Year End Awards

2010 CRC Awards

It is that time of year to look back at the very long season and remember some of its finer points......

Attendance Winner

     This year's attendance winner made every single night (plus social outings) except for one.  I would like to say that is amazing dedication and devotion to CRC but in reality, the guy has no life.  The bottom of the beer order next year is Jeremy.

Crash of the Year

     Fortunately, we had no major crashes this year.  This is also the first year of riding that Ali is not in the running for the award.... actually I mean winning the award.  This year's award goes to Rob for his two endos in 10 feet.   For those of you that did not witness this spectacle....... Rob was descending a steep hill at Boyne when he hit a sandy section and went over the bars.  He required 10 minutes to recover and get his bearings before continuing on, at which point he immediately went over the bars again.  However, in the end, no major injuries were suffered.

Bike Toss of the Year

     All winter we heard about Jeremy's new bike, how he couldn't wait to ride it, didn't want to do the early season road rides, just wanted to get on that new mountain bike.  It was time for his bike to shine at Boyne, lots of hills, tough, technical terrain.  Unfortunately for Jeremy, he had to get a minor repair done just before we went away and didn't get a chance to test it out before he left for Boyne.  At Boyne, there was no such thing as a good shift for Jeremy.  Every shift resulted in crunching gears, followed by pedals skipping, and then #$*@#!  After some time of riding with this, he failed to make an ascent of a hill.  Finally as a last resort to fix the bike, Jeremy picked up the bike up like he was doing a Romanian deadlift and then heaved it into grass.  Apparently, that fixed the shifting.

Where's Waldo?

     Once again this award comes down to the same 2 people.  Rod and Russ.  I do realize that Mike was also absent all year due to retirement hangover, but he at least showed up for chips and social events.  So who deserves it more?  While Rod did make some early season appearances, including a road ride where he demonstrated his road etiquette.  But, like Rodney's performance in the bedroom, he quickly disappeared.  No responses to emails about his turn for beer, not seen at the squash club, gone.
    Russ on the other hand, didn't ride at all.  He did however, read and respond faithfully to his emails and at least talked about showing up with a case of beer.
    In the end, both these guys get the award and owe us a case of beer!

Ride of the Year

     I know this is kind of a personal thing but the Torch Lake road ride had to be the ride of the year.  For starters it was with a bigger group (5, but 2 didn't want to ride as a group but at least they were out there).  So Ali, Rob and I headed off as a group.  Keep in mind that Rob hadn't ridden more than 40 km in his life and he was going to try 100 km one day after his Crash of the Year and a night of beer guzzling.  The roads were great to ride on, the hills were fun and scenery was excellent.  It was highly entertaining listening to Rob complain from 70 km on.

Gas Problem of the Year

     Dave.  Hands down.  Nobody even bother to try and compete for this award again.  Ever.  Anybody that can drop a bomb in a store and literally have everyone running away from it gagging wins this award.  And with this award comes a free trip to a gastro-internist to find out what the hell is the matter with you.

Social Event of the Year

    Tough call.  Boyne?  Christmas Party?  Michigan game?  I can't decide, each had their great moments.

Daringest Move of the Year

    Let's just say while getting his picture taken with a lovely female, this person pulled "the move".  All I am saying.  If you were there, you know.  If you weren't, you missed it.

Rider of the Year

    Tough call.  A lot of riders had a great season, some turned to the dark side (road riding), others improved on the trails.  But no one had a better overall season than Mark.  He competed in multiple triathlons, led us out on road rides, and pushed a good pace everytime out.  So I hope we don't hear anymore talk like "Who wants to ride for a couple of hours, an hour is all I ever want to do.....".

Most Improved Rider

   Another tough call.  Was it "Mr. I-did -90X-all-winter + I-got-a-new-bike + I-inherited-the-Iron-Dragon + I-won-the-award-last-year"?  Or was it "Mr. I-got-a-new-road-bike + I-ride-with-potassium-pills-in-my-bike-shorts-that-spill-all-over-the-road + I-rode-more-this-year-than-ever"?  Well, in my opinion, the winner is Rob.  He did log a lot more various kms than in past years and he did complete his first metric century.

Heat Stroke Moment of the Year

   The debate behind this award is not who to give it to(that is obvious), but to pick his best heat stroke moment of the season.  I continually think that he can't top his previous year's performance... and then he does!  This year was a beauty.  As per usual, the excuses are multiple and weak.  "I hardly got any sleep the night before", "I didn't eat properly", "It was too hot".  Yes, this award goes to Jay.  Again, Jason left a pile of puke on the trail for the animals to fight over. Amazingly, it was gone only a few hours later.

