ride to Monroe, OH track for Friday race, 28 miles
Sat, 8/13-Tues, 8/16: Ride towards Columbus, IN, 106 miles
Weds, 8/17: arrive @ Columbus, IN track for Weds. Race
Thurs, 8/18-Weds, 8/31: Ride towards Louisville, KY, 75 miles
NOTE: 2 weeks of FLEX TIME TO ALLOW FOR SCHEDULE RE-ARRANGEMENTS, ETC
Thurs 9/1-Sun 9/4: Louisville, KY track for Grand National Championship
I thought about how personal our bikes are to us. Last week at Tampa track, a young girl had just gotten a beautiful purple Intense 20" racing bike ... she looked thrilled when I asked if she'd pose for a pic. I had to send it to my purple loving kid in Hawaii. Together with Frankenbutt, they built an almost completely purple HH cruiser when she was in her teens. She loved showing it off!
Although I love my bike, it raises eyebrows from other riders. My bike has been customized for me and Frankenbutt is probably the only bike mechanic that would consider doing all the crazy things I've asked. The latest? Well, I needed my bar ends extensions to be more about what's comfortable for me. Most riders position the extensions tilted forward and slightly in. I wanted mine to be upright and bent into almost an "L" shape. After much discussion, Frankenbutt agreed. Of course, I needed them wrapped in red cushioning tape, which he obliged. Red is my favorite color and I feel better with bright red accents on my white frame bike.
So, I got an idea. I'd like to invite all of our Ride the Nation followers to email us (ridethenation@yahoo.com) a pic of you and your bike. Include a note with your first name, where you're from and a little something about your bike. We'll post it on our "Me 'n my bike" page. Show off your ride! I'll get a good shot of my bike and me and post it, too. Let's face it, for 4 and a half months, my bike and me will be almost inseparable ... I better show it some love now!
Speaking of "showing some love", I'm really pleased at the way people have embraced our ride and are helping us to meet our goals. Today, I emailed all the tracks we are planning to visit to let them know how they can build local publicity for their track via the story of our ride. Here's a response I got from our new friends at Hagerstown, MD BMX: "Hagerstown Bmx would be glad to have you! Call anytime, and we will do everything we can to help you in your adventure!!"
Thanks again to all our supporters, cheerleaders, idea givers and followers!
Below is our planned bike route. Hope to see you out on the BMX circuit!
Ride the Nation Bike Travel Plan
Weds, 4/20: Home to Tampa, FL Track, 28 miles;
Thurs, 4/21 and Fri, 4/22: ride towards Sarasota, FL Track, 68 miles
Fri, 4/22-Sun. 4/24: Sarasota, FL Track National
Mon. 4/25: Ride to Charlotte BMX track in Punta Gorda, FL, for Monday Practice, 50 miles
Tues, 4/26-Thurs, 4/28: Ride towards West Palm Beach, FL track (no tracks en route) 136 miles
Fri, 4/29: West Palm Beach, FL track Gator Nationals
Sat. 4/30, Sun 5/1 and Mon 5/2 - after race on Saturday, bike north 124 miles
Mon, 5/2: Stop @ Palm Bay, FL Track if they’re open
Tues. 5/3-Fri, 5/6: Ride towards Jacksonville, FL track, 209 miles (Jacksonville track said they‘ll open for us)
Sat. 5/7-Tues., 5/10: Ride towards Lexington, SC track, 290 miles (they practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays)
Weds, 5/11-Sun, 5/15: Ride towards Clemmons, NC track for Dixieland National, 185 miles
*Mon, 5/16-Thurs 5/19: Ride towards Richmond, VA track (practice on Thursdays), 224 miles
Fri, 5/20-Thurs, 5/26: Ride towards Pottstown, PA, 299 miles
Fri. 5/27-Sun. 5/29: Pottstown, PA track for Memorial Classic National
Mon.,5/30-Thurs., 6/2: R&R, Visit w/family and friends from NJ, local PR
Fri, 6/3-Weds. 6/7: Ride to Kingston, NY track; (Race Wednesdays), 183 miles
Thurs 6/9: Ride towards New Paltz, NY for "ride in/parade" with local riders and friends, 14 miles
Fri 6/9-Sun 6/11: New Paltz, NY track for Empire National
Mon, 6/12-Tues., 6/14: Ride towards Hershey, PA; stop at HOTEL on 6/14, (½ of 211 miles)
Weds., 6/15: The Beast's 13th Birthday
Thurs., 6/16-Sat., 6/18: ride towards Hershey, PA, (other ½ of 211 miles)
Sun 6/19: bmx day @ Hershey Park with Pottstown, PA and Hagerstown, MD riders invited
Mon 6/20-Sat. 6/25: stop@Gettysburg, PA historic area, 56 miles then Ride towards Hagerstown, MD, 32 miles
Sun 6/26: Hagerstown, MD track for Sunday race
Mon. 6/27-Weds. 6/29: Ride towards, Cumberland, MD, 91 miles
Thurs, 6/30: Cumberland, MD (Riverside) track for Thurs. Practice
Fri 7/1-Sat. 7/2: ride towards Johnstown, pa, 75 miles
Sun, 7/3: Johnstown, PA track for Sunday race
Mon 7/4: ride towards Westmoreland, PA, 64 miles
Tues, 7/5: Westmoreland track @ Apollo, PA (practice Tuesdays)
Weds 7/6-Thurs 7/7: Ride towards Pittsburgh, pa, 40 miles
Fri. 7/8-Sun 7/10: Pittsburgh, PA track for Stars N Stripes National
Mon 7/11-Weds, 7/13: Meet up and visit with Canadian friends
Thurs, 7/14-Sat. 7/16: Ride towards Butler, OH, 172 miles
Sun, 7/17-7/23: Neva at Ohio Dreams
Sun, 7/24-Thurs, 7/28: Ride towards Waterford, MI, 201 miles
Fri, 7/29-Sun 7/31: Waterford, MI track for Great Lakes National
Mon 8/1-Thurs, 8/4: Ride towards Gahanna, OH, 229 miles
Fri, 8/5: AMArrive @ NBL offices @ Gahanna, OH; Afternoon, ride towards London, OH
Sat, 8/6: Arrive @ London, OH Track for Saturday race, 38 miles
Sun, 8/7-Mon 8/8: Ride towards Dayton, OH, 49 miles
Tues, 8/9: Practice @ Dayton, OH track
Weds,8/10-Thurs 8/11: R&R
Fri, 8/12: Ride to Monroe, OH track for Friday race, 28 miles
Sat, 8/13-Tues, 8/16: Ride towards Columbus, IN, 106 miles
Weds, 8/17: arrive @ Columbus, IN track for Weds. Race
Thurs, 8/18-Weds, 8/31: Ride towards Louisville, KY, 75 miles
NOTE: 2 weeks of FLEX TIME TO ALLOW FOR SCHEDULE RE-ARRANGEMENTS, ETC
Thurs 9/1-Sun 9/4: Louisville, KY track for Grand National Championship
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