Web Home of the NYCrankees

2012 Kickoff

2012-01-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

We will be having a little get together on Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 PM for people to learn about the Ride to Cure program in NYC (http://ride.jdrf.org/).

Sid’s Bike Shop is located at 151 West 19th Street

After Sid’s we are going to grab a quick drink at Slate (54 West 21st Street)

All are welcome! Let us know if any questions arise. Email: nycrankees@gmail.com

THE FINAL OFFICIAL TRAINING RIDE OF 2011

2011-09-28T17:38:00.000-04:00

We hope to see everyone on the road this weekend for some Long Island Gold Coast riding. The course this weekend will be a modification of the much beloved 40-mile route with a 30-ish mile ad-hoc add on that will give us plenty of hills through my hometown of Port Washington. If you only want to do 40 miles we can easily show you the direction to head to the train station, but the majority of the group will be riding on in preparation for Death Valley.

Long Island Ride – 70-ish miles; Saturday Oct 1st - 7:15am SHARP

Start location: Westbury, NY LIRR Train station (Union Avenue and Post Avenue)

How to get there? You can drive, or take the train from Brooklyn or Penn Station. If you take the train make sure you buy a bike pass from the teller (cost is $5 and is good basically forever) along with a round trip ticket to Westbury. We will meet on the south side of the station, which has a large daily parking lot few for a few dollars.

-Train departs Penn Station @ 6:25 (meeting location near the big colored train time board and the teller windows for LIRR)

-Train departs Atlantic Terminal (Brooklyn) @ 6:12 (meeting location is downstairs near the trains/teller windows)

-Train arrives in Westbury at 7:03

-Training ride departs Westbury LIRR at 7:15 SHARP (parking lot is a few dollars for the day for those who choose to drive)

FYI heading home: Trains leave Westbury every hour on the :58

Please RSVP on the Quicktopic.

Bedford Ride Saturday Sept 10th

2011-09-06T12:22:00.000-04:00

Hopefully everyone fully enjoyed their long weekend and is back fully refreshed. This Saturday Sept 10th (where did the summer just go???) we will be starting at the MetroNorth station parking lot (46 Depot Plaza Bedford Hills, NY - for those driving). This is one of our signature rides and we hope you are able to make it.

For all of those taking the train from the city (make sure you have a bike pass that you can purchase from an ticket booth):
-Meet @ the clock in Grand Central Station at 6:20 AM
-Train departs Grand Central Station at 6:30 AM
-Train arrives at Bedford Hills @ 7:48 AM

-> Training ride will depart promptly at 8AM

The route is (approximately) 45 miles. The return trip trains are on the :36 of every hour -- we should ideally be on the 1:36PM train back to the city.

Please RSVP on the quicktopic.

West Point, Bear Mtn Preview

2011-07-14T23:15:00.005-04:00

Vespa, Bear Mountain
Route 218 along the Hudson

View from the top of Bear Mountain, the end of the Perkins Memorial Drive climb.

We will be doing an awesome custom route created by Lewis Runnion just for us! A slight change of plan, we are not offering two options, rather It's a 65.5 mile route that takes us through Bear Mountain State Park, West Point, Harriman State Park and the surrounding towns. It's a big loop full of tough climbs, quick descents, and the best views anywhere near us.

This ride is a challenge, but Perkins Memorial Drive has become a Crankee rite of passage. Veteran riders know that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. So while it's hard, we have all done it safe, sound, and smiling to the finish.

If need be, you can cut out the final ascent up Perkins and save yourself 5.5 miles on the bike, jump in your car and meet us at the top, cheering your heads off.

Unlike most training rides, this one will have a little more support. Lindsay will be riding the SAG Wagon along the route. She will have water, Gatorade, snacks, and your lunch. Your lunch is a world famous Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich and a banana, chips, cookies maybe if you're lucky, and ice cold coca cola. If you have special diet requests (food allergies, sensitivities) that we need to take into consideration, please email:
lindsay@bryanbantry.com.
There will also be a make-your-own-sandwich bar (and lots and lots of Purell) at the top of Perkins, and most likely, Ice Cold drinks including Brooklyn Lager!

Important things to know about the route:
Cell phones don't work here. Walkie Talkies don't work here. The only way to communicate with other riders is in the moment, with your voice. We will never be on these roads alone. Cary and I will be coaching, but also, you will be riding in groups of two or more, assigned beforehand---You know, the buddy system. We will do our best to keep the group together and moving as a single unit.

In order to ride you must all have an extra tube, CO2 cartridge, and tire levers. I am doing a bike shop run tomorrow and getting extras. If you need anything, please let me know now and I can pick up extra supplies.

One of the buddies MUST know how to change a flat. If you've never done it before, google it, watch a YouTube video and practice it right now, in the comfort of your own apartment...I'm completely serious.

Other important items:

Many riders have been wearing stylish sunglasses on the rides. While they look cool, I recommend a lighter amber or rose lens for biking. Especially for this ride. I'll try to bring a few extra pairs with me. On this ride, many of the descents have a lot of shade that comes up quickly. Your eyes can't adjust fast enough with dark lenses and it can be a disastrous combination. If you are wearing Ray-Bans on the ride, I strongly urge you to go to the closest CVS and get a cheap pair of amber or rose glasses for $12. For the price of 3 GUs you may avoid a serious accident.

It's gonna be hot, so be sure to have a bottle of water and a bottle of diluted Gatorade.
Be sure to eat 30 grams of carbs at least once and hour--That's a GU, a granola bar, 4 shot blocks, etc. The ride could take a while, so have 5 hours worth of food on your person.
Be sure to have electrolytes on you to keep you going and prevent cramps (Endurolytes are great!).

And here's a reprint of all the start info:

We will be starting promptly at 7:30 a.m.!! (Please depart NYC at 6AM)

MEET HERE

View Larger Map

We will start from the parking lot at Bear Mountain State Park just off Seven Lakes Drive. This lot does not have an address for your GPS!!! If you go to www.googlemaps.com and put this number
41.309671,-73.990227 into the ]Search Maps^ box, you will see the start location. Follow the directions on Google to find turn by turn directions to the start. In addition, there is a link to Bear Mountain State Park with SPECIFIC written directions from every possible approach to the park http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkId=55 . As a last resort, you can call the Park (845 786-2701) and they will tell you how to drive there (I tried this out myself today and they were very accurate).

See you on the Road
C+J=The Coaches

I guess we're just Bedford Happy

2011-07-08T15:06:00.003-04:00

Bedford: JULY 10

With Cary away for his honeymoon in Hawaii, Jon will lead the Bedford Ride solo. If memory serves correctly, we chose to do this because most of you are now very familiar with this route. Though it's far from the city, it's incredibly beautiful. And some of you still haven't done it. Here's your chance.

For those of you who have not done this route, here's the skinny: 1. It's moderate with rolling hills. 2. It has a proper lunch spot that we spend too much time at without fail. 3. It's camera-worthy.

Starts at 8AM at the Bedford Hills train station.

View Larger Map

50 miles. Pace: 15mph.

Here's the plan for those taking the train:

Meet at the clock at Grand Central at 6:20
Train departs at 6:30
Train arrives in Bedford Hills at 7:48

Train departs Bedford Hills at 1:36 and 2:36

RSVP via QuickTopic:
http://www.quicktopic.com/41/H/AmQiesKaiHaE6

Bedford: June 25

2011-06-22T09:42:00.002-04:00

Hello Crankees,

Looking forward to having many of you on our Bedford route again this weekend. At this point, we've only done it once, so a repeat seems pretty good.

Bedford is one of my favorite routes. It was our first real train-->bike route and nomatter how many times I cycle this route, I am always amazed by the scenery. Horse farms and lakes mark the 50+ mile route that now, many of us are familiar with.

For those of you who have not done this route, here's the skinny: 1. It's moderate with rolling hills. 2. It has a proper lunch spot that we spend too much time at without fail. 3. It's camera-worthy.

Starts at 9AM at the Bedford train station. 50 miles. Pace: 12-15mph.

Here's the plan for those taking the train:

Meet at the clock at Grand Central at 7:30
Train departs at 7:45
Train arrives in Bedford Hills at 8:48

Train departs Bedford Hills at 1:36 and 2:36

RSVP via QuickTopic:
http://www.quicktopic.com/41/H/AmQiesKaiHaE6

See you on Saturday!

Breaking the Routine: 9W

2011-06-13T11:37:00.005-04:00

Happy Monday Crankees,

In just less than two months, our first ride of the season will be underway! That means that the Burlington Group is well on it's way to fundraising and training success. There are fifteen Crankees registered plus countless volunteers coming along to cheer on and support their families, friends, loved ones, and the millions of us with type 1 diabetes..

For all the new people, you will see how you will truly be 100 miles closer to a cure, and you are making a huge difference to those living with type 1 diabetes. Be sure to take advantage of everything that the Crankee experience has to offer including training rides, social events, and support.

On Saturday we hit 9W. It might seems a little repetitive since it's the third time I've had a Runcible Spoon cinnamon roll in the past two months, but thanks to special guest, Lewis Runnion we all learned a new route taking us through the back roads from Nyack to the state line along the Carraige Road built by colonists in the 18th Century. The road was dotted by stately brick houses, stone walls, and winding streams. You could almost hear musket fire.

We were also joined by Aly Levine, a first-year Crankee and long-time mama bear of the Ride Program. After overseeing dozens of national Rides, we are honored that she's chosen us as her home chapter and guess what? She kicked some serious back-road butt on Saturday.

Lianna Wingfield and I started at 8 at Gorilla Coffee, met up with Bob, Brett, and friend Michelle at the Intrepid, Lindsay Grubiak at 177 and Cabrini, and Linday Reitzes, Lewis and Aly on the Jersey side. We ranged in milage from 40-60 but all had great luck in missing the rain.

Thanks for continuing to come out for training rides and making this the best Crankee season yet.

NOTE:
June 25: were are likely NOT riding Bedford since we just did it last week. We haven't shored up our plans yet but the start time will not change and it will likely be a Metro-North day.

Telling our stories

2011-06-11T08:40:00.003-04:00

If you haven't checked out the videos we have all been making, take a look when you get a chance! They are all inspiring and really capture why we're doing what we're doing.

Click here to see Lianna's video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5EvPkKYdgU

Click here to see Matt & Lesley's video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCfPeuwoeRo&feature=channel_video_title

Click here to see Jon & Lindsay's video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4glb7zqYyEA

Click here to see Tim's video, the first of our group:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DcbbNj46_4

Good job everyone!

Beautiful in Bedford

2011-06-11T08:22:00.003-04:00

The Crankees had a beautiful ride in Bedford last weekend. Jon and Cary led Lindsay, Hannah, Jeff, Carissa, Bob C., Matt and me through a 52-mile hilly ride. We had a great time and couldn't have asked for better weather. Unfortunately Cary's chain broke around mile 30, winning him a spot in the list of all-time-weird-Crankee-bike-hijacking accidents. So bizarre! In any event, we finished the ride with smiles, one broken chain, and dreams of what our next meal would entail! Go Crankees -- good job tackling the hills of Bedford.

The Bedford Ride - Sunday June 5

2011-06-02T16:52:00.000-04:00

Hopefully everyone fully enjoyed their long weekend and is back fully refreshed. The first Bedford Ride of the season (finally!) is upon us this Sunday, June 5 @ 8am! We will be starting at the MetroNorth station parking lot (46 Depot Plaza Bedford Hills, NY - for those driving).

For all of those taking the train from the city (make sure you have a bike pass that you can purchase from an ticket booth):

Meet @ the clock in Grand Central Station at 6:20 AM
Train departs Grand Central Station at 6:30 AM
Train arrives at Bedford Hills @ 7:48 AM

Training ride will depart the Bedford Hills MetroNorth station promptly at 8am.

9W Ride - Sunday May 15

2011-05-08T13:23:00.001-04:00

9W Ride - Sunday May 15

Please note that since we are riding from start to start -- if you are late - you will miss the ride because we need to stay on schedule for the next start. Email us back at NYCRANKEES@GMAIL.COM with your start location so we can keep an eye out for you as we arrive at each start. Email us with any questions you may have (Google map links are included below).

Meeting Options (with Google Map links):

8am Gorilla Coffee - 5th Ave/Park Pl Brooklyn; (7.6 miles to Intrepid)

8:45am - USS Intrepid - W 46th St/West Side Bike Path (~8 miles to W 177 & Cabrini Blvd)

9:25am - W 177th St and Cabrini Blvd - Manhattan (near the A-train @ 175th and GWB entrance - Start here to ride the shortest distance possible)

From the GWB we will ride south River Road and then north up to Nyack and back over the GWB to Manhattan where you can catch the A train @ 175th and Ft Washington or the 1 train at 168th and Broadway or you are welcome to ride home (West Side Bike Path, etc). Your total milage will depend upon where you decide to start and finish. If you start at W177 & Cabrini and ride round trip to the Runcible Spoon in Nyack your total milage is about 41 miles.