Blazing Saddles Award

     To all the members of CRC that attended the Boyne weekend..... I am not sure whether we impressed or disgusted Mehul but all I can say is that was quite a performance. .

New Bike Purchase

    Wow, it only took 10 years of research and decision-making but Ali finally narrowed down his bike choice to that beautiful Specialized.  Now we have to get him to start looking for a new mountain bike because by the time he actually decides to buy it.......

Good Party

     Thanks to Jay and Jen for hosting another great Christmas party.  It was nice to catch up with some of you.... others, not so.  Nice to see some old faces that haven't been riding (Russ) and nice to see some newcomers (Jim and Jason).  Unfortunately not one person brought a camera so we have no pictures to display of the evening.   However, I can summarize it for you.  Beer, Wii, beer, beer, Dave farting, beer.
     Stay tuned for end of season awards and the beginning of Mark's spin class (details to be finalized).

Jay and his new ride

Newest Member of the McGregor Clan

I'd like you to all welcome into the world, "The Grey Ghost". The newest member of my family was purchased today to take the place of the "Turner Burner" (Rip). She is a beauty and will be a welcome addition to the CRC crew as well.

End of Season!

      Ok, it looks like the end of the season is here.  We dipped below our 40 degree mark.  If anyone rides beyond this point.... congratulations.  As for Charlebois... when was the last time he rode????  We can't keep waiting for him to say next week.  And if it is too cold for Liam, it must be too cold.
     So here are the end of season stats (awards and next years beer order to follow later).  New record for the most rides in a season (31).  We increased our average number of rides per season to 25, making our average finish date Oct 27.  Also, we had the best average attendance (for riders that showed up for at least 35% of the rides).  Here are the stats:

      It was nice to see some new riders out.  Hopefully they weren't turned off by Jay's farts and they will continue to ride with us next year.  Mark's spin class is starting up very soon, details to follow.  And let's not forget the Christmas Party at Jay and Jen's house on December 18th.  All in all, another great season.  Stay tuned for the end of season awards.... it is the equivalent of the academy awards only for Chain Reaction Cycling!

Is it Over???

      
      
      









    
       No, of course it isn't over.  Weather is beautiful (if you are a polar bear).  Only 5 guys tonight.  However, with Liam's attendance tonight he was able to move ahead of Jay in the standings and most likely ensure his spot in next year's order.  A good ride tonight as we explored the new (but not really new, just cleaned up) singletrack.  1:40 of ride time.  It would have been longer except Jeremy was complaining about a sore neck from carrying that lighthouse beacon on his head.
  
      But the big news of the night is definitely beating our record of number of rides in one season.  31 weeks we have rode together!!  Yes, it helped that we rode on the road for April and yes, it helped that we had only one rainout but, it is what it is.  That is a lot of riding.  Well..... for some of us.  Russ, not so.

     When does it end?  Believe it or not, last year we rode until Nov 25.  Well, consensus seems to be December or colder weather, or nobody showing up to ride, or Ali closing down the chip factory, whatever comes first.

     It looks like the Christmas party is going to be on Saturday, December 18th so mark you calendars.  And no bringing your own mistletoe this year Liam.

Christmas Party

Jen and I were thinking about Sat. the 18th? We can be flexible with the following weekdays leading up to the 23rd or so if need be (as we are teachers........Hee, hee). Get back to me about the 18th as soon as possible, and remember to keep your Jingle Balls in your pants Guthrie.

An Old Friend Returns

    What a night!  Weather was perfect, company was better.  It is amazing what attendance points will do to people.  Jay dragged out the old Tarantula to hit the trails.  Why???  Because, and I quote, "One more week will put me ahead of Matt and Rob".  That could pay huge dividends for him next year as both he and Liam leapfrogged a couple of guys tonight.   The Tarantula performed somewhat admirably on the trails (as long as it wasn't following the human compass).
    The good news is that we discovered a huge network of trails on the other side of the fence.  Some new, some old but very fun stuff.  A big thanks to whoever cleaned them up.
   Other big news is that we have tied our "most number of weeks riding" at 30.  Next week, weather permitting, we will break it.  As far as how long we go..... the consensus seems to be until temps hit 40 or less than 4 guys show up.  Heck, we are still sitting around in Ali's backyard.
     Stay tuned for Christmas party date at Jay's house.

