Happy New Year 2016!
This year's card offers my greeting framed by an opportunity: a (tax-deductible!) donation to World Bicycle Relief(WBR).
For those who have already given, thank you.
Why WBR?
In short, they, through their donors, use the bicycle to change lives.
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[ 2015 wasn't *just* about cycling--I also spent some time with photography.
Links to albums sprinkled throughout. ]
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WBR WBR provides specially-designed, locally assembled bicycles to students, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs
across rural Africa through sustainable work-to-own and study-to-own programs.
WBR also trains field mechanics to ensure access to maintenance and spare parts.
Compared to walking, bikes improve access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity.
- Students increase attendance up to 28%; grades increase by up to 59%
- Healthcare workers reach 40% more patients, more often
- Entrepreneurs travel 4X further, carrying 5X more goods, increasing profits by up to 50%
A donation of $147 buys a bike--the Buffalo (right).
$50 buys a mechanic a repair kit.
And $25 buys a replacement wheel set.
To date, WBR has placed over 280,000 bikes with deserving owners.
My connection to WBR?
Through the fatcyclist.com blog, I've been reading about WBR for years.
Several times this past year, I had the good fortune to engage with them in person.
JAN-MAR I built my cycling year around the iconic mid-August
Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race.
103 miles. In the Colorado Rockies, most of it above 10,000 feet.
With a 12-hour time limit.
I'd tried numerous times to enter via the lottery, to no avail.
Last year, I volunteered as racer support--that did the trick.
Back in January, I received notice--I was in.
Time to start preparing.
In Massachusetts, winter cycling generally* means a great deal of time spent indoors on the trainer.
(*The Stowe Derby, pictured at left, provided one notable exception.)
And this year, indoors meant my first time with the Bill Black group training program organized by my local cycling club.
Notoriously challenging, the Bill Black program focuses on "recovery under stress:" high intensity intervals separated by slightly less high intensity
"recovery" intervals.
[ JAN: Steely Dan tribute band
No Static at Ryles Jazz Club
in Somerville. ]
In late January, Betsy and I took some time off from cycling to do some Nordic skiing.
We tackled
Craftsbury in VT, and specifically, the 25km loop.
Despite single digit temperatures, it was a great day on skis ... and about 3x my longest distance ever.
By April, I was ready for my first cycling test, Battenkill.
APR The classic Battenkill race winds its way through almost 70 miles
in and around Greenwich NY.
2015 marked my second Battenkill--I rode
my maiden effort in 2013.
Success, both in dominating breakfast at Bob's Diner and
persevering the part pavement, part dirt roads.
MAY In October of 2014, I'd learned that I'd won entry into the
Boggs Funduro mountain bike race through a Fat Cyclist fundraiser.
Spanning 3 days in early May a bit northeast of Santa Rosa CA, I joined the dream team of Elden "Fat Cyclist" Nelson and retired Grand Tour/Olympic pro
Levi Leipheimer (pictured
at right; from left to right: Fatty, Jeff, Levi).
We raced with sister team World Bicycle Relief (old friend Doug B and new friends Chris D, David H, and Dave T).
I soaked up all of the mountain bike tips I could while enjoying a one-in-a-lifetime experience.
[
MAY: Photobiking with
Robert the J and Ellen FR. ]
[
MAY: Memorial Day weekend
on Chebeague Island. ]
[
MAY: Taylor graduates
from the University of Delaware. ]
JUN June saw a second big mountain biking event: the
Wilmington Whiteface qualifier for Leadville.
Already in, I didn't need the qualification, but a strong enough ride (pictured
below) would earn me a better starting spot in Colorado.
Success!
By virtue of my finish time, I upgraded two Leadville start corrals, from White to Orange.
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June continued with the 1st Annual MacCentury.
6 loops.
6 stories.
6 idiots. Flat route.
High speed.
On a road bike. Starting at 1 in the morning. Perfect Leadville prep.
And an awesome night.
JUL
[
JUL: Chebeague Island
4th of July with Betsy. ]
July offered more mountain biking on tap, in the form of the Adams Farm edition of the Barn Burner series.
Let's just say that it didn't go as planned.
AUG August.
Leadville month.
One final preparation--the Kancamagus Scenic Byway.
Several lessons learned.
One, I can ride more than a hundred miles on my mountain bike.
Two, my mountain bike saddle's good for seventy miles.
Three, liquid (Carborocket 333 Half Evil)
and Gu work for me as fuel for a
century ride.
Finally, Leadville race week
arrives.
August 9 and I'm jetting out to Denver for a week of pre-riding.
Betsy joins midweek to crew.
Big World Bicycle Relief presence.
Saturday morning rolls around.
Pre-dawn appointment with the starting line.
The traditional shotgun blast starts the timer.
Do I have sub-12 in me?
Eleven hours and 28 minutes later, I roll across the finish line to earn the coveted belt buckle
(pictured below; race photo pictured at left).
Everything came together perfectly: enough training, great weather, no mechanicals, perfect nutrition plan, expert advice, and a great team of friends old and new.
SEP-DEC September marks the arrival of cyclocross ('cross, or CX).
2015 saw my most ever races--22 plus 4 unsanctioned for a total of 26, compared with 2 in 2012, 9 in 2013, and 16 last year.
That's far more race reports and photo albums than just about anyone deserves (punishment gluttons, duly warned, may find them here).
The pictures below more than capture the essence of the CX season.
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[
OCT: Mass Bike auctions the
cycling art of Michael Valenti. ]
[
NOV: Retired pro cyclist
and all-around awesome guy
Ted King at Landry's Boston. ]
[
NOV: Chebeague Island for Thanksgiving. ]
[
DEC: Gingerbread houses. ]
With road bikes, 'cross bikes, mountain bikes, fat bikes, and folding bikes, the cycling season's never done ... even through the cold New England winter.
Fittingly, the final cycling event of my 2015 involved ALL my bikes.
Last week, Betsy and I moved them to her house in Cambridge--my new address is 141 Pearl Street, 02139.
(My mobile number and email address remain unchanged.)
I can't imagine living without bicycles.
As important as they are to me, though, they aren't truly a necessity--I have other options for getting around.
For students, health care workers, entrepreneurs, and others in Africa, the bicycle is life-changing.
Please consider making a
donation to World Bicycle Relief(WBR) and help change a life for the better ... through bicycles.
Happy New Year 2016!
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