Off the bike fun:

-Jeremy & Lisa Gans' Carnival; Scarsdale; Afternoon of Sunday May 15

-Sunday FUNdraiser to benefit the Ride to Cure; hosted by Sara, Jake, Chelsea, Troy, and Lindsay G; Afternoon of Sunday May 15

-Thursday May 12 is also the JDRF Spring for a Cure: http://www.jdrf.org/sfac2011

prospect park, a sunny day and happy easter!

2011-04-24T19:28:00.009-04:00

yay! we were so happy to finally see the sun on a breezy 30-mile ride in prospect park this morning. unfortunately the rain forced us to cancel the bedford ride on saturday, but we made up for it in the park on sunday. representing the crankees today were jon, cary, matt, lindsay, lianna and me. we worked on speed and getting out of the saddle, and we finished feeling good and ready for the next challenge. and then we ate a lot of cheese, because why not?

coincidentally, several of us took our bikes to various shops in brooklyn and new york after the ride. unfortunately we all got reprimanded for not cleaning our bikes as much as we should. bad crankees. stay tuned for details on bike maintenance -- and best practices. i know i could certainly use a lesson.

we don't have an official ride next weekend as it's the 5-boro bike tour. yay to jdrf-ers who are riding. we will be thinking of you! but for those not riding, definitely try and ride on your own. i am sure some crankees may be interested in an unofficial saturday ride. quicktopic like crazy and we'll figure something out. in the meantime, have a great week! and happy easter!

once upon a time...in a land called long island...

2011-04-24T19:05:00.005-04:00

eight little bikers braved the wind and the cold to conquer a 40-mile course on a gray april saturday (4/16). twas a bizarre day indeed, but the new york crankees survived the treacherous hills of westbury...well, maybe not so treacherous, but we fought serious wind to climb that one hill.

cary led the way, and hannah, jon, lindsay, brett, bob c., matt and i followed with our rain gear in tow. thanks to short stops and good riding, we managed to finish our 40-mile trek before the monsoon of that crazy day engulfed the new york area. kudos to our team for a terrific ride. even with a few minor setbacks, we were resilient, all smiles and had an amazing day. we can't wait for long island ride #2, and also the warm weather!

9W Ride

2011-04-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday the NY Crankees made their way to 9W; traversing the George Washington Bridge in to New Jersey and then crossing back into New York on their way to Nyack.

Jon and I began our journey in Park Slope; meeting up with Hugh, Carissa and Bob at the Intrepid on the west side greenway. Sara, Troy, Hannah, Matt, Stephen, Lindsay G, Lindsay R, and Brett met up with us at the bridge entrance on our way to Nyack. Perfect spring riding weather and an amazing group of folks to ride with!

See you all next week for first Long Island Ride - details are on the calendar.

KickOff Ride Recap

2011-04-02T17:25:00.009-04:00

Thanks to all who came out for the Kickoff Ride. It was a great 20 mile ride up the West Side Bike Greenway to the lighthouse under the GWB.

The day began as usual, pumping up tires, wiping dust off my top tube, and layering up for the arctic chill we've been living in for the last few weeks. Cary and I headed over the Brooklyn Bridge, he on his carbon Specialized Tarmac (weighing in at a cool 15 lbs) and me on my nine-speed aluminum commuter bike (built from the blueprints and scrap metal of a WWII Sherman Tank, weighing in around 95lbs).

We all met up at 9 and I was so happy to see most of the group already there, waiting to get rolling. There were so many first time riders out for their first Crankee experience, and also many new bikes. It was like a high-end showroom with new Cannondale and Specialized bikes on display.

We got on the road after a little meet and greet with all of us and Julia from the Chapter, and all of the sudden, we all realized that it was a perfect day for a bike ride. A little chill off the river cut the warm sun perfectly and nothing but blue skies over the Hudson.

After the ride we headed by foot to Battery Gardens where we were met by Assistant Coach Jen Davino...But apparently Battery Gardens lied to Cary. They said if it was nice out, they'd be open. Nope. Not the case. Gotta wait until May. So we hoofed it up to the South Street Seaport and got a table for ten on the refurbished cobblestones of the oldest neighborhood in town. The food was surprisingly good for a tourist spot and the four pitchers of beer went fast! This just might become a tradition.

It was a great day out on the bike and I want to thank all who came out:
Sarah
Troy
Bob
Matt
Brett
Lindsay
and Guest riders
Lindsay
Stephen

Can't wait to see you all for 9W next week.

2011 Kickoff Ride

2011-03-23T22:25:00.002-04:00

On Saturday April 2 we will have our 2011 Kickoff ride. 20 miles from Battery Park to the GWB and back.

We will meet in Battery Park @ the PARK SIDE of Battery Place and Hudson River Greenway/Bike Lane. We will have a 20 minute meeting before we ride and finish with a lunch and drinks at Battery Gardens (outdoors weather permitting).

Please email nycrankees@gmail.com to reach out to the coaches (Jon & Cary) should you have any questions or concerns.

Slideshow!

2011-01-27T09:33:00.004-05:00

Crankees,

Here's a recap of the 2010 season, in slideshow form. There's nothing better to get you through a cold winter day like pictures of you during the summer set to adult contemporary music.

Viewing tip:

Due to this blog's unique settings, half of the YouTube window below is cut off, so please Double Click on the viewer below to launch full-screen mode.

Descending Tips

2010-12-11T14:53:00.003-05:00

I came across a great article on the Art of Descending written by 2 time Olympian Rob Crowe on the CT blog (written in Australia so they are just entering their summer cycling season now). Basic tips for every level of rider to be conscious of:

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2010/04/descending-tips

Bear Mountain Ride

2010-11-07T12:30:00.002-05:00

The Gentlemen of the Crankees made their way to Bear Mountain for a day of climbing. Starting the day at 30 degrees at 7am; finishing up with great views from the top of Perkins.

The Bedford Ride - Part Deux - Fall Version

2010-11-01T21:17:00.003-04:00

A great turn out for the Fall version of the Bedford Ride - Lindsay, Jon, Lesley, Carissa, Hugh, Peter & Pamela all came out for 50 miles of hills and foliage to get ready for AZ just a few weeks away.

Saturday November 6 we will ride Bear Mountain again (a long and short version will be available) with a finish atop the 5 mile climb of Perkins.

SUNDAY FUNDAY

2010-10-25T12:39:00.003-04:00

Thank you everyone who came out to our 9W ride on Sunday. While we did not make it up to Bear Mountain, we had an amazing day climbing the hills of River Road and Rockland County. The fall foliage was almost as awesome as the Chocolate Croissants at the Runcible Spoon.

HUGE Thanks to Danny and Cary for leading a great ride!

LI Ride and Tonight's Happy Hour!

2010-09-28T13:06:00.002-04:00

Hi Crankees --

We have a few exciting events coming up, including a raging happy hour at NYC's Public House this evening! The Happy Hour is FREE (!!!) from 7-8pm tonight, but feel free to stay longer. The address is as follows:

Public House
140 East 41st Street, between Lex and Third

Coach Cary is also leading another Long Island Ride this weekend on Sunday, October 3. A bunch of us did this ride a few weeks ago and we LOVED it. Please join if you can. Details are below:

Long Island Ride - Sunday OCTOBER 3 - 8:15am start time, please
RSVP so we can get a head count.

Folks coming from the Manhattan/Brooklyn via LIRR will have a
few minutes to put themselves together (train arrives 8:05).

We will modify the following LIBC route to start at the Westbury
train station (adds just a mile or two -- total of about 61
miles). We will be riding through the North Shore of LI through
Port Washington, Sands Point, Roslyn, Sea Cliff, Glen Cove,
Lattingtown and back to Bayville which we rode through on the
last LI ride.

LIRR Schedule to Westbury (can start from Penn Station: leaves
7:25am or Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn: leaves 7:12am):
http://mta.info/lirr/Timetable/Station/PortJeffersonPJ2.pdf

Map of Train Station (we will meet on the SOUTH side of the
station, free on street parking for those with cars on Railroad
Ave):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q...06282,0.009624&z=17

Route:
http://www.bicyclelongisland.org/libc/cuesheets/CuesheetA007.pdf

Hope to see you all both on and off your bikes very soon!

XOXO, The Ride Committee and the Coaches

July Newsletter/Updated Ride Schedule

2010-07-29T06:53:00.002-04:00

The July Newsletter has hit the presses!

UPCOMING RIDE SCHEDULE
Below you will find the ride schedule for the remainder of the season. Each week, please RSVP by clicking
here if you plan to attend the scheduled ride for that week. It will help us determine mileage and carpooling options for you.

Please contact Cary or Danny if you have any questions/concerns about the current schedule. We hope to see you at all or as many of these rides as possible!

sun, aug 1 @ 815 am
long island ride

sun, aug 8 @ 7am in BK
prospect park drills

aug 12-15
LA CROSSE RIDE!!!

sun, aug 22 @ 7am
harriman ride

sun, sept 5 @ 7am
prospect park drills

sept 10-13
TAHOE RIDE!!!

sun, sept 12 @ 7am
west point ride

sun, sept 26 @ 7am
bear mountain 1

sun, oct 3
ride; details tbd

sun, oct 17
9w ride; details tbd

sun, oct 24
bear mountain 2

sat, oct 30
bedford ride

nov 17-19
TUCSON RIDE!!!

Burlington!!!

2010-07-17T09:14:00.002-04:00

Crankees!!!

It looks like Burlington is off to an amazing start!! The weather looks perfect and there seem to be smiles from ear to ear! Check out some of the photos belowTim Chizak and Mike DiTore return to Vermont for the 2nd time to avenge Hurricane Danny.

New Rider Lianna and our very loved, and very missed former coach Lewis Runnion. Lianna is on the course right now going for her first century!

Lindsay and Lianna tuning up at the training ride. Thanks for all your hard work for JDRF!

Look! It's Bob Cohen receiving a top fundraiser award!

Chappaqua Cue Sheet

2010-06-22T21:59:00.002-04:00

I've had a few requests for the Chappaqua cue sheet, so here it is!

CHAPPAQUA LOOP

Check out the course in 3D

2010-06-13T20:08:00.002-04:00

Here's the google earth 3D view of the Chappaqua ride:

Noah's Ride

2010-06-12T19:18:00.001-04:00

On Sunday I did a charity bike ride to benefit JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). The max distance was 37 miles but you could ride as little as 5 miles. I went with a few teammates as well as my former JDRF coach Lewis who happens to be a bike racer for Deno's Wonder Wheel; Lewis also brought his teammate John along for the ride. The day turned out to be fantastic! There were rolling hills, lots of horse farms (I LOVE horses), sunshine and great company, to top it all off there was lots of speed (another thing I LOVE).

There were a couple of challenging hills and one super fast downhill (I reached a max of 43mph). That ride was a turning point for me, wanna know why???!!!! I pacelined for the first time ever!!! For those of you that don't know, pacelining is when you draft or follow right behind the person in front of you. Your front wheel is just a few inches from their back wheel. The benefit of pacelining is that the front person sets an agreed pace for the other riders in the line, they also break the wind therefore making it much easier for everyone else to go faster without expending much energy.

So? Can you see WHY I loved that ride so much??!!! The last 13 miles of the ride I was pacelining, we were going like 22mph! On average I ride 13/14mph, with flats and downhills I can pull 15/16mph but to be able to ride 22mph for that length of time. My god the thrill! The rush of adrenaline! I love speed. It was so freaking cool. I felt like a kid, I felt like (what I imagine to be) a bike racer. I felt inspired to better my riding skills. After the ride was over Lewis came over to me and told me it was some of the best riding I've done, he gave me a high five and said good job. I felt like a puppy wagging my tail who got the pat on the head. So few with his words yet so rewarding when he gives them. That's Lewis.

The ride reminded me of my first century. It's those first moments that you can never forget. The turning points.

I'd like to give a special thank you to Aly, Lewis, John, Lianna, Mike and Lindsay for inviting me, for riding with me and for teaching me. Of course we couldn't have done the ride without Tom and Nancy (the hosts) - thank you for what you do in order to raise money so we can cure diabetes.

Off the Bike! Fundraising Updates and other JDRF Fun!

2010-06-09T09:47:00.005-04:00

This has been quite an exciting month or two for JDRF and I wanted to keep everyone up to speed on all the fun that's been going on off the bike.

On Saturday May 1st, The JDRF Westchester Chapter held its Annual Gala. In attendance were fellow riders Mike DiTore, Tim Chizak, Lisa and Jeremy Gans, Lindsay and Jon Reitzes and Bob Newblatt. Former rider Robin Kern ( one of the top 5 fundraisers at the 2009 Sonoma Ride) performed with her band Blonde Ambition.

