I Guess I’ll Play Roadie

I don’t care much for riding my road bike. Sometimes it can be kinda fun I guess, but I usually get pretty bored by it. Sure, it’s great “training”, but so is drinking beer (if you like to train the way I do.) Occasionally, I do ride skinny tires on the road though. That being said, it looks like I’ll be busting out the road bike this weekend for a nice long ride.





Yep, it’s time once again for the Tour De Tots. What is the Tour De Tots, you ask? Well, I can tell you that it’s not a ride with Napoleon Dynamite on a quest for tater tots. Here’s the info in case you were too lazy to click on the link I gave you above:


Date:

Saturday, September 11, 2010 @ 9:00 AM

Address:

North Carolina Research Campus
Located off I-85, Exit 60

Fees:

Individual Registration: $25
Family Registration: $40

Brief Description:

Over 300 cyclists are expected for the Tour de Tots, which will include a bike rodeo, 5K family ride, plus 31- and 62-mile tour courses. With a post-event celebration featuring food and entertainment, Tour de Tots has become a highly anticipated annual event!


Additional Information:

Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast

Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast is pleased to present the annual Tour de Tots bike ride for the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital. The charitable ride through scenic Cabarrus County will be held Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010, promoting community health and wellness while raising awareness for the children's hospital.

The Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital

The Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital at CMCNorthEast offers a continuum of care for pediatric patients from birth to age 18 in a peaceful, serene environment where nature is the primary surrounding. Based on a hospital within-a-hospital concept, the children's hospital ensures that supporting services and a growing number of physician specialists will be maintained at CMC-NorthEast, allowing pediatric patients and their families to remain in the local community rather than being referred outside the region for these services. The Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital provides highly specialized, truly exceptional pediatric care, right here at home.

Event Schedule:

7:30 a.m. - Registration
8:15 a.m. - 9/11 Tribute
9:00 a.m. - 62-mile Metric Century start
9:10 a.m. - 31-mile Half Metric Century start
9:30 a.m. - 5K Family Ride start
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Food, Festivities and Fun

Safety support teams, support & gear (SAG) vehicles, food & beverage rest stops with fruit, crackers and water, and route maps will be provided.

Rules for the Ride:

* This is a ride at your own pace tour, not a race.

* This ride is for cyclists of all abilities and ages.

* Cyclists must be at least 14 years of age to participate in the 31 and 62-mile rides.

* Helmets are required: All riders must wear an approved helmet and obey traffic laws.

* No headphones allowed.

* All registered riders will sign a Waiver and Release form on the day of the event.

Directions:

From I-85, Exit 60, head 3.2 miles northwest on Dale Earnhardt Boulevard. Turn right on South Main Street and travel one mile.



There. Did you get all of that? Good. I also need to mention that The Dirty Party Cycle will be joining me on this ride. He dabbles in roadie stuff from time to time, so it looks like I won’t have to ride this one alone. Lunchbox will be tagging along again this year as well. He’s nowhere near ever becoming a roadie, so he will be assisting the promoter with SAG wagon duties. Hopefully he’ll bring the camera along again to provide some quality photographs. Hell, I may even bring a camera along on the ride, since it’s not a race. Although it’s tricky to ride a bike and take photos, it’s a lot of fun. Anything to please my loyal readers, right?


I hope to get out on the mountain bike this weekend too, but I haven’t firmed up my plans as of yet. I would love to head back out to the DuPont State Forest again, but I don’t see that happening. Hopefully soon though, ‘cause I need my fix. I do know this much, I gotta do something to counteract all this roadie shit. A nice long fat tire ride is clearly in order over the next few days. But, will I find the time?

This just in:

Local Bike Patroller photographed in hot pursuit of injured rider at the River’s Edge Mountain Bike Marathon.



Photo credit: Doc