Movember

Hey guys I am growing a mustache for the month of november to raise money for prostate cancer. It's gonna be ugly but it's for a good cause. If any of you would like to donate, please click the link below.
http://ca.movember.com/mospace/824548/

Night of the Mechanicals

     Well the weather sure took a bit of a dip.  Apparently the temperature put a little scare into Jeremy, who sent out a "is anybody riding email?".  Of course we were riding.  However, since Jeremy wanted to keep his attendance as close to 100% as possible he showed up.  Mind you with a flat tire.  Flat tire fixed, off we go but no.... Jeremy forgot his jacket.
     We decided to do Morton then possibly Malden.  It became quickly apparent that Malden would be out of the question as the curse of the bike problems quickly fell upon us.  Jeremy had another flat.  Jim forgot to recharge his lights and therefore had no lights and Liam's lights decided that brown was the best colour for trail riding.
     So we went slow, with a lot of stops, looked out for each other and stayed together.... unlike some of our road rides.
     Apparently people are not receiving the automated emails from my blog posts (or even bothering to read them).  Hence people are showing up not realizing it is their turn for beer.  This is a serious and unexcusable error.  Beer order is regularly posted and I also finish my entries with upcoming beer order.  Please be aware when it is your turn for beer or we will start calling you Rod.
     We signed a card tonight for Mehul for his hospitality on our weekend this summer.  Instead of getting him a gift certificate, he asked that our money be donated to his trip to Kenya next year.  He is going to Kenya to help out and donate his time to the less fortunate.
     As for how long the season goes..... the consensus so far seems to be until temps are around 40 degrees.  It was 48 at the start of the ride and once we got going we were plenty warm... except Jeremy who had to warm his toesy-woesy in his car at the end of the ride.

Sad Night

      I would like to say it was a great night but I would do so with a heavy heart.  Was it a great 2 hour ride?  Yes.  Was Ian's beer nice and cold at the end of the night? (thanks by the way)  Yes.  Was Ali's barbequed food awesome?  Yes.  Were there the usual funny moments on the trail?  Yes.  However, all that was difficult to enjoy as we mourned the loss of Jay's "Turner".  Jay's bike went down due to an unfortunate "stick in the derailleur" which snapped off at the frame.  Jay was forced to walk it out (amazingly, he did that faster than Ali rode out).    
      Once out, he called the only person he knew who would come and pick him up...... Matt.  Matt who hasn't been heard from since allegedly having to return his borrowed bike, was only too glad to leave his family to help Jay out.  Because of this it was voted that Matt earned a half point attendance.
     Weather is still looking good and riding is going strong.  Thanks to Ian tonight for going out of his way to supply a sombre group of riders (ok, just Jay) with beer.  And thanks to Ali for the awesome food.  Liam is up for beer next week.

Thanks Mark!!!

     What could be better than a beer after a 2 hour, 32 km ride???  Only a Jacques night (minus the pool).  We finished off the leftover hamburgs and sausages from the Michigan game.  I really missed the shrimp though.  Thanks for cooking that up Mark.
     Great ride tonight!  Perfect weather and good crowd out.  Highlight of the night was definately Jay's endo off the plank at Morton.  Wish I had a camera for that one.  Also, another newcomer.... Jim H.  He has been talking about riding with us all year but finally made it out.
     Beer order!!!!  Next up is Ian, Liam, Craig.  Ian, if you can't make it, let us know.

First Rainout of the Season

    Last night was the first ride all season that was cancelled due to rain.  And it couldn't have come at a more crucial time for some riders teetering on the brink of the attendance abyss.  I could have swore as I drove home from work that I heard rain chants coming from the area around St. Patricks.  Or was that as I passed the Green Shield building?

The Football Gods Were Smiling On Us

      The football gods work in mysterious ways.  Take Notre Dame for instance.  The sun came out just in time for us to take advantage of our free tickets and a fabulous weekend.  Yesterday, the gods worked their magic differently.  Possibly the nicest October 9 in history.  Tailgating was stellar as usual.  We were treated to many "interesting" sites (thanks Ali).  However, tickets were nowhere to be found.  Even at game time as we worked our magic out front of the stadium, there were no tickets to be had.  Unless of course we wanted to pay $350.  So back to the golf course where we snuggled up to a TV with some Spartans and Wolverines to watch a Michigan State blowout.  The gods knew that we would have wasted our money.  All in all, another great day!
      More photos can be found at my dropbox account.

What a Ride!

     Wow!  Great ride tonight.  2 hours of riding covering over 30 km.  Riding Morton backwards in the dark was like riding a completely new trail.  Although our numbers were somewhat small and diminished as the ride went on, those that came out enjoyed a great ride almost completely in the dark.  Thanks goes out to Liam for that "nail in the tire" trick to get us a rest at Malden.  Thanks Liam, I needed it.