The following week the Young Leadership Spring for a Cure event was held with a HUGE turnout including Carissa Trast, Aaron Cook, Pamela and Peter Levinson, Hannah Barker, Cary James, Lesley Bogdanow, Jon and Lindsay Reitzes, and former riders Allison Blass and Jen Jacobs.

The next night, Carissa held her own fundraiser and did an amazing job! She has now raised over $5,000!

On May 22nd, Lisa and Jeremy Gans held their 2nd annual Carnival in Scarsdale. It was a HUGE success, raising over $21,000!!!!!! Lisa did an incredible job and was assisted by fellow riders Lindsay Grubiak, Lindsay Reitzes and Lesley Bogdanow.

Here is the link to see all the fun photos

Let's keep the fundraising going!! Have you done something out of the box to bring in the donations? We want to hear about it!

Chappaqua Ride-B-Q

2010-06-07T17:24:00.004-04:00

(My mom with the Clintons on Election Day, NY POST)

WHAT: 1st ANNUAL RIDE-B-Q
WHERE: 321 Whippoorwill Road, Chappaqua NY
PARK & MEET @ CAROLYN PLACE, ACROSS THE STREET
WHEN: SATURDAY, JUNE 19
RIDE START TIME: 8 AM
BBQ START TIME: 12:30

Join us in Chappaqua for a special family-friendly in and around my hometown of Chappaqua, NY. The details of the ride itself are being glued together as-we-speak, but it will be a 30-40 mile ride with a ton of hills. Then after the punishment comes the reward!

After climbing a ton of hills, we will barbeque and swim at about 12:30. Relax on a beach chair, take a dip in the hot tub, or round out your workout with some laps courtesy of the Reitzes family. Children and loved ones are all welcome and encouraged!

Please note that we are starting this ride at my parent's house. Please let us know if you need a ride from the train station and we will arrange a carpool. If you are driving from the city and can take a passenger, OR if you can do a pickup at the train station it would help your fellow riders out immensely.

Please post your RSVP to the quicktopic board so we know how many people to expect.

BEDFORD, June 5th

2010-05-27T12:17:00.004-04:00

Our favorite Westchester ride is right around the corner! This is a ride not to be missed. It is one of the most popular training rides of the season and we expect an amazing turnout.

Join us for a beautiful ride through some moderate hills and some of the most picturesque scenery you've seen so far this season.

Please post your RSVP on the Quicktopic ( Please include if you will do 35 or 50 miles, and if you are taking the train or driving)

Start at Bedford Hills Metro North Station

Meeting time: 8:00am

Train Station Address 46 Depot Plaza Bedford Hills, NY 10507-1808

· Depart Grand Central Station @ 6:30AM, Arrive Bedford Hills @ 7:50AM

· Buy Tickets & Bike Permit from Agent @ GCS

· Ride Leaves @ 8AM from the parking lot of Bedford Hills Metro North

( I couldn't find a photo from the ride last year so here is a photo from Whitefish 2008)

Training Ride Saturday May 8

2010-05-03T19:21:00.009-04:00

Join us for the start in Brooklyn, Manhattan or the NJ side of the GWB. For those starting in Brooklyn/Manhattan, riding to the GWB will be 12-15 miles. From the NJ side, we will ride up 9W to Tallman Mountain.

Please RSVP to Coach Cary at caryjames@gmail.com or call 516-672-9791 and let me know where you will be starting.

Distance Options
Start @ Manhattan/Brooklyn Round Trip: ~54 miles (longest distance option)
Start in NJ @ GWB Round Trip: 26+ miles (short distance option, unless you ride with us back into Manhattan)
NOTE: If you are going to or from Brooklyn/Manhattan, take the subway near the GWB (181st St A or 1 Trains) and cut out about 13 miles to either the start or finish (a middle distance option).

Start Locations
Start Option 1: 8:30am Depart Brooklyn Meet @ Livingston St & Boeurm Pl/Adams St (Meet in the Plaza outside the NYC Transit Authority); riding over the Brooklyn Bridge
Start Option 2: 8:50am Depart Manhattan @ Chambers St & West Side Bike Path (Close to the PATH from JC or Hoboken)
Start Option 3: 10:40am Depart the NJ side of GWB (We will meet a few hundred feet north of the GWB – street is known as Hudson Terrace before we jump on 9W North).

IMPORTANT: If you are taking the Bike Path over the GWB: Google Maps is wrong….
http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07_09/gway_to_GWB.jpg
Stay on the path under the bridge, take the bridge over Amtrak, the tunnel under South-bound parkway, the path then switches back south then north to parallel the North-bound parkway (be prepared this section is very hilly but short), which it crosses at a Pedestrian bridge to Riverside Drive. Go right onto Riverside, then left on 181st and Right at Ft. Washington and turn Right to enter the GWB.

Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Boerum+Pl&daddr=Unknown+road+to:Unknown+road+to:41.029125,-73.916616&geocode=FRrlbAIdnAOX-w%3BFTz6bAIdMAaX-w%3BFQNgbwIdOWeX-w%3B&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=1&mrsp=3&sz=16&via=1&dirflg=b&sll=41.029206,-73.916895&sspn=0.009939,0.016737&ie=UTF8&ll=40.761821,-73.934212&spn=0.159666,0.267792&z=12&lci=bike

Kickoff Ride

2010-04-24T15:40:00.003-04:00

It was a beautiful day in Prospect Park last Saturday. Danny and Cary were joined by Jon and Lindsay and our newest team mate, Lianna! Lianna even hit the park early to get in a few laps before the rest of the team joined her.

See everyone next weekend. Ride details will be posted this week.

2010 Here We Go!

2010-04-14T20:52:00.003-04:00

Hey Gang,

The sun is out, the weather is improving everyday, and as you can tell, RIDE SEASONS HAS BEGUN.

The blog is firing up, layers are shedding, coaches are planning, and riders are registering!

We already have a great start to registration, with almost 90% of out 2009 riders returning. There are over 35 riders total signed up so far for Tuscon, Tahoe, La Crosse, and Burlington ( with 20 riders already registered for Tuscon).

We also had an amazing turnout to the Open House where we met a handful of our new riders as well as a group of people we hope to see on the team soon. There are some amazing new Crankees, one who has already raised over $3,000! Hey Tuscon riders, time to give her a run for her money and start fund raising. It's never too early! Who knows, maybe we'll sweep all five top fundraising spots this years.

There is still time to recruit other riders and win the coveted Yellow Jersey ( previously won by Lesley in Whitefish in 2008). Tuscon has tons of spots left and training hasn't even begun, so reach out to your friends and family and get them in the saddle.

The 2010 Calendar has been updated - just click the link on the right to see where we'll be riding next. There will be some Westchester and Central Park rides added shortly.

Stay tuned!

Come Join The Fun!

2010-04-12T15:12:00.001-04:00

Hey Gang,

Lisa and Jeremy Gans will be hosting a Carnival fundraiser of Sunday May 22nd. Please pass this along to anyone who might be interested. If you want to volunteer to help a hand, email me for more information.

Thank You!

2009-11-27T15:00:00.004-05:00

"It is ok to choose your path and your pace...just stick to the path your heart is setting out for you.” My friend

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. There are no expectations other than having a great meal surrounded by the people I care most about. It’s a time when I start to reflect on the past year and think about how grateful I am for everything that has come my way – the good and the bad. I think about how appreciative I am for the support I have from my family and friends and how YOU continue to enrich my life.

So I’d like to say thank you. Thank you for supporting me in my life choices, thank you for supporting me in my athletic adventures and most of all thank you for continuing to donate to me on behalf of JDRF’s Ride to Cure Diabetes . The Ride to Cure has saved me in more ways than you could know and I am eternally grateful of your support. I asked you to make a decision to act and you did - you helped me raise $4,000.00 for this years ride in Vermont. As a whole the Vermont venue raised over 1.4 million dollars towards research – a first for the ride program!! All thanks to you.

That weekend was another life-changing experience as it challenged me like never before. You see I’ve never ridden in the rain. That day I rode 100 miles in the cold, wind and rain. I didn’t think I’d do it when I started; I was just going to see how I felt and take the day as it came. It’s a great thing when all is said and done, when you realize what you accomplished despite the adversity. I wrote in great detail what the experience was like in my blog. If you get a chance please copy and paste the link below to read all about it.

http://trainingdiabeteslife.blogspot.com/2009/08/coldwindrain100-miles-in-vt.html

As you may already know, this year I have become a triathlete and have now planned to race an Ironman by 2011. I can honestly say becoming an athlete has saved me. It’s helped me in dealing with loss, taking better control of my diabetes, becoming more involved in the diabetic community and as I have been positively influenced by the experience I want to continue to pay it forward. I have much to look forward to next year in preparation for 2011; lots of training, many races and new adventures as well as my annual century ride for JDRF. So I wanted to let you know you’re making a difference in my life and in the research being made with your continued support of the ride program. I couldn’t do this without you.

The path I am traveling right now is incredible and I’m enjoying every minute of it. Thank you so much for sharing it with me!!!

All my love,
Jen

My personal blog

cold+wind+rain=Crankees success in VT

2009-09-02T09:38:00.002-04:00

I had an amazing weekend with you guys. Please be sure to thank your family members for coming out to support us - it means so much to me when I see them out there. I want to give a big shout out to Jeremy, Linds, Les & Roger for your outstanding fund-raising!!! I think the NYC team is a force to be reckoned with in that area :).

We had a very challenging day with many firsts including Danny's "twin" making things interesting weather wise, snakes in the road like I'd never seen before and best of all new teammates completing their first century!!

I'd like to share some key moments that stood out from the weekend:

Blake thank you for supplying us with the 2009 theme song.

Lewis thank you for your great words I think this was one of the quotes you mentioned:

“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words. It is making the time when there is none. Coming through time after time after time, year after year after year. Commitment is the stuff character is made of; the power to change the face of things. It is the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism." Anon

Hanna thank you for making me laugh on a hill...this is how it went:
I'm riding behind Hanna on the climb and once we get to the top she pulls over. I'm still trudging up and can't stop so I ask her "you ok?" Hanna replies "yeah my stomachs grumbling I'm hungry so I'm gonna eat". You can't beat that lol.

Jeremy I loved playing cat and mouse with you.

Dave I loved riding with you but from now on all I'll ever remember is Bear Mtn and your comment about me being Contador riding 6.2 miles up that hill on 9W lol.

Jon thank you for being my coach for the last 4 years. Thank you for making me think I could raise the money and do the ride that first year. It means more than you could ever possibly know. Just for the record I'd like to point out that in those early days I never ate 2 muffins before a ride! lol

Our team has grown both in numbers and in experience and I'm looking forward to many more years to come. We should definitely continue riding this fall at least one ride on the weekends.

See you kids at the wrap up party!

PS
Danny you'll get my definition and word 100 times written at the party but here's a preview (lol you have no idea what you got yourself into) ;):

Commitment: noun an agreement or pledge to do something in the future; especially : an engagement to assume a financial obligation at a future date b : something pledged c : the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled a commitment to a cause.

It's Gonna be Chilly!

2009-08-25T10:02:00.003-04:00

Hey Riders,

2 days until we hit the road! Amazing that we've come this far already.

I wanted to remind you all to bring the following:

1. Rain gear. That means a waterproof jacket that will keep both your torso and upper legs dry as well as changes of socks.

2. It will be cold when we start. The course starts with a huge downill that will freeze you if you don't wear a jacket, a base layer, covered arms, covered legs and something that covers your ears and full finger gloves. Also, your feet will feel it first! Let's not forget how cold our toes got in Whitefish. It's not going to be that cold--but it will be 50° at the starting line. And remember, you can always shed layers as you go.
To Recap:

1. Rain jacket
2. Headband/ear cover
3. Base layer/Long sleeve jersey
4. Tights/leg warmers
5. Full finger gloves
6. Booties/sock liners

Have a safe ride and I can't wait to see you at the ride.

Best,
Jon

Bear Mountain Recap

2009-08-16T21:32:00.005-04:00

We had an incredible ride on Saturday at our 2nd annual Bear Mountain ride. It was the first training ride I've been on all season where we weren't rained on, although the heat and humidity did add to the challenge.

Jen, Jeremy, Hannah, Cary and I were lead by coaches Jon and Danny on a 56 mile ride through Bear Mountain, Harriman, and Tuxedo, while Lewis lead Jeff, and our New Jersey riders. We were very fortunate to have Mike Malekoff riding with us, and he tackled the hills like a champion.

The day would not have been complete without our cheerleader/SAG wagon/photographers: Stephenie, Maria and Aly.

Thank you everyone who came out for the ride. I had an amazing day with all of you, and I am counting down the days until we are all together again in Killington.

Here are a few photos while we wait for Maria to upload the 300 she took.

Final Long Training Ride!!

2009-08-10T16:28:00.000-04:00

Hello Crankees!!

Well it is that time of the year again; the final training before the big event. On Saturday August 15th we will once again conduct the final test of our legs in and around Bear Mountain State Park, NY. Just as last year, we will offer 56 and 75 mile loops that both finish at the top of Perkins Memorial Drive. Both courses are challenging with dramatic views throughout the Park and surrounding areas and great roads. We will be hosting a celebration at the finish, so it is very important that we get confirmation as to who will be attending or you will have no food at the finish. Also, we would like to encourage your families to attend and cheer on the team and help out wherever possible.

Here are the ride details:

We will be starting at 7:30 a.m.!!

We will start from the parking lot at Bear Mountain State Park just off Seven Lakes Drive. This lot does not have an address for your GPS!!! If you go to www.googlemaps.com and put this number 41.309671,-73.990227 into the “Search Maps” box, you will see the start location. Follow the directions on Google to find turn by turn directions to the start. In addition, there is a link to Bear Mountain State Park with SPECIFIC written directions from every possible approach to the park http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkId=55. As a last resort, you can call the Park (845 786-2701) and they will tell you how to drive there (I tried this out myself today and they were very accurate).
We have put a lot of effort into this ride to make it special for everyone who attends; please make every effort to be there even if it is just to support your team mates. As always, post your intentions of attending here and we will see you Saturday!!
Lewis

We will be starting at 7:30 a.m.!!

Brooklyn Bicycles

2009-08-10T13:23:00.003-04:00

Hey Brooklynites,

Jon and I discovered an amazing new bike shop in Park Slope called BROOKLYN BICYCLES.

They have generously agreed to give the New York Crankees 10% off everything in the shop, including service. Stop by and check them out if you are on the way to Prospect Park, or biking into the city. The service is amazing and the staff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable.

We look forward to working more with them in the future.

Brooklyn Bicycles

375 9th Street ( @ 6th Avenue)

Park Slope

Cue Sheet for Sunday, Aug 9

2009-08-08T11:06:00.002-04:00

Sunday we'll be riding a 70-mile course through Westchester, starting in Plesantville at the Captain Lawrence Brewerly.

8AM
99 Castleton St
Pleasantville, NY 10570-3460
(914) 741-2337
Get directions

Drill, Danny, Drill!

2009-07-29T19:07:00.001-04:00

(Reposted from the QuickTopic)

Hi everyone,
There is no official ride this weekend. However, I am organizing a workout
this Sunday in Prospect Park. I want to start at 7:30. I find that time better. The park get very crowded later in the morning. Please, let me know who is interested on attending.

PS: I promisse to ride fully clothed this time. Hope everyone is recovered
from Sunday and you are having a great week.

Pictures from Harriman/West Point Ride

2009-07-27T09:48:00.003-04:00

Why We Ride

2009-07-22T11:20:00.004-04:00

Happy summer everyone!

As you saw from Jon's post, last weekend we had a great training ride on 9W. What you may not know, however, is that we had an unexpected insulin pump snafu, and we had to stop for a few minutes around mile 20.

We had just stopped at the Runcible for a quick snack and bathroom break. Just as we were pedaling further into the ride, my pump started sounding an unfamiliar alarm - "button error." I stopped and was immediately surrounded by the team, which included four diabetics on this particular ride. Blake provided sound advice because he had experienced the same thing before with his pump. Jen gave me her bike tool so I could open the battery cartridge. Hugh and Danny were patient and asked multiple times if there was anything they could do to help. Jeff was lost but he was there with us in spirit. And Jon -- well Jon ended up saving me.

My pump went kaput. Fortunately I had some syringes and insulin with me so I was able to give myself a little bit of insulin so I could complete the ride. Note that it's always a good idea to carry some.

After the Ride, I went over to Jon's apartment to borrow his spare pump. Since the ride was on a Sunday, Medtronic couldn't get me a new pump until Tuesday. That's a long time in diabetic land, so I was thrilled to be able to resume my normal routine with Jon's extra pump and not have to worry about how much NPH to take, or the fact that I didn’t have a prescription for Lantus. Four years ago before I joined the team, I wouldn't have been so lucky. I had been living in the city for five years, and I hardly knew anyone with diabetes, and I certainly didn’t have any friends with diabetes.

This is why we ride. We're all working to cure diabetes, but we can also help each other until we get there. Our team is comprised of parents, children, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, friends and more – and we are bound by our connection to diabetes. By spending time together as a team, we can share ideas about eating, riding and managing through a ride without a pump. We learn, we encourage, we listen, and we get aggravated about the Lot 8 recall. We challenge and inspire one another. We are teammates and friends. And, in this particular case, we save each other.

I feel very lucky to be a part of the Ride.

The Power of Snail Mail

2009-07-20T18:35:00.005-04:00

We're hip. We're with it. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn. You name it. I've got at least six email accounts, an iPhone, a Blackberry, and a satellite hookup to my cerebral cortex. With all this connectivity, why, oh why do I send out letters in the (snore) snail mail?

It's because it works. In looking at my online donations I'm always shocked that my immediate family, my aunts, uncles, my college roommates--people that know me the best almost never donate online. They're waiting for the letter.

The letter is the thing that they will hang on the fridge or show to company when they come over. The letter is the thing that people can hold on to and think of you, and how they donated, and how awesome you are.

People also receive a ton of unsolicited emails that they ignore. Facebook status updates come and go, and are all too easy for people to avoid when they have a ton of work to do. Mail is opened when the work day is over--people are relaxed and about to have dinner. In their pile of ConEd bills and J. Crew catalogs is a letter from--you. And you're doing something awesome. And you included a self-addressed envelope.

Snail mail is powerful and should be used. If you haven't sent out a paper letter yet, there's still time. Believe it or not, people WANT your letter.

Fantastic 9W Ride

2009-07-19T14:21:00.002-04:00

The weather was perfect and the early scene was set. Led by Danny and Me, Jen, Lesley, Jeff, Hugh, and Blake showed up at the crack of dawn to get a head start on a nearly perfect day for cycling. Without a doubt it was the best day on the bike in New York this season.

We rode most of the route at a brisk 15 mph average, getting to Nyack in about an hour. After a nibble at Runcible Spoon, we headed a little further north and added a few hilly miles.

We headed back to Nyack, through Piermont and up the hills. When we got back to the cars, we decided to get some MORE hills in by heading to the River Road. I was impressed with the bike path that joins to road to the park. We rode down the shady River Road to the public beach under the GWB where we turned around to tackle the hills out and get back home

All this before lunch!

What a fantastic day. Be sure to come on next weeks ride, and we'll try as hard as we can to have another perfect one.

See you soon!

Sunday, July 17

2009-07-17T09:49:00.002-04:00

We'll be riding 9W at 7:30. I do look forward to a great turnout. But please be ready to ride at 7:30. So if you're running late, please find a place to park 5 miles down the road and join us when we reach you. Lately we've been starting up to 30 minutes after the start time.

The meeting place is the Bank of America behind the Bicycle Club on Sylvan Lake Road in Ft. Lee.

See you Sunday!

Jon

Et Tu Map My Ride?

2009-07-12T21:11:00.003-04:00

Dear Riders,

We had a great day out today from Rye to Bedford and Back. Leading the pack was Roger Krulak, last year's top fundraiser and Westchester local. He was also our saving grace and navigator using his Garmin GPS to keep us en route after an unknown error with Map My Ride left our cue sheet strangely off. It would seem that the usually reliable site got left and right mixed up about 50% of the time. Thankfully with iPhones and GPS systems handy we all stayed on course.

Tim Chizak had a great day out, commanding the hills finishing strong. Robert and Lindsay had some great father/daughter bonding and Blake and Shana had a great time rolling along.

Thanks for coming out and I can't wait to see you on the course next week--this time with an old-fashioned Excel cue sheet.

Scarsdale Ride moved to RYE

2009-07-09T10:23:00.004-04:00

While riding the Scarsdale route, we hit some major traffic areas in White Plains. While there were only a few miles of this, I decided that it would ultimately be worth it to move the ride start location. I chose a route that started close to Scarsdale. We are starting about 7 miles from our previous location. Here's the complete turn sheet.

50 Mile Ride
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Distance Go X Then
at turn Miles Turn At or onto
0.0 0.0 Post Road westbound
1.0 1.0 R North Barry Ave
1.6 0.6 R Grove Street
2.0 0.4 L West Street
3.4 1.4 BR Pleasant Ridge Road
4.6 1.2 L NY 127
7.6 3.0 BR White Plains Ave
7.8 0.2 L Locust Ave becomes Underhill Ave then Lake Street
11.0 3.2 S NY 120
14.3 3.3 R Old Route 22 cross NY 22
15.8 1.5 L NY 128
17.3 1.5 R/L Cox Ave
18.0 0.7 S High Street becomes Sarles Street
21.7 3.7 R NY 172
21.9 0.2 L West Patent Road
23.5 1.6 L McLain Street
23.6 0.1 R Springhurst Road
24.2 0.6 R Bedford Center Road
26.9 2.7 R NY 22
27.8 0.9 Rest Stop in Bedford
27.8 Continue south on NY 22
31.9 4.1 R Baldwin Road
32.3 0.4 L Byram Lake Road
34.7 2.4 S Cox Ave
34.8 0.1 L NY 433 becomes Riversville Road
41.6 6.8 R Glenville Road
41.8 0.2 L Glenville Ave
42.3 0.5 L King Street
43.0 0.7 R Betsy Brown Road
43.1 0.1 R to stay on Betsy Brown Road
43.5 0.4 L North Ridge Road
44.2 0.7 R Old White Plains Road becomes Bowman, then Polly Park
45.0 0.8 L Belmont Ave
45.1 0.1 L to stay on Belmont Ave
45.3 0.2 R Park Drive
46.7 1.4 L NY 127
47.1 0.4 L North Street
48.5 1.4 BR Old Post Road
48.9 0.4 BR Post Road
49.9 1.0 Post Road & Barlow Lane

Ride Starts at Jay Heritage Center, 210 Boston Post Road, Rye

Sonoma Recap

2009-07-05T16:55:00.007-04:00

Dear Riders,

We had a fantastic ride in Sonoma last weekend. A truly courageous 75-riders hit a demanding course at record high temperatures. Peter, Pamela, Eddie and Gail conquered the Metric century, while Robin completed the most greuling 90 miles I've ever seen on a JDRF ride. For her herculean efforts, as well as her connection to the cause, she was awarded the coveted Spirit Award for embodying the "spirit" of the ride.

We started early, as usual. A Jimi Hendrix inspired Star Spangled Banner woke up the valley at the crack of dawn. Then we were off. From our hotel in Santa Rosa we rode through vineyards and up switchbacks until we got to the dramatic bluffs that corner the edge of the earth: The California coast. Cool winds blew off the water giving us relief from the incredible heat.

And it got hotter. I've heard mixed reports, but the consensus was that the mercury hit 106 degrees on the pavement, made worse by arduous climbs. At one point, I felt like Moses walking the Israelites through the desert as the climbs turned many a cyclist into a hiker. Yup, it was hard.

The metric crew finished at about 2:30 while Robin and I ventured on. Robin gave it her all until the course had to be closed at 5:45. Completely thrilled with 90 against-all-odd miles, her son Jake was at the finish line to give her a medal.

Not to be forgotten, Myles horn should have been given an award for best bike decoration. It would seem that some pranksters snuck in to the bike room and gave his hybrid a makeoever complete with baseball cards in the spokes and streamers on the handlebars. Myles also completed his goal mileage on borrowed Chuck Taylor's from Eddie.

I've posted some pics here, as well as published them on a MobileMe gallery. You can add to the gallery by clicking upload pictures. Please share your pics from the weekend.

Check it out:
http://gallery.me.com/jonreitzes#100183

I can't wait until my bike gets back from the road and we can go out again. I'm still scouting routes for Sunday's ride. I am thinking lower Westchester. If anyone has a great route, please let me know.

4th of July Unofficial Ride

2009-07-03T16:22:00.003-04:00

Lesley, Jeff, Riva, Riva's friend Wendy, and I had a beautiful ride today up 9W. It was Jeff's first 9W Ride, and he tackled the hills like a champ, even adding in a few extra long ones after Nyack. Lesley, Jeff and I rode 38 miles, and Riva and Wendy rode to Nyack and back. We worked on keeping up our speed on the way back and made excellent time on the return trip, despite 9W's challenging hills.

It was a great unofficial ride, and I encourage everyone to try and meet up with fellow riders like this if they have free time, or can't make a training ride. We had a blast!

Sonoma Bound!