     A couple of notes, Rob finally brought the beer.  He claims he has no recollection of anyone telling him it was his turn.  Read between the lines.... he doesn't read his email.  I don't know if Upper Canada Lager was an attempt to buy us off but as per Article 6.4 of the constitution if a rider "forgets" he is required to bring 2 weeks in a row.  More on this to follow.
     It was also nice of Ali to show up.... oh wait, who was that in the middle of Morton all by himself?????  Ali.  Apparently Ali doesn't understand that 6:30 is 6:30.  Nor does he listen to our plans for the ride.  There was some debate about his point but in the end we gave it to him.
     Another week with big shakeups in attendance.  Matt has really dropped and it doesn't look good for his overall attendance.  Jay, with another weak excuse, is going down the standings faster than a bum after a ham sandwich.  The top three look untouchable but after that it is a free for all.
     It was nice to see a new face out riding with us, Jason.  Hopefully, all the farting and disgusting talk will not scare him off.
     As for the beer order, it looks like we will get through a complete three times for everyone.  No beer is needed for next week.
 

Let There Be Light

     A good turnout tonight for the first ride in the dark and the weather really co-operated.  It was nice enjoying the more relaxed pace and we needed that for the first night ride.  Staying on the trails seem to be an issue for some.
      Kudos to Ian for taking one for the team.  As if it wasn't bad enough being Ali's gopher in the states by picking up his lights, but Ian was also kind enough to charge them and leave them ready to go on Ali's porch.  Only to realize that he forgot his shoes, Ian returned home and hightailed it back to Alis's but we had left.  However, Ian did meet up with us at Morton.  Ian, you don't want to know how Ali plans on thanking you.....
     Some big shakeups look like they are going to be happening in the attendance.  Because it has been such a tight race, not much separates many guys.  Miss a couple of weeks this time of year and you may be up for beers first next year.  That is of course, after Russ and Rodney.
      As for the beer order, some guys are getting busy on Wednesdays and others are dropping out of riding for the season.  If that is the case, there will have to be some minor tweaking to the list.  I have attached the list of who has bought and when.  Next up is Rob, Matt (think he is done for year), then Ian.

Next Stop... Tour de France

     Congratulations to Matt who finished second in this weekend's Alpe d'Windsor.  Matt did 25 km in a scorching 1hr 16 min and 50 seconds, only losing by a mere :49.  Based on the look of Matt in the picture, he had the guy in his sights but just couldn't catch him.

25km 

 1^st – Derek Stewart 1:16:01

2^nd – Matt Mousseau 1:16:50

3^rd – Neil Klimecki 1:23:38

4^th – Rob Mora 1:35:35

Last ride of the year in daylight?

     Well, it was a gorgeous Wednesday night with nice temperatures in late September, but the Chain Reaction Cycling club didn't represent very well. Only 4 dedicated members of the squad did a good ride in 1:45 by hitting the usual Morten / Malden trails. Ali, Mark, Liam and Jeremy showed up and earned their point.

      The story of the night came when we arrived back at Ali's to find two other members drinking themselves silly after breaking into Ali's house. Yes, Jay and Craig walked right in the front door, raided Ali's fridge and were slurring their words by the time we arrived back from the ride.

     Not only did they skip the ride with a lousy excuse, they lobbied the committee that they deserved a full point as they claimed they were out recruiting new riders before showing up. The committee would have none of it, and ruled that they deserved no more than a half point for bringing chips, which is what the constitution states. No ride, no point!

     We spoke briefly about moving the remaining rides to 6:30 and riding with lights.... let's make a call this week via emails to ensure we're on the same page.

     Look out... Michigan - Michigan State only 2 weeks away from this Saturday. Find your 'tailgate' shirts from last year boys and put together some good tailgating ideas, its gonna be another one for the ages. Game time is still "TBA" so we'll have to wait to see if its 12:00 or 3:30 start.

     Next up for beers is still Rob then Jay.

Is Chain Reaction Cycling still together?

     TMZ called and wants the scoop on CRC.  Apparently the rumour mill is going wild with talk of the group no longer riding together.  Well founded I would say.  Matt goes off to do his hills.  Mark just meets us at Malden.  Dave, Rob and Ian go off into the woods and .... never mind.  The only guys that actually completed a full ride tonight was Jay, Craig, Ali and Jeremy.
     Next up for beer is Rob then Jay.

What a Day!!