2009-06-24T20:29:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning, The first team of New York Crankees will venture off to California and from the looks of this crew, I know we are going to have an AMAZING weekend. Veteran riders Gail and Myles Horn, Peter Levenson and Pamela Sweeney, and Eddie Brettholz will return to Sonoma for their second conquest. (Peter and Pamela's daughter Emily will be joining me in the cheering section).

Robin Reitzes Kern will be heading out to complete her first century ride. Robin has raised an $13,000 (!!!!) , and will be bringing the Reitzes-Kern cheering section out with her. Bobbi and Rob Reitzes will be returning for their third ride as volunteers as well as Robin's husband Adam, her sons Jake and Joey, and their support team ( Viviana).

Of course, coach Jon Reitzes will be leading up this Motley crew.

The weather report reads sunny skies and the vineyards are calling our name.

I wish everyone good luck and I can't wait to cheer you all on as you cross the finish line!

Saturday, June 20th

2009-06-19T10:21:00.002-04:00

We will ride on Saturday morning starting at 8:00 a.m. from usual spot at the Bicycle Club on the Jersey side of teh GW. We'll go to Piermount or Nyack, depending on the group's desire that morning. We'll begin adding longer rides in the next couple weeks.

Please indicate your desire to attend Saturday's ride on the Quick Topic board. If there is no response, I will not be there at 8:00 a.m.!

See you Saturday.

Lewis

Cyclefest!

2009-06-10T17:33:00.003-04:00

(This is a repost of Lewis' QuickTopic message)

Sunday Ride-

On Sunday we will be riding in the Bethel, CT at the Cyclefest. http://www.hatcitycyclists.org/cyclefest/cyclefest2009.html

This is an organized charity ride with a fee of $30.00 day of or $25.00 before this Friday registration fee. The fee covers food and some other goodies. There are multiple route options that include 23, 51, 80, and 103 mile options.

We will leave the parking lot of Bethel Municipal Center at 7:30 a.m. I know this means an early start for us all (5:15 a.m. for me) but the coaches agree that the location and routes served the interest of those who voted in Jon's previous survey.

Please indicate your plans to attend by posting here. For directions to the ride, please visit the site using the link posted above.

Beautiful Bedford Ride

2009-06-09T20:57:00.003-04:00

Saturday's ride in Bedford was awesome. 18 riders drove up to Martha Stewart's Kingdom to ride through its scenic roads. We passed lakes, stables, sheep, llamas, and billions of dollars of real estate.

Many if not all of us reintroduced our legs to our old nemesis--Gravity.

We started as a great big group buy quickly split into smaller pods of riders. Ryan and Alex led the pack (Alex even added a few miles early on--but not on purpose). Peter and Pamela were steady veterans in the middle, and Jeremy rode with new rider, Tim Chizak. Jeremy, I am happy to say made 100% correct turns and didn't need my turn-by-turn map at all. Blake and Shana did great as always, pushing their way up hills.

It was great to have guests, Evan, Sabrina and Danny H. who added so much to the ride. Hopefully they'll all join us on a Ride To Cure soon. Please feel free to invite your friends who cycle out for a ride. Training rides can be great for recruiting.

The riders were: Danny, myself, Lindsay, Jeremy, Tim, Peter, Pamela, Robin, Blake, Shana, Carey, Alex, Ryan, Hannah, Evan, Sabrina, and Danny H.

Carey and Hannah rode with us for the first time as their first day as an engaged couple! Congratulations to them.

Bedford Village Ride

2009-05-30T10:59:00.007-04:00

Bedford Village Ride, June 6
8:45 AM at The Bedford Village School
Meeting place:

View Larger Map

Click Here for the Cue Sheet (Note that we are doing the LONG ride).
Click here for the ROUTE: a 7 page map including turn by turn instructions and maps of segments of the ride. Print it and bring it. It's awesome.
Riders,

Next week's ride is one of my, and the team's favorites. In fact, in a poll I conducted post-season in 2008, the Bedford ride ranked #2, right behind Bear Mountain as a season highlight.

So I am extremely happy to spend Saturday riding in the country with all of you. The ride will remind you of all you'll need to work on throughout the season. It has some great climbs, nice fast straightaways, lakefront views, stables--It's as if these roads were made for us.

We'll meet at Bedford Village elementary school at 8:45 for a 9:00 start. If you're taking the train, there's a 7:46 out of Grand Central. If you would like a ride, but don't have a car, please post on the QuickTopic board and we'll see if we can hook you up in a carpool.

It's about a 50-miler, so be prepared to spend at least 5 hours on the road, including stops. We'll stop for a quick lunch at the Ridgefield Shopping Center, but be sure to bring plenty of water, food, and electrolytes. Also note that buying food is a time vacuum. I'll be brown-bagging a few PB&Js to save a few bucks and not spend time on the deli line.

I really encourage everyone to come out for this ride. It's spectacular and well worth the trip. Remember to post your intention to ride on the Quicktopic Board no later than Friday morning. (Photos are from last years Bedford Ride)

Sids + Cannondale = 20% off!

2009-05-29T20:46:00.004-04:00

Dear Riders,

Have you been looking for the right bike but have been waiting for a deal? Well, here's a sweet one. Our friends at Sid's Bike Shop and Cannondale have offered us a 20% discount on any Cannondale bike. That's ANY Cannondale! Lindsay and I both ride Cannondale bikes and they are amazing. They have models for casual riding, racing, touring, you name it.

Sid's has two locations: 19th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues and 34th Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues.

Let me know if you are interested in getting in on this deal. Jay, the manager at Sid's said that if a couple of people are getting bikes, he'd keep the store open for fittings and a party. Now that's service.

CARNIVAL FUN WITH THE GANS

2009-05-29T12:59:00.002-04:00

JEREMY AND LISA GANS INVITE YOU TO A CARNIVAL TO BENEFIT JDRF!

SUNDAY MAY 31ST , 1:00PM - 4:00PM

45 HARVEST DRIVE, SCARSDALE NY

$50 PER ADULT, $25 PER CHILD

FOR MOR EINFO EMAIL ISA @ JDRFCARNIVAL@GMAIL.COM

Memorial Day Weekend Training Ride

2009-05-25T21:02:00.002-04:00

Sunday morning Jen, Lorraine, and Aly all met at on the Jersey side of the GW and headed north to Piermont for coffee. The weather was perfect and both rider and vehicle traffic was minimal making for a perfect day to ride. Earlier that day I had selected a bike that I rarely ride for the day’s moderate cruise north. Within the first few miles my trusty steed began to creek and moan form the bottom bracket and I quickly realized that this was not going to be my day. Riding a bike to far with a lose or worn bottom bracket can cause irreversible damage to the frame so I had a quick decision to make; turn the whole group back or allow them to soldier on while I went back for the car. After a discussion with the group Lorraine felt comfortable leading the group until I returned with the car. I turned southward sure that it would only be a few minutes before I caught up with the team.

I get to the car and head back north to link up with the girls, expecting to see them over every rise but no luck. Apparently, they decided to hammer to Piermont while their lame coach is lounging in the comfort of the car. I rolled into Piermont just minutes before the girls arrived (apparently they had taken a route marked by Jeremy last year which taken them a mile off course). I treated all to an iced coffee and then we headed back south with the girls riding strong and me shouting encouragement from the comfort of the car.

Everyone rode really well and had a great time; a great way to begin the training season. I’m looking forward to our next training ride.

Hot Off the Press!

2009-05-19T21:09:00.002-04:00

Hello Crankees!

Click on the following link to view the Killington route map. Details of this route have just been released and you're some of the first to see it. http://ride.jdrf.org/index.cfm?page_id=111341

Looking forward to seeing you on the road soon!

Lewis

2009 Summer Schedule!

2009-05-15T12:26:00.004-04:00

Click on Training Ride and Event Schedule for updates. As always, please post your intentions to attend on our Quick Topic Board!

Sunday, May 3rd

2009-05-01T09:48:00.001-04:00

Riders,

Because of the 1) Five Boro Bike Tour and 2) Forecast for Rain, Danny and I have decided to change the ride location. The road closures and traffic on Sunday could possibly create a huge problem for us, and the rain is, well, rain. It's never fun to get caught 20 miles from your car in thunder and lightning.

We will be riding in Prospect park at 9 AM. Meet at Grand Army Plaza.

If there is a downpour, look out for an email or call me at 646-271-0306.

See you Sunday!

Jon

2009! Looking fine. Announcements and Season kickoff ride

2009-04-29T10:18:00.002-04:00

(Reprinted from the eNewsletter)

We would like to welcome Danny Artiga as our newest coach for the 2009 season. Anyone who rode with the team last year will surely know Danny as the incredibly warm, inspiring, energetic rider with a permanent smile on his face. Danny is a major triathlon man, and coach for runners and triathletes for Jackrabbit and CityCoach. He completed his first century last year in Montana, and will be returning this year to help prepare our team for the Vermont Ride. Danny will be working alongside returning coaches Jon Reitzes and Lewis Runnion.

RIDE ON SUNDAY MAY 3rd!

So...

Time to pump up the tires, squeeze into spandex, and head out for our first ride of the season. We will be riding the now famous route on 9W on Sunday, May 3. We will offer two distances: 30 and 40 miles (destinations of Piermont or Nyack). For those who want/need more, please let us know!

Meeting:
May 3rd
9:15 at the NJ side of the GWB
OR
9:30 at the Bicycle Club on 9W in Englewood.
CLICK HERE FOR A MAP

Please reply to the QuickTopic board to let us know if you plan on coming, and your intended distance. Also post if you need a ride.
http://www.quicktopic.com/41/H/AmQiesKaiHaE6

Re-Learning D-Curve

2009-04-18T17:52:00.003-04:00

Hello Crankees,

Happy belated Passover and Easter holidays. This is my first post from my phone so please forgive amy autocorrects or typos.

Lindsay and I are on the Metro North headed back from a ride with my sister up in Somers. We had a great ride on this amazing day. What's also interesting is that both my sister and I have diabetes and that's what this post is all about.

There is no other medical condition I can think of where two people can go out for the same activity and have such different experiences. Both of us had breakfast, bolused and dialed down our basal rates but that's where the similarities ended. A few miles into the ride my sugar flew up to 350 ( I was 190 when we started) and my sister's fell the other way. She had to eat and I couldn't. I struggled with high sugar the entire time, while she struggled with lows. We had complete opposite days and really for no good reason. It could have easily swung the other way but this is what was in the cards today.

In the beginning of each season I have to relearn my d curve. My body is constantly changing and the svelter, slimmer me in June is way different from the pudgy me of April (maybe it's all the matzoh?). My body needs more insulin now than it will later on. Maybe I need to start with a temp basal of 50% and work my way down until I get fitter. In any case I need to evaluate where I am at work accordingly, frustrating as it may be.

The lesson is test more frequently In these first few Long rides because something may have changed that you might not foresee. Then you'll avoid my mistake of today, which was saying to myself, "I don't need to test now, I'm a diabetic whiz kid". Whenever you say that, diabetes limes to get in thenlast laugh.

New Rider For 2010

2009-04-08T12:59:00.002-04:00

Greetings all --

Check out our newest rider for the Crankees 2010 team! The rumor is that he has a much better sense of direction than his dad :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCkqsYby4eY

Welcome 2009 Riders!

2009-03-27T11:11:00.001-04:00

Why hibernate?

2009-01-05T23:57:00.004-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Time to get in Gear.

(This post is part fun, part serious. But it's never a bad idea to be active)

I'll admit the plain and simple truth. I am part Grizzly Bear. Maybe not on the outside, but come October I begin to put on extra fat so I can survive the long, cold, harsh New York City winter. Like a bear, I eat whatever I can get my hands on, and often eat ravenously. This can add 10% to my total body mass.

But I am also half-human, which means that all that weight gain is not good. This winter, I resolved (before the holidays) that I wouldn't indulge my bearish nature. Instead, I'd start training for the bike season in early December. And I lost a lot of my grizzly exterior as a result.

But most people, including me don't deny their inner-bear, especially during the holidays, but what can you do? It's cold outside, right?

But should you want to jump on the early train to fitsville, here are some things you can do very easily.

1. Get the heaviest boots you can. I know it sounds ridiculous, but add some weight to your legs to make up for the extra calories. You'll be surprised how much more energy you exert when each foot is a ten-ton weight. I went for Thoroughgood boots.

2. Do the elliptical machine every once in a while. The elliptical is actually a wonderful tool for cyclists to use in the off-season. It's light on your joints, like cycling, but offers a variety of positions you can exploit to work out different parts of your legs. Two tips:

*. Be sure to squat. Stand up straight on the elliptical and drop your hips about four inches. Do this for two minutes every two minutes for ten minutes mid-workout. Feel the burn.
**. If you have good strong knees, do a Rocky-style sled pull by putting the machine up to full-level, releasing your arms from the levers and hold on to the stationary handles. Do it for two minutes at the very end of your workout.