The boys

    The football gods were smiling upon some of the more elite members of Chain Reaction Cycling this weekend.  The day began very ominously.  First, we were practically strip-searched going into the US until they got wind of what Jay had been letting loose all morning.  Then, we had to wait at Meijer until 7:00am (the earliest time they can sell booze (something to remember for the future)).  Back on the road... but no... we were pulled over by an overzealous Michigan state trooper for "allegedly" speeding.  Note: he had no proof other than we were going faster than him.  However, once he realized who we were and where we were going, he let us go and told us to "go whip some Michigan ass".  Go figure.  Bad things come in threes and we figured we had cleared the hump.... and then it started to rain and rain and rain.  However, we tailgated through, playing some rain bocce.

Touchdown Jesus

Jay praying for tickets... or another beer

     The ticket situation was looking grim.... $75 per ticket was the cheap rate.  So off we headed to the stadium (rain stopped and it was clearing up) desperately looking for tickets when our day finally began to turn.  An angel smiled upon us in the form of free tickets.  No, this was not a typo.  Some lovely young lady recognized us from Chain Reaction Cycling posters and gave us free tickets.  And what a game!
     After the game we..... well you know what they say..... "what happens in South Bend, stays in South Bend".  Sorry fellas, you should have been there.

Chain Reaction Cycling.... Heroes????

     7 members of Chain Reaction Cycling risked life, limb and bike tonight to fight of a wildfire that rivaled those in British Columbia.  Rob, Liam, Dave, Jeremy, Ali, Craig and Mark came across a fire that was burning wildly out of control.  Realizing that the only hope of saving the park was to take desperate, immediate action, these brave individuals put out the fire with their feet and sticks.  The fire department was called and they thanked us for our heroic efforts as well as many individuals using the park this evening.  Many of the women that were thanking us were also asking if we were going to be in next year's firefighters calendar.
     As for the ride..... a little cool tonight.  It was surprising that Mr. Heat was a no show given that we are finally in a temperature range that he can handle.  Must have been an important reason that kept him away.  It was nice to see that Jeremy learned his lesson from last week and stayed with the group.

     Thanks to Mark for the beer and Dave happened to bring as well so I think we are good for a couple of weeks.

.... and then there were 4

     What an interesting ride tonight.  We started with Matt, Jay, Mark, Ian, Liam, Craig, and Rob.  As for tonight's route, Matt had other things in mind.  Matt wanted to just hills at Malden.  Since Jay doesn't do hills we opted for Brunet Park.  Bye Matt.  The west side of the park was decent.  The east side sucked.  A lot of purposely downed trees as well as many naturally downed trees.  And then the fun began.  Jeremy, despite all his P90X workouts, could not keep up in the technical singletrack and became lost.  A massive search party was mounted to no avail.  At this point Liam decided that he had better options for the evening and he left us.  Bye Liam.  We decided that maybe we should head over to Malden to meet up with Matt and maybe Jeremy.  On route, the skies became very overcast and a storm was brewing.  Mark decided that our safety was more important than finding Matt or Jeremy.  We returned to our cars.  Ian opted to continue riding home.  Bye Ian.  So this leaves just four of us to sit in Mark's garage and enjoy Jeremy's beer.
     Shortly after settling in, we were joined by Matt and Jeremy.  Jeremy claims that he thought that we took off on him (he obviously doesn't know our motto.... no man left behind, unless it is Ali).  Jeremy clearly did not appreciate the effort that was mounted to find him and in the end scuttled our ride.  There was much talk tonight about who actually earned a point. Matt?  Did he really go to Malden?  Or did he just go home for a nap?  And was Jeremy in on this?  Liam?  He rode only 1/2 hour.
     Mark is away next week so he will have to swap with Dave in beer order.  So Dave you are up next and if you can't do it, then Rob.  Jeremy seems to be running away with attendance (as well as his riding group).  Ali was a no-show again tonight, although he did leave a bag of chips for his half point.
     As per tradition, rides will now leave at 6 PM.  Also, many stores have sales now on lights(REI, MEC).  Get some!  We will be needing them soon.  See everyone at Jacques Gone Wild this weekend.... except for Patti... I mean Rob.

Michigan Notre Dame 2009

Lets re-live last year's game winning drive in stunning HD !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6yVuvXhp10

East End Ride

    Great turnout tonight for our first east end ride of the year.  Lots of climbing at Banwell and Ganatcho trails were in not bad shape.  It was nice that Jay could join us after his VP training, although there is some serious doubt about how much he actually rode.  Also, we may want to consider ponying up to buy Liam a new bike since his ride has seen better days.   Since everybody was out, no change in attendance other than Jeremy is moving ahead in the top spot.
     Keep in mind important upcoming dates (see previous blog).  First up, Michigan at Notre Dame.  Jeremy and then Mark for beers.