3. Off-season is the BEST time to strength train. We all want to be stronger, but don't usually add tons of reps with weights after our rides. Plus, who wants to? Winter gives us a change to get our muscles in good shape. Do a sensible and moderate leg workout twice a week, focusing on your hamstrings and quads. Light squats can work wonderings come springtime. Work your chest and shoulders as your upperbody tends to get neglected on the bike.

4. Cardio, cardio, cardio. We all know that it takes weeks or months to "get back in shape" in the spring. Most of this is because our heart has to get used to working at an elevated rate. Whether you're running, spinning, doing the elliptical or jazzercizing, keeping your heart rate up for an hour a couple times a week is key to having a great spring.

But hey, if you just want to take some time off, that's OK too, as long as you're in the kind of shape that allows you to accomplish your 2009 goals. And we're here to help.

CompuTrainer classes at City Coach

2008-12-22T11:44:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays Team NY,

As I post this message, the mercury is settling at about 15 degrees. People passing by are bundled up in layers of wool and down. The last thing on my mind is getting out and riding.

But over the weeekend, I did some recon work on the much buzzed about City Coach computrainer in Park Slope. Alex, Ryan, Blake and I rose early and dragged our bikes through the ice and snow to challenge ourselves to an hour and a half of indoor training.

Here's what it is: City Coach has set up eight stations where you hook up your own bicycle to a gizmo (trainer) that connects to a computer simulation of a race course. The course simulation is projected on a screen in front of you. This is not a virtual reality experience, but rather, you see your placement along with the rest of the participants, as well as your place on the course.

I had a great time riding with my friends in a friendly and laid back environment. There are no eager spin instructors nor disco lights, just the tunes of Blake's iPod and the best part: You can talk to each other and all ride together. Check it out at www.citycoach.org.

City Coach rents out its space to teams at discount rates. Where it's $20 to participate in a class, it's only $15 to participate if we organize the ride--Plus with only eight spots, it's easy to get squeezed out of the other classes.

I plan to organize several compu-trainer classes from January to April. If you are interested in joining us indoors, please respond via the quicktopic board. Give me an idea of your availability. From there I'll start booking dates.

Happy holidays and may 2009 bring you much happiness.

Crankee 2008 Wrap Party

2008-12-06T12:43:00.009-05:00

Here are a few photos from the party last Tuesday. A huge thank you to Peter and Pamela for hosting the event, and for going above and beyond to make it a night that we will all remember. Your dedication to JDRF is an inspiration to all of us.

Thank you to everyone for your generosity. I am very excited to go visit Sid's. I also have a new favorite chap stick flavor, and might never need to ask to borrow anyone's ever again ( that's a lie).

We hope everyone had a fantastic time. I have missed seeing all of you on a weekly basis, and I look forward to next season.

Until then, have a Cranky Holiday!!

100 miles...

2008-11-09T18:28:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share my thank you letter with all of you guys. I could not have done this years ride without you and I am so happy to have strengthened my relationships with new and old teammates. Jon and Lewis you guys did an amazing job this year. Lewis thank you for always pushing me up those godforsaken hills and Jon thank you for always staying behind and encouraging me.

I rode another 100 miles!! Thank you yet again for your support on my Ride to Cure Diabetes in Whitefish Montana. I promised you I would do all the leg work and I did. Best of all every single person who donated was able to help me raise $4,300.00!!

On the first night when all 224 riders, volunteers and JDRF staff were having dinner I was sitting at the table listening to the speeches and I was filled with a sense of peace, absolute happiness and excitement for the weekend ahead. I couldn't find the right words that would convey my experience until I was having brunch with a friend; I told her "it was like coming home" and being able to spend that time with such inspirational, selfless people meant everything to me.

The day of the ride couldn't have been better. The morning started off dark like night and quite cold but soon turned into perfect riding weather with the sun shining brightly and clear Montana blue skies. This was my second time riding in Montana with a daunting challenge of a climb I had never done before so I was very nervous, but all went well and I made it. I love a good downhill and throughout the ride I was referenced as a "speed demon" because as slow as I was going up I was the opposite going down. During the ride I went as slow as 4-5mph while climbing and as fast as 38mph going down; the latter was obviously so much more fun!

Coming home for the finish was staggering, though I was the last of my team to come in, I had the benefit of riding into the welcoming cheers of all my teammates. As I rode in I had flashbacks of the training rides we did together, all of the times I thought I wouldn't be able to get over a hard climb, and all the triumph I had accomplished that day - because I did it. I rode another 100 miles. I rode another 100 miles and I didn't get a flat. I rode another 100 miles and the weather was great with the wind always seeming to be at my back. As a cyclist that is a perfect day. I rode another 100 miles and I didn't have to give myself any insulin for all the food I ate (which was quite a lot). I rode another 100 miles and my blood sugar was PERFECT the whole time. As a diabetic that is a perfect day. I rode another 100 miles.

For everyone reading this I want you to know it's with your help that I was able to experience what it feels like to ride as if I didn't have diabetes. Every time I’d check my blood sugar at a check point and it was perfect that just made my smile and my energy 10x greater. That’s why I ride. That’s why you donate. That's why JDRF and the Ride to Cure will find the solution to this disease called diabetes. Thank you.

All my love,
Jen

2009 Rides Have Been Announced

2008-11-04T15:02:00.005-05:00

2009 Ride Dates:

Sonoma, CA : June 25 - 28

Killington, VT: August 27 - 30

Whitefish, MT: September 3 - 6

Death Valley, CA : October 15 - 18

Tuscon, AZ: November 19 - 22

We definitely want to know what people want to do so please post your interest on the Quicktopic.

Fall Foliage Ride

2008-10-23T12:31:00.004-04:00

Hey Team,

We had a beautiful Sunday ride this past weekend. We returned to Bedford, the site of our kickoff ride back in the spring. It was the perfect day for a easy 35 mile ride through the rolling hills surrounded by all the fall colors. Jon, Blake, Shana, Jen and I made the trek up from Brooklyn and met my dad, Bob "The Green Jersey" Newblatt, and our newest team member, Robin Kern ( Jon's sister), and our unofficial team member, Danny.

The day was filled with incredible sights , and even a few Llamas!

A huge congratulations goes out to Robin, who completed her first 35 mile ride. She did an incredible job, and we are very proud of her.

The weather is getting colder, but we hope to get a few more rides in this season. Stay tuned....

Good Luck in Death Valley

2008-10-14T16:19:00.003-04:00

On Thursday, our last ride, the one in Death Valley will embark on what is surely to be the hottest ride of the season. Death Valley is an amazing experience. I have personally done it five times and each time it gets better and better. I wish all of you who are on your way a wonderful trip and a great ride.

The Death Valley course is the original Ride to Cure Diabetes site, and since it's inception thousands of cyclists have taken to the road in the name of this cause. It's remarkable that a group of parents from Cincinnati started with an idea that has since become a national program.

I clearly remember my first trip out there. It was 2003 and I had my first summer of pretty intense training to get me up to my 100-mile goal. At the time, road biking was considerably less popular than it is now and we really owe it to Transportation Alternatives, Bike New York, the City, and Lance Armstrong that we can ride around as easily as we can.

That summer our coach organized exactly ONE training ride that was too scary and intimating for most of use to attend: It was from the George Washington Bridge to Piermont. I don't really remember why I didn't attend this ride, but I do remember thinking, "We have a coach?"

When we got to Death Valley, all I can remember is the feeling of being there. It was exciting. I had never rode a century and it was to happen in two days. I hydrated for a week before I left, deprived myself of coffee and any kind of alcohol, and was praying I wouldn't drop dead from heat stroke.

We landed in Las Vegas where an Elvis impersonator and DJ entertained the confused bikers, and spent the night gambling at the Bellagio before it was off to DV. The bus ride takes you through the desert, and desert, and desert. Sand marked by rocks and brush as far as you can see--and you realize that come sunrise you'll be riding through this on a bike...gulp.

The instant you hit the ranch it's a party. It's camp for cyclists. You're in an oasis, surrounded by some of the most severe landscape around.

My first year it was so hot the ride had to be shortened from 100 to 88 miles. It was about 110° at the hottest and the week before there had been another JDRF ride that had many cases of heat stroke. So in this predicament, I was forced to lie to people and since I finished the route, and it was so hot, I told everyone I did 100 miles anyway.

For those of you who have their first JDRF ride in Death Valley, please plan for the heat. Avoid alcohol and caffeine while you are there (if you do have a drink, please compensate for it with equal parts water, same for coffee)and be sure to be replacing electrolytes like crazy. I suggest taking electrolyte capsules they provide at checkpoints. Take 3 and hour, and just keep drinking water. If you need to stop, try to stop in the shade. Remember that the main challenge of this ride is the climate.

I look forward to hearing from you when you get back. Please share your pics and stories and we'll have a season wrap party shortly.

Whitefish Wow

2008-09-16T12:36:00.002-04:00

I am still glowing from our amazing trip out to Whitefish. I am in the process of writing an article for the JDRF NY Newsletter and I will tell my full version of the weekend there. For now I want to hear YOUR stories. Please write me so I can post them on the blog for all to read.

PICTURES

I have set up a web gallery for all of us to share pictures in one place. Rather than email links, please upload all your photos you'd like to share to this one place. I've already put up many. All you need to do is upload via your browser or email the photo.

Here's the link:
http://gallery.me.com/jonreitzes#100074

So send your pics and tell your tales!

Vlog!

2008-09-09T18:23:00.000-04:00

Post Ride Survey

2008-08-25T14:18:00.001-04:00

Please take a minute to give us your feedback on our 2008 training season.

CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY

Bear Mountain Photos

2008-08-25T09:25:00.005-04:00

Here's the link:

http://gallery.me.com/jonreitzes#100059

I can tell that a bunch of great stories are on their way. But until then, here is a link to pictures. You can download full resolution pictures, as well as add your own, either by following the upload link, or by emailing them to

jonreitzes-pz43@post.me.com.

Please add your photos from the day to this gallery so we can all enjoy them.

Thanks.

Bear Mountain...Appetizer

2008-08-25T09:11:00.002-04:00

First and foremost I have to say CONGRATULATIONS to every single person who was in Bear Mountain on Saturday, from the riders to the SAG vehicles and to our friends and family who were able to come. Everyone did an AMAZING job!! Thank you for such an enjoyable ride and experience, and thank you to our amazing coaches who have pushed us this entire training season.

I will admit that I was terrified of Bear Mountain but I am so glad I did it. I completed 60 miles when everything was said and done. It was the most challenging ride I have ever done in my life other than the 105 miles completed last year in Whitefish, MT. So much climbing was done and the last 7 miles to get home were all uphill (thanks Lewis)!! Of course everyone who has been on the training rides knows that I am always the turtle of the group on climbs, and nothing was different this time around. Slow and steady was the name of the game, but I did it without walking uphill or getting pushed from behind on the bike. Slow and steady.

However, with all that climbing there were some amazing downhills and when I say amazing I mean amazing. While I was the turtle on the climbs I was the cheetah (favorite wildlife animal) on the downhills, I got to a max speed of a never before 41mph!!! I totally felt like a racer. The roads were beautifully smooth, the only thing I could hear in my ears was the sound of the wind, it was like I was flying. I had a smile the entire time.

For all you newbies the sense of accomplishment you felt for completing the Bear Mountain ride and the feelings of comraderie with your teammates before, during and after the ride is just an appetizer for what's to come in Whitefish. It will be 10x that once in Whitefish with all of the other JDRF riders. For everyone else who has done a JDRF ride you know what I'm talking about and that's why we keep coming back.

I'm very happy to have such a great team this year and all of the new riders you won't ever forget your first time on a JDRF ride. As you come back each year you get better and better and the experience is always just as great because you can remember how far you've come in your cycling AND fundraising abilities.

So I'm done writing this little chapter today in the NYCrankees book. I hope you enjoyed reading and I'm sure you are as super excited as I am about Whitefish!! Happy training.

XOXOXO
Jen

Bear Mountain - WOW!

2008-08-24T19:18:00.010-04:00

i

Here are just a few photos from Saturday - we have another 100 coming as soon as we upload them.

Bundle up, it's gonna be a cold one

2008-08-21T09:55:00.008-04:00

Riders,

I just learned that it's going to be a cold one in Whitefish. When we start, it's going to be in the high 30's-low 40's. As the day rolls on, it will get into the 70s.

So, what does this mean? It means that you have to prepare for two totally different conditions within the same ride, so that means layers.

You'll need at least a few layers on top, and full coverage on your arms, legs, and fingers. You'll also want something to cover your head under your helmet. I'll give some specific suggestions below. These layers should all be made of a synthetic material, and NOT cotton. Despite the cold, you will sweat, and cotton will act as a sponge, keeping that sweat right up against you, and making you colder. Synthetics will wick that moisture away from you, keeping you cooler.

As it warms up, you'll be able to leave your layers at checkpoints in bags, and they'll be returned to you at the end of the ride. So you wont have to worry about carrying all your layers around all day.

By about noon, you'll be in your comfortable and recognizable jersey and shorts.

Here are some recommendations:

1. Arm Warmers: These are simply "sleeves". JDRF has their own (which are VERY cool), but you can also pick up a pair online at Nashbar.com for about $15. They're perfect for the times when it's too warm for a jacket, but too cold for nothing.

2. Long sleeve Jersey: There are many long sleeve jersey's available. This is another item that JDRF has for sale if you want to match. Remember that in this case, a sweatshirt simply won't do. Any wind resistant polyester layer can suffice (fleece tends to not work because wind whips right through it), but be sure it's form fitting and comfortable to bike in.

3. Vest/Jacket: A light vest or jacket is a surefire way to beat the cold. A vest is lightweight and keeps the wind off your core. It's great if you want a little more mobility at the cost of a little extra warmth. Your Jacket should also be polyester, not fleece, and form fitting.

4. Tights/Pants: An absolute essential: Tights trap warm air as it escapes your skin and wicks moisture away, so they're pefect for cycling. More pricey tights come with a chamois/pad in them, but you don't need them. You just need a solid pair to throw over your shorts in the chilly morning.

5. Boots/Socks: You don't want your feet to freeze off. There are many neoprene booties that fit over your shoes that do a great job. But these can cost more than they are worth for the few hours you'll need them on the ride. My suggestion is a lot simpler: A lightweight pair of wool socks. NOTE: I am talking about thin, lightweight, sport wool socks, not ultra thick woolens. Wool is perfect for wicking moisture and keeping you warm. Grab a pair of SmartWool socks and you'll love 'em. Keep a lightweight bike sock with you to change when it gets warm.

6. Full finger gloves. Just grab a pair of cheap gloves for the first few hours of the ride. As long as you can grip your handlebars, shift, and brake, they're good enough. I don't recommend ski gloves.

7. Headband/Hat. Grab a low-profile headband or hat to keep the wind off your ears and head. It's important to remember that you build in your own wind-chill factor when you ride, so your ears and head will get mighty cold without coverage.

So, that's a lot of layers: Let's review:
ON TOP:
Jersey
Long Sleeve Jersey
Jacket/Vest
Arm Warmers
Hat/Headband
ON BOTTOM
Shorts
Tights
Wool Socks

Now a word on Improvisation: A lot of these items are pricey, and I, for one, don't have a couple hundred dollars to blow on these cycle-specific layers. So, you can definitely use non-cycling specific jackets, hats, gloves and outer layers. Just be sure you're covered from head to toe with form-fitting synthetic or wool fabrics.

Now a word on Tights: Men don't want to wear tights. They're afraid of how they'll look. They'd rather freeze. But they work very well. So I wear tights. So does Superman.

Fit4Diabetics Free Webinar on Wednesday

2008-08-19T15:18:00.001-04:00

From our Friends at Fit4D!

Free Webinar for JDRF Ride to Cure cyclists ~ presented by Fit4D!

Fit4D.com is hosting a FREE Web/Phone Seminar (Webinar) for JDRF Riders and Coaches participating in Whitefish and Death Valley Rides

Whitefish and Death Valley; Riding in Extreme Conditions

Presented by Fit4D Nutrition and Fitness Coach; Emily Mitchell, RD, EP, CDE

Wednesday August 20th

7:30 – 8:30 PM EDT

Webinar content will include:
§ Cold in Whitefish, Heat in Death Valley: What is a reasonable goal in these conditions?
§ Realigning expectations.
§ What are the risks? Nutrition & Hydration tips.
§ Question and answer segment led by Fit4D coaches.

Register today at: www.fit4d.com/jdrfrides.html

About Fit4D™
Fit4D™ is an innovative service providing personalized nutrition and fitness guidance to people with diabetes. A team of diabetes specialists, including nurses, registered dieticians, exercise physiologists and trainers, helps members start or improve an exercise and/or nutrition program. Fit4D™ coaches provide the support and motivation only available from a personal coach who empowers members to achieve the sense of well-being that comes from being in control. For more information about Fit4D, visit www.fit4d.com.

JDRF Webinar Participants get a $50 discount on any of our personalized coaching programs! Coupon Code: JDRFRIDE2008.

Renee Martinez RN,BSN,MBA
Director of Member Services
Fit4D.com
rmartinez@fit4d.com
1-866-411-0254 Ext 701
Fit4D.com

spreading the gospel to the new riders...

2008-08-19T13:10:00.003-04:00

i just started remembering how much fun it is to participate in your first ride -- i wish it was my first one.

in just a few short weeks, after a long trip from new york, you will arrive in montana and you will feel like you're back at summer camp. you will get a name tag, a bag full of goodies, a team t-shirt, instructions for the weekend and more. everyone will be in a good mood. the energy will be intoxicating.

you can put all worries aside for this fun weekend in the mountains. no matter how many miles you see on the odometer, you will feel amazing for this incredible accomplishment. better yet, when you cross the finish line, you will be greeted with smiles, cheers, a medal and your choice of post-ride snacks (beer, ice cream sandwiches, fritos or even a cup of ramen noodles!). you will meet wonderful people who will inspire you in ways you didn't know were possible. you may even win an award at one of the ride dinners!

award or no award, 100 miles or 20, you are helping cure diabetes. thank you for that. i admire all the new riders (as well as the returning riders) for all you have accomplished thus far, and all you will accomplish in Montana.

The Final 9W Ride

2008-08-17T19:32:00.003-04:00

What a day! We had a great turnout this weekend for our final 9W Ride before Whitefish. A huge thank you to Lewis and Jon for helping me get through an incredible difficult ride, and to everyone for inspiring me to keep going.

It has been such an amazing experience watching everyone improve through this season since our first ride in Bedford and I am very excited for us to all ride together in Whitefish. You have all worked so hard and dedicated your summer to training and fundraising and I can't wait to see everyone cross that finish line.

We had a quite a few "first's" that should be recognized.
Eve rocked the ride today on her brand new bike, and did her first ride in clipless pedals!
Lewis taught me how to draft and pulled me through the last 10 miles.
Jeremy completed a ride without going off course :)
Jon manned the first NY SAG vehicle.

We were joined for the last time by Hugh before he heads out to Whitefish (August). We wish him lots of luck and hope to see him back in the saddle when he returns.

WE HAVE ONE LAST TRAINING RIDE - NEXT WEEKEND, BEFORE WE HAVE TO TURN IN OUR BIKES. I will be posting/emailing final details on Tuesday. You must RSVP to this ride by Thursday. Please let us know if anyone will be coming with you to cheer or volunteer.

Sunday Funday

2008-08-14T10:44:00.005-04:00

LOOKS AT ALL THOSE SMILING FACES!!! WE HAD AN AMAZING RIDE THIS PAST SUNDAY AND KICKED SOME 9W BUTT!

Me, Lesley, Lewis, Jon, Riva, Jen and Aaron enjoyed one of the most beautiful days of the summer. I was especially excited to have Aaron with us since it was his first training ride with the team.

COME JOIN US THIS SUNDAY! SAME GREAT PLACE, SAME EARLY TIME :)

30 days!!!!!!!!!

2008-08-10T16:36:00.007-04:00

Hey Riders,

Here is a run-down of the next 30 days leading up to Whitefish. This month is packed full of exciting events and we hope that everyone can make it out to as many rides and social events as possible.

August 16: Lesley has organized a fundraising event at Think Coffee - 248 Mercer Street between 3rd and 4th St. 10% of the proceeds for the day will be donated to JDRF in support of the Ride to Cure Diabetes. Please note that you can ride down Park Avenue ( car-free) that day between 7am and 1pm, so please stop on by and support Lesley. Lesley, Jen Davino and I will be there most of the day distributing Ride information, and Jen Jacobs ( Ride to Cure Team 2006 + 2007) will be exhibiting her diabetes-themed art. Please stop by and say hello, and grab a cup of coffee!

August 17: Ride Planned. Probably 9W.

August 23: Bear Mountain Ride!!! This is it, the final training ride before Whitefish!!!!
We hope that everyone who is in New York that day will attend this incredible ride. We would like to encourage everyone to invite their biggest fans to come see them cross the finish line. This will be a great opportunity to share the ride with your friends and family to show them how hard you have all been training, and a first in the history of the New York team. (email with final details coming on Wednesday).

Ride will begin at 7:00am. There will be a variety of ride distances to accommodate everyone's abilities.

* We are looking for volunteers to help us that day with support. Since we will be riding anywhere between 50 -80 miles, we will need people to set up rest stops every 15 - 20 miles( everything will be provided). There will be a wrap up party after the ride.

August 27th: Turn in your bikes to JDRF 432 Park Avenue South, 15th Floor

August 28th: Support Jen Davino at her fundraiser: Town Tavern West 3rd Street at 6th Avenue. 6 - 9pm. $20 donation.

Stay tuned for midweek rides!!!!!

The Wire

2008-08-06T21:59:00.002-04:00

We are coming up to the event we've all been working towards, and It's time to reflect on your goals and your training and it's OK to be a bit introspective. You should all be asking yourselves how you've done over the last few months, and be brutally honest.

Some of you will find that you've come further than you thought you would, while others may realize how difficult achieving a 100-mile goal might be. Either way, the most important thing is to see where you are and as of August 6, to determinehow far you can really go.

If you are comfortable on a 60 or 70 mile ride without a hitch, 100 is within your reach. If you haven't done three or more 40 mile rides at this point, you should reevaluate a 100-mile distance goal.

What's important to understand that a 100-mile ride is as difficult as a marathon, and 50-miles is a heck of an achievement, and shouldn't be scoffed at. 50-miles is certainly a difficult goal--like a 1/2 marathon--and will be met with cheers and excitement, and you will have made a difference to all those living with diabetes.

Rome wasn't built in a day. My first year, I topped out at 80 miles, and have had to be SAG'd, even as a coach. It took Lindsay three years and six rides (two of them she had to be SAG'd) to accomplish her first 100-mile ride.

It's not called "100 Miles to Cure Diabetes"--rather, "The Ride To Cure Diabetes." It's all about the ride, not the distance. The bottom line is, the more you've put in, the further you will go.

Lindsay, Lewis, and I will be on call for the next 30 days. We are offering training rides every weekend and during the week leading up to Whitefish.

Saturday, August 9th

2008-08-06T21:49:00.002-04:00

Hey Guys,

We will be hitting 9W again this weekend. Pleas meet at the GW Bridge at 7:15am or the Bicycle Club at 7:30am. There will be two different distances offered.

Please post your intend to ride on the Quicktopic

The remainder of the ride season training calendar will be posted on Friday...so stay tuned for LOTS of new information.

Small Accomplishments (Weekday rides)

2008-08-02T12:10:00.002-04:00

Hey Riders,

As Lewis mentioned in his last post, we need to start getting in some midweek rides. I just wanted to share my story from yesterday. I have been "riding" for 5 years now, but I have NEVER ONCE rode in New York City alone. The idea of riding the city streets freaks me out so much I usually take my bike on the subway!

Yesterday I took my bike to work (on the subway) hoping to take the bike after work to either Central Park or the Westside Highway (by subway) and then take the subway home. Sadly, I didn't get out of work until 5pm. I left work a bit defeated that I was getting back on the subway with my bike without riding. I packed up my bike gear and headed to the N,R,W. As I stepped onto 22nd Street and Broadway I was overcome with the need to get on my bike. So I sat on the sidewalk and put on my bike shoes, strapped on my helmet, and made my way into the bike lane ( needless to lay, my stomach was full of butterflies). Two minutes later I was flying down 22nd Street towards the Westside Highway!!! I rode down the bike path to South Street Seaport and over the Brooklyn Bridge...all by myself. It was one of the biggest bike accomplishments I have ever achieved.

Most importantly, I realized...I can use my bike as transportation ( I know, shocking!).

So, I hope everyone will try and do the same over the next few weeks. Every ride doesn't have to be a major event. It's just about making biking part of your routine. Hop on for an hour in the morning, meet us in the park at night. Every mile you are on your bike this month will mean it will be that much easier to make the 30, 60, 100 mile goal you are planning on doing next month.

Please remember that we must turn out bikes in for transport about 10 days before the ride. Please factor this in to your training program.

Happy Biking!!!!

Get Ready for the Big Finish!

2008-07-30T12:15:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, we are in the last month of Training for the Whitefish Ride. Our final ride before we go is going to be amazing. Lewis and I are putting together the final details, but be sure you are around on August 23rd for the biggest and best training ride yet attempted by the Crankees organization.