Alp D' Windsor

http://www.bikethebruce.com/2010_Alpe/Home.html

Okay guys, this is an event at least a few of our group should be doing. I did the 25 last year and it was a good time. It is well run. It would be cool to see some other Chain Reactors out there. Jeremy you are fit no excuses this year, Mark, Ali new road bike(you should have the endurance), RC Complete what do ya think? Craig???? Russ? Jim?

An epic event of climbing and good times. Competitors and riders will choice between the Solo, Relay or the Mini event. The Solo and 2 person relay event will be required to complete 50 laps of the 1 km course which climbs 23 meters per lap, the total vertical climbing equivalent of the Alpe d’Huez. The Mini is also open to all competitors or riders but only complete 25 laps.

Location: Malden Park, 4200 Malden Road, Windsor, ON

Sunday September 25th 7:00am Mini 9:00am Solo. Mass start event with a 50 rider limit per start time

Registration is open to all cyclist. Categories are open to all abilities. There are only 5 categories to choice from. Solo Male, Solo Female, Open Relay, Mini Male, Mini Female.

Registration is limited to 50 riders. Relay team counts as one rider towards limit.

Registration closes Friday Sept. 24th at 11:59 pm (midnight). A starters list will be posted on Saturday Sept 26th

Cost is $20 for the Solo, $30 for the Relay, and $15 for the Mini

This is an OCA UCI sanctioned event. Riders must hold a one-day licence ($5 extra) or have an UCI international licence.

Helmets must be worn at all times while riding.

Important Dates

     Beautiful night for a ride, however we were missing a number of people.  Attendance at the top remains a tight battle, followed by a gap and then a whole bunch of guys in the 70% range.  Thanks to Liam and Dave H. for cooking up the burgers and cold beers.  Next up for beers, Craig, Jeremy, Mark

     A couple of things came about tonight:

1.  September 5- Jacquesfest (see your email) and make sure you RSVP.

2.  September 11- Michigan at Notre Dame- drive up Saturday, take in game and drive home on Sunday (just not early Sunday)

3.  October 9- Michigan State at Michigan- our annual pilgrimage to Ann Arbour

Congatulations to Ali!

     Congratulations to Ali who finished 4/6 in his age group (we'll leave that part out) in this weekend's triathlon.  Ali completed the duathlon in 1:58.  His bike speed was depressingly low (26.1 kph).  However, the way the time is actually calculated, your bike time starts when you enter the transition area from the swim and then stops when you leave the transition area for the run.  It took him an 1:08 to complete this.  After talking to people in the transition area that witnessed Ali arriving, they claimed that he spent at least 20 minutes chatting it up with some females, socializing with some other people who he didn't know, and stretching.  So that means that his actual bike time was :48 minutes which means he averaged 37.5 kph.  Now that is more like it.  Way to go Ali!
      Also, big thanks to everyone that helped out.

A Point or Not a Point????

     Another very hot night on the trails.  Attendance at the top remains a heated battle between two guys who have no lives.   It was nice to see someone out there clearing Morton, now if we can only get Malden cleaned.
      There was much debate as to whether Liam should earn his full point or not.  In the process of bringing his bike out of his car, he "broke" the most important bolt on his bike (the one that held the front end and back together).  Despite the accusations of "a hacksaw in trunk" (Jeremy) and "bolt cutters found on the back seat" (Rob), it was determined that he showed up with "full intent to ride" only to be denied because of an unforeseeable (and amazingly unexplained) mechanical.  As if to prove his innocence he returned for beers with a witness (nice to see Dave Hamments) who backed up Liam's claims.  In the end it was determined that Liam would earn a full point. All I have to say is that his bike better be in full working condition next week. Those that have a problem with that can take it up with the committee.

     Also, in a few more weeks Smitty will set a new chips record as well as pass Rodney on attendance based on chips alone.  
    Just a reminder too as was discussed last year but the spot in Ali's driveway is reserved for the person bringing the beer.  Failure to abide by this rule will cost you yours night's attendance.  Next up for beers is Liam then Craig.

HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!

     Well it was a hot one tonight (29 degrees at the end of the ride) and when asked, Mr Heat said, "The ride is on!" and then something about a bunch of beers later.  There was even more incentive to ride when we arrived at Ali's house to discover no one home.  There was much debate as to what he was up to but in the end even Liam agreed he wasn't home.  Why is this significant??????  That was the last perfect attendance and it has moved Jeremy back into the top spot by half a point.

          So off we went into the searing heat, Rob, Matt, Jay, Liam, Jeremy, Dave and Craig.  There was no dogging it though because once we hit Malden the race was on.

     

 

      Thanks to Matt for cooking up some delicious burgs.  There have been some minor changes to the attendance because some people have questioned the integrity of the attendance commissioner.  All corrections have been made.  Also, the average attendance now reflects only those with better than a 35% turnout.  Next up for beer is Ian. 

Boyne pics

Here is a link to some of the Boyne pictures I took.

Boyne Pics

Chain Reaction Cycling

Race to beat the rain

After a good afternoon rain, 4 brave souls decided to take on the open road and earn their point. Mark, Matt, Ali & Jeremy breezed through 51 km in 1 hour 33 minutes for speedy average of 32 km/hour. Just when we thought we were home free, the rain caught up with us and cooled us off for the last ten minutes as we rode home. Its a shame Mr Heat wasn't in attendance, the rain would have been exactly what he needed to cool him off!

Because of the lack of attendance, there was no bbq at Matt's and he decided we will wait until next week for the rest of the gang.

Weekend Hangover?

     Well, we were missing a few regulars tonight.  I guess some of us are suffering a weekend hangover, or they are too depressed at the thought of riding Windsor's trails after what we were on.  Regardless Mark, Rob, Craig, Jay, Ali, and Jeremy headed out into the flats of Windsor and I have to say a completely uneventful ride.  It was nice to go for another swim at Mark's and thank goodness we left the beer in Ali's fridge so it was nice and cold :).  Next up for beer is Matt, Ian, and then Liam. 

What a Weekend!

     What a fun weekend, I don't even know where to start.  Here are a couple of pictures that reflect the weekend.  A lot of firsts this weekend too.  Rob has the new record for quickest back-to-back endos (10 feet).  Plus he earned style points on both.  As well, Rob also completed his first metric century (100km) on the Ride Around Torch Lake.  Actually he wanted me to be sure that I mentioned it was actually 103.5 km but who is counting.
      Matt, Mark, Jason and Jeremy set the record for quickest tent setup at 3 hours.  How many university degrees does it take to put up a tent?  All the while, Ian had his tent up, did a ride, enjoyed a beer and a nap. 
     The fart winner is Dave, Rob, Mark, Ali, Jason, Jeremy.......  MGM called and want you guys to star in Blazing Saddles 2.  But the king has to be Dave... how many stores can a guy clear out???
     But what would a guys weekend away be without Mr. Heat making an appearance.  Early in the weekend too.  Congratulations to Jay who has now successfully vomited in 4 state parks (all heat related of course).
     All in all, a great weekend of riding and hanging out.  A big thanks to Mehul (not that he reads this blog) for being a great host.  And by the way.... if we go back, when Mehul says let's go to the sandbar, we MUST go to the sandbar :).
     I'll compile all the photos and videos and make a DVD for everyone.  

Great Ride Tonight

     A decent ride tonight! Too bad Mattt could not keep up with us! - tough i am sure he will be ready to kick ass as soon he gets a new bike!
     We had our American neighbour - Hugh - ride with us! - & as expected Dave made him work his ass off instead of introducing him gently to the tough rides in Windsor!
     Again we got together at Jacques Water Castle - but alas - no barbeque of anything - leave alone steaks!  Nice to see Jeremy after his fake bike injury!- & he was somewhat slow today!!!!
     Beer order for the next 3 weeks are Jay, Matt, Ian. 

Congratulations

Congratulations to Matt and Mark who won their age group in the Muddy Buddy series. For those of you that don't know what it is....

Muddy Buddy is all about having fun with a friend, family member, partner or co-worker! Teams of two traverse a 6-7 mile off-road course and 5 obstacles.

At the start of the race, one team member will run and one will ride the bike. At the 1st obstacle, the rider will drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and begin running. The runner will arrive, complete the obstacle, find their bike and begin riding. Teams will continue leapfrogging each other through the entire course.

At the end of the race, racers crawl through the infamous Mud Pit crossing the finish line together as official “Muddy Buddies”!

Picnic Tables, Dogs and No More Perfect Attendance

A scorching night of riding was capped off with a nice dip at Casa Jacques. Just a small group tonight with Liam, Ian, Ali, Dave and myself shunning the weather advisories. Liam started the night off being attacked by a very aggressive picnic table, followed by a tumble over a branch or trouser snake that jumped right out at him. The Britt took it like a man and kept riding. At Malden I was so rude not letting that unleashed dog run out in front of me and flying over my bars without being upset. It was a good thing for his thoughtful owner who rather than burden me with an apology or to see if i was okay just stared and said nothing.