On Saturday, August 23 we will have two distance options (Long and Longer) and a finish-line celebration. Family, friends, and loved ones are encouraged to come out and cheer on their favorite Crankees as they climb up the Pyrenees (aka Bear Mountain) and enjoy the the festivities, which will include a picnic, awards and perhaps a few adult beverages.

Please RSVP via the Quick Topic board, and if you are driving and have extra room, please help out your teammates with rides.

Recap:
Date:
August 23, start time TBA
Location:
Bear Mountain

Bikram Biking

2008-07-27T16:25:00.003-04:00

We woke up at 5:15 am this morning and were disappointed to discover it was thundering and lightning. After texting through our phone chain and posted that the ride was canceled, we all got back into bed.

Amazingly, when we woke up again at 9:00 am, the sun was shining, and although it was VERY humid, me, Lesley and my dad did 25 miles on the Westside Highway. We sweated our way all the way up to Dyckman Avenue and back down to Battery Park where we sat and had sandwiches while overlooking the Hudson River.

The lesson of the day was our analysis of shifting gears. At the tip of the Westside Highway, we turned the bike over and played around with the gears to see what makes it easier and harder to pedal, and why. (I usually refer the the gears as big and little, and never noticed what was happening on my back ring).

Since we were doing a fairly flat andshort ride , I decided to work on maintaining my speed at about 17 - 19 miles an hour, and tried to stay in a high gear so I really worked out my leg muscles.

We finished the ride and lunch just in time before the second round of thuderstorms started.

See you next weekend!

The Texas Transplants Are Famous!

2008-07-24T12:25:00.000-04:00

Nyack Ride

2008-07-13T19:29:00.002-04:00

What an incredible day!

Lewis, Jon, Jeremy, Eve, Riva, Hugh and I met up in Englewood, New Jersey and rode up to Nyack. We started out very early so we could beat the heat that caused so much trouble the last time the team did this route.

We conquered 9W and made a pit stop at the Runcible Spoon for some muffins and iced coffee and then headed back to the GWB. We discovered that all the beautiful downhills that we rode on the way up 9W created a very challenging return to NYC.

Everyone seemed to keep a great pace today, and spirits high through the ride.

Hopefully Lewis will upload the rest of the photos since I only took one :)

Rider Appreciation Night

2008-07-13T19:14:00.009-04:00

Thanks to everyone for coming to our little get-together last week. It was a great turnout, and I'm glad we all got a chance to meet ( and see each other without spandex).

A huge congratulations to Max, Tom and Roger. We are all so proud that they achieved their goals. They did an incredible job in Sonoma and we look forward to seeing them out on some training rides in the future.

I hope those of you who have not been on any group trainings rides yet were inspired to meet up with us before the big ride in September. Our next scheduled ride will be the weekend of July 27th. Please mark your calendars for August 23rd. This will be our final group ride, and we strongly encourage every single New York rider to attend this ride.

Please stayed tuned for lots of new events coming up this month.

LongggIIIIsland

2008-06-30T18:57:00.006-04:00

We had such a good ride at Bike New York's inaugural Long Island Harbors ride on Sunday. 'Twas an incredibly steamy, humid day on the island, but Lindsay, Shana, Eve and I all completed the 50 mile route, while Bob and Blake powered through 75 miles. Congrats to everyone! I am very proud of all of us.

What impressed me most was how the 50-milers and the 75-milers really stuck together. For me, it was especially comforting to know that if I got stuck at a light, the girls would be waiting for me as soon as I passed through. I also think sticking together is great for motivation. Blake said Bob really inspired him to keep going, even when it was so tough out there. This is why we all love being a part of the team.

I definitely recommend doing other fully supported rides, if and when you're able. There were Bike New York volunteers riding with us en route, and we found them to be especially helpful. These rides also provide bathrooms, water, food, ice pops, first-aid and the most amazing ride snack we have ever had the privilege of eating. This snack is called a "grahamwich," and it is seriously delicious. It involves peanut butter. I think we all fell a little bit in love.

I wanted to give some special shout-outs:
-- to Bob, who was our tire-changing extraordinaire and is just really awesome;
-- to Eve, who rode like a champ and also had a very successful fundraiser last week. Go Eve!
-- to Shana, for being such a great leader and entertaining us with lots of sunblock;
-- to Blake, for going his furthest distance and kicking ass; and
-- to Lindsay, for her spirit and energy, even amidst flat tire central, and for giving me bites of her pizza.

For those of you who couldn't make it, we missed you, and I hope to see you all soon.

Happy riding!

Websites

2008-06-23T08:59:00.002-04:00

Morning Crankees!

I wanted to share a couple of websites with you on/for cycling.

www.nashbar.com - supply store for clothes, equipment, nutrition.
www.bicyclewarehouse.com - another supply store, located in CA they ship UPS ground but they are roughly $20 cheaper than nashbar on items .
www.pricepoint.com - I'm giving you options here ;)...another supply store
www.cptips.com - cyclling performance tips gives you lots of helpful tips on nutrition, equipment, training, exercise physiology, etc. I have found this to be a very helpful website.
www.jellybelly.com - for all you jelly belly sports bean lovers.
www.diabetestrainingcamp.com - this is for anyone who wants to go to a camp and train for an event or simply to feel better about exercise in general. "Diabetes Training Camp is a unique fitness, exercise and multi-sport training camp geared towards all persons with diabetes."
www.transalt.org - NYC transportation alternatives
www.sidsbikes.com - local bike shop I happen to love in NYC. They have 2 locations I prefer the one on 34th street. Ashlei is in charge over there she's awesome as is everyone else.

Hope you enjoy!

Jen

Upcoming events : Save the Dates

2008-06-19T10:49:00.006-04:00

Hey Crankees!

We have alot of fun events coming up in addition to our rides.

July 10th - Rider Appreciation Night. Please join us to congratulate Roger, Maxine, and Thomas who are heading out to Sonoma next week for the first ride of the year. We are so excited to hear all about their ride. Location: 111 West 67th Street Apartment 39 D at 7:oopm

August 3rd - The Flea ( Brooklyn Flea Market). I will be out in Fort Greene at the famous "The Flea" market selling my t-shirts and distributing ride info. ( Insert shameless self promotion here)

http://www.brownstoner.com/brooklynflea/about

August 23rd - BIG RIDE! Save the date!!!!!!!!!

Stayed tuned for more detailed information

In other exciting NY biking news: We have a new place to ride on Saturdays in August: Park Avenue!!

Car Free Saturdays

For Three Saturdays in August a route linking Brooklyn Bridge in the South and UES and Central Park in the North will be cleared of all traffic for use by cyclists (and walkers..boo!)

August 9, 16 + 23 : 7am - 1pm

Get out and ride!

2008-06-19T09:14:00.003-04:00

Good Morning Crankees!

I hope this finds each of you doing well and that you are getting in some mid-week training in preparation for the upcoming Ride to Cure. That gives us a little more than 10 weeks to prepare (and fundraise) for the Whitefish Ride. That being said, it is very important that each of you get on the bike whenever time permits. If time doesn’t permit, schedule a block to go for a one hour ride twice a week. At this point in your training it is critical that you get time in the saddle; the miles will come if you make the effort to put in the time. So tell your husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, boss, child, dog, cat, fish, or anyone else that might give you a hard that you’ll be back in about an hour.

Here are a couple of resources I would like to share with the team to help insure each of you have safe and productive training rides:

Have you actually read the “rules of the road” that govern cyclist? Sometimes we just take advantage of the fact that we’re on a bike and we think that some rules just don’t apply. Examples: Have you ever seen anyone riding into oncoming traffic on a one way street in the city? Have you ever witnessed anyone on a bike just blow through a stop sign or red light? Maybe you’ve seen someone just cut in and out of traffic, expecting cars, trucks, and buses to just cut them a break?

As cyclist the law of the state of New York says that we have a responsibility to follow the same rules that govern the operation of a motor vehicle. Perhaps even more important, as cyclist we should make every effort to be predictable to motorist. Do so by communicating your intentions (i.e. signal turns and stops, make eye contact with turning vehicles, etc.). Refrain from things such as abrupt turns (unless avoiding a serious hazard), going the opposite direction of traffic, riding in the middle of the road when not necessary, etc.

The Bicycle Coalition of New York and the State of New York together have provided some resources to insure cyclist safety. Click on the links provided and spend a few minutes educating yourself on what is the law as well as some best practices that can keep you safer while cycling (http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/bike-vt.htm) and (http://www.nybc.net/site/index.php).

Have you ever to planned a ride in the City and wondered what might be the safest and most efficient route to the George Washington or Brooklyn Bridges? I suggest you go to the web site Ride the City (http://www.ridethecity.com/) and plug in your departure and destination to see what they suggest. Their goal is to get you to where you’re going by using streets that have bike lanes, utilizing greenbelts that allow bike traffic, and avoiding areas heavily congested with vehicular traffic.

I have personally used this site and find it both user friendly as well as very accurate.

Have a great weekend and be sure to get out on the bike! I’m riding around Nyack and 9W this weekend and hope to see some of you out training.

Ride safe and have fun!

Coach L

Next Ride: June 29, Long Island Harbors Ride

2008-06-15T22:03:00.007-04:00

Our next training ride is actually part of Bike New York. The Long Island Harbors ride is a fully supported ride that takes you through the unique towns of Long Island with a few different mileage goals. I personally can't wait to do some distance across a relatively flat terrain.

A few people have asked me why we are including a ride that is part of another organization for our training. It's a good question, especially because there is a registration fee of $42. Of course, the ride isn't mandatory, but that $42 does go a long way. First of all, it's a fully supported ride, so it includes food and water for the day, plus SAG vehicles. It also offers a large group situation more like our JDRF rides, so you'll have a chance to be among hundreds of other cyclists.

But also, and I think most importantly, we get to be out in force talking about OUR ride among other cyclists who may be looking to do this kind of thing for themselves. I think being part of the greater cycling community will expand your horizons and make you love this sport even more.

If you plan on joining us, please register at

http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/lihr/register.html

and of course, post what you'll be doing on our Quick Topic Board. If you are willing to drive and can give a ride to other Crankees, it will be very helpful.

Distance, Heat, Hills, and Satisfaction

2008-06-15T21:29:00.004-04:00

The Ride on Saturday was a true Urban initiation. Jen, Lesley, and Riva accomplished a truly tough route on a truly tough day.

Lesley completed over 50 miles.
Riva accomplished a personal best of 45 miles.
Jen fought for every one of her 60 miles.

The ride left Borough Hall in Brooklyn and across the Brooklyn Bridge at 8:30 with Jen, met up with Lesley at Chambers Street in Manhattan, and Riva joined at 96th Street. The morning presented some ideal conditions, but the weather would turn brutal as the day wore on.

The approach to the George Washington Bridge presents the ultimate urban cycling gauntlet. Navigating through the crowded streets of Washington Heights just to find the three-foot-wide ramp is a daunting task. But everyone made it across the GWB for the payoff: The River Road in the Palisades Park. It's a wooded paradise with no cars and a great view of the Hudson river, and hills that creep up on you as you climb from the level of the water to the top of the cliffs.

We then got to 9A and went to Piermont where we enjoyed a quick lunch. But then the heat peaked as we climbed back to 9w with intense humidity and the sun on our backs. The heat and the climb was an obstacle that almost cost us the ride--but this is a persistent group, and wouldn't be stopped. The determined three kept moving through the elements. We hit an oasis at the Palisades Parkway police station where we doused ourselves with ice cold water, drank as much as we could, and loaded up on snacks for our return to the Big Apple.

Leslie and Riva said goodbye at 96th Street while Jen and I tried to beat a thunderstorm back to Brooklyn. But as fast as we cranked, we couldn't beat the torrential downpour that engulfed the west side. But we made it back at 5 after 60 miles in some of the most interesting weather I've ever biked in. It was a truly great day, and I am proud of the group for never giving up.

Saturday's Ride

2008-06-12T19:52:00.002-04:00

Two Bridges!

Hello Crankees,

There will be a 45 mile training ride on Saturday, with a shorter option.

45-Mile Ride: Leave at 8:30

For those who want to go 45 miles, we will leave from the Borough Hall Fountain in Brooklyn, and ride over the Brookyln Bridge, up the Westside Highway path, over the GWB and to Piermont. You should be comfortable riding through moderate traffic (across Chambers St.).

25-Mile Ride: Leave at 9:30
For those who would like the shorter option, meet on the Westside Highway bike path at 96th Street. There is a garden cul-de-sac. You will be meeting the 45-mile group there.

You can also do a 30 something mile variation by starting on the Upper West Side and finishing in Brooklyn.

In Piermont the stop will be no longer than 20-30 minutes. Please bring all the food you need, and don't rely on the deli for lunch.

Please let me know what you plan to do via the QuickTopic Board.

See you on Saturday!

Jon