     The most important aspect of the night was the young buck who lost his perfect attendance because of some lame excuse about bike problems. We all felt bad but were happy to eat his chips. Mr. Heat stepped up last night, not riding but rather bringing some Salt and Vinegar delights. He is now off to Mexico to perv on topless women. Special thanks to Dave for shooting out to grab some beer in the Rocket Man's absence. Mark hosted giving him his half point. To our long lost webmaster Craig, don't think of creating an amendment to the constitution giving yourself points for riding in Lake Placid. - Matt

Jacques Night!

     Always a good night when the final destination is poolside with some MGD at Jacques'. It was a beautiful night of riding with a stellar cast (Mark, Liam, Jeremy, Ian, Ali and myself). Jay was no where to be found but reports are that he was at a post school year party in a pool of his own vomit. It was great to see Smitty freshly retired and claiming a half point with a delicious bag of dill pickle chips. Dave also chipped in for a half point. Summer has officially begun as the teachers are out of work! Thanks for a great spread Mark!              
       Rodney, then Dave up for beers next week.

Split Personality

     What a great ride we had tonight. All you sad excuses for teachers had to miss tonight...waaaaaa...waaaaa..waaaa. Well done riders...Mark, Jeremy and Ali took to the road for 52km and Dave, Rob, Ian and Rod took to the mud! All had a great time at Jacques place for a dip and refreshments afterwards! One point each for the good guys! (Mark's comment to a post.... should have been a new post.... we'll have to have a blogging lesson to all you non-teachers... did I mention that we are on vacation????).
       Those that did not ride could not tell what the heck was going on with the ride that night.  After many emails (many of the deceitful nature....the rides took place).  A bylaw may have to be passed to punish those that purposely lie about the weather and trail conditions because they cannot ride.  No names mentioned (Jay and Matt).

       Big shakeups happening with attendance.  Apparently Ali and Jeremy have no life.
      Just a reminder that we are going to Boyne on July 16, 17, 18.
      Also, we have almost completed the first round of the beer list (that was quick).  Mark is up for next week and then we are back at the top (Rod).  Attached is the beer order and when each brought.

Rain away!

Rain, rain, go away. Not tonight, some of us want to keep our perfect records. Come on rain, piss down on those turds!!!!

Interesting read

When things go bad.... When a Cop Says STOP!

Cool Commercial

logo

Saw this on Velonews.com, check it out.

Boyne Info

Funny, I was just reading about Boyne when you posted that Matt.... Here's some more info on the Boyne site about what the trails are like and prices. Trails sound pretty sweet.

http://www.boyne.com/Summer/Biking.html

Trail Map

Here is a map for Boyne Trails and a video if it works.

Boyne Highlands Bike Park Trail Map

Avalanche Mountain Trail

Happy Belated Father's Day

A happy belated Father's Day (legitimate or not) to all of our Chain Reaction Crew. It was a great Sunday filled with pancakes for breakfast and Jeremy getting his Michigan riding cherry popped. Jeremy was impressive and is gearing up for our bike trip. There was a little confusion as to where we will be riding on our trip (Boyne or trails near Torch Lake), maybe Craig can post a trail map if possible? Just a reminder of the upcoming Muddy Buddy race if anyone else is interested, I think Jeremy is looking for a partner. Anyways I hope everyone had a great day and lets do a rain dance for Wednesday as i won't be there.....Matt

Thrills and Spills

     Solid evening for riding. The riding Gods were smiling down on CRC with respect to the weather, however some broken bikes, face plants and missing accessories did hamper the evening a touch. Keep an eye out for Mark's bike computer if you are at Malden this weekend if possible, and Ali's skin on the trail at Morton (just kidding). Next up for beer is Jeremy then Mark.
     Some Father's day rides for those interested - Mark and Matt over at Pontiac & Guthrie's Sunday Morning road ride leaving his house at 8:30. Hook on to one if you can!
     Enjoy the weekend and Happy Father's Day to all, and Jeremy don't answer the phone on Sunday!

Mountain Biking????

     The weather gods are definately conspiring against us.  Another road ride?  My time was 1:51 and 53.5 km covered.  Other times will vary depending.....  Good to see Rodney on his new machine.  Speaking of Rodney, he is up for beer next week.

     Trail cleaning has been finalized.  $5 to Mark for Weed Whipper.  Meet at 8:00 at Malden Saturday morning.  Sorry Jeremy.  Hopefully we can get the trail cleared.

     Thanks to Dave for bringing bike jersey samples.  There are some nice ones and decent prices.  Dave is going to try and get us some samples.  

      Thanks to Matt for the pics as he rode.