Team Switch: I am now on Team Phat Tuesday

Why Not the PMC Monsters?

Well, to make a long story short: The team that was the PMC Monsters was not sanctioned by Monster this year and that really put a crimp in things. Most of the members of the PMC Monsters are merging with another team. I decided not to follow them.

Phat Tuesday

I decided to leave what was left of the PMC Monsters and join a team called Phat Tuesday. They are a well established team in the town I live in, (Franklin, MA).

I’ve ridden on their Tuesday Evening Training rides for the past couple of years so they are no strangers to me. Their founding member has been riding the PMC for 22 years.

I am eager to get my hands on their website: PhatTuesday.org. This team is also lacking its own FaceBook page. I plan on fixing that :-)

---

Pan Mass Challenge

Please visit my PMC Profile, read my story, and sponsor me as I ride for a cure.

• PMC Profile Page
• PMC eGift Page
• PMC 2009 Blog Entries

• Marty Rides the PMC FaceBook^® Page - Become a Fan!

Nice 30 Mile Ride out to Blackstone and Mendon

Crisp, Sunny, Spring Day

It was right around 50°, not "too" breezy, and sunny. Perfect weather for a ride, as long as I dressed right. Last time I biked in shorts and regretted it. This time I was smarter and wore full length bike pants, a long sleeve cycling shirt, and a feather weight layer underneath on top. Result: I was neither too warm nor too chilly. Dressing right in the spring is both an art and a science.

30 Mile Goal

My goal today was to get in at least 30 miles. I wanted to go either south or west. I made it up as I went along. I went west and headed out towards Blackstone. I meandered south through Franklin and through Bellingham, past Lake Hiawatha, and eventually picked up the Charles River Wheelmen's "Two State Tango" arrows. (I really should do that ride someday from the start.) Almost halfway through I stopped at one of the few convenience stores in that area.

After updating my various "social network status" and refilling my bottle, I continued to head west and climb the big hill on Mendon St (in Blackstone; Blackstone St. in Mendon).

Overall it was a really nice ride. I saw a few other riders, and a lot of people on Motorcycles. Hopefully it will warm up soon. It is getting light enough to ride to work in the morning, but it is still pretty cold.

Lake Hiawatha, originally uploaded by Martinator.

I like to incorporate riding past this lake when I ride west. Lake Hiawatha is a private lake, approximately 70 acres, that is partly in Bellingham (MA) and partly in Blackstone (MA). It reminds me a lot of the lake communities in the town I grew up in, West Milford, NJ.

Daniels Farmstead, originally uploaded by Martinator.

The Daniels Farmstead is a scenic farm that sits on top of a hill in Blackstone, MA. It is about 484 ft. above sea level and about 200-300 ft. above the average elevation of the surrounding area. Apparently it has been around since the mid 1600's.

Daniels Farmstead and Me, originally uploaded by Martinator.

This is me as I bike past the farm. Happy because I made it to the top. The descent was nice, not insane.

---

---

Pan Mass Challenge

Please visit my PMC Profile, read my story, and sponsor me as I ride for a cure.

• PMC Profile Page
• PMC eGift Page
• PMC 2009 Blog Entries

• Marty Rides the PMC FaceBook^® Page - Become a Fan!

PMC Page on FaceBook

Become a Fan!

I created a "page" on FaceBook where you (or anyone) can become a fan and help support me as I ride for a cure. So far I have it importing posts from this blog that are labeled PMC2009. I'm sure I'll find other fun ways to use it.

Marty Rides the PMC FaceBook Page - Become a Fan!

---

Pan Mass Challenge

Please visit my PMC Profile, read my story, and sponsor me as I ride for a cure.

• PMC Profile Page
• PMC eGift Page
• PMC 2009 Blog Entries

• Marty Rides the PMC FaceBook^® Page - Become a Fan!

Kick-stand for Catherine

Lousy Day for a Ride

It was cold, very windy, and threatening rain on Saturday afternoon. I took a pass on riding. Instead, I did some work on Catherine's bike.

Bike Shop Customer, originally uploaded by Martinator.

Catherine successfully graduated from using her training wheels late last summer (Catherine Loses the Training Wheels). While we were at the bicycle shop in town (Bicycles Plus), she reminded me that she needed a kickstand for her bicycle. Here is Catherine and her bike in the workshop area of our basement.

Measuring the Proper Kick-stand Length, originally uploaded by Martinator.

The instructions on the packaging that the kick-stand came in were rather vague. So I came up with my own method. First I mounted Catherine's bike on my Topeak PrepStand Pro Bicycle Repair Stand and made sure the wheels were level. I used a flat piece of wood and a level.

Then I mounted the kick-stand (which was about a foot long in its unaltered state) and looked to see where it met with the board/level. I made a mark about a half inch above where it met the board. That is where I will be cutting (It's aluminum, so it should be easy to cut I'm told.)

A Tool with a Tool, originally uploaded by Martinator.

This is me, ready to cut away with my Black & Decker Jigsaw. Scott at the bike shop (yes, I'm on a first name basis there) told me that a hack saw could cut through the kick-stand. I don't have a hack-saw, but I do have this. I even had a metal cutting blade. Always wear goggles for safety.

Kick-stand Ready for Cutting, originally uploaded by Martinator.

That the kick-stand in my ski tuning vise attached to my cluttered workbench. I used my left hand to further stabilize it by holding on to it on the left side of the vise. I did the cutting on the right side of the vise. The Jig Saw made quick work of it.

Right Length?, originally uploaded by Martinator.

After cutting it I loosely attached it to the bike (hand tight only) to see how the length was. Although the angle of the cut was wrong, the length was correct. It was good enough.

Back on the Stand, originally uploaded by Martinator.

I put the bike back on the bike stand so I could securely attach the kick-stand to the bike.

The Result, originally uploaded by Martinator.

Catherine's bike now has a kick-stand!

---

Pan Mass Challenge

Please visit my PMC Profile, read my story, and sponsor me as I ride for a cure.

• PMC Profile Page
• PMC eGift Page
• PMC 2009 Blog Entries

NOT the PMC Monsters

PMC Monsters no more...

For whatever reasons, the PMC team I joined here at work will no longer be able to use the company's name in our team's fund raising efforts.

This is rough. Last year, in 2008, the team was able to raise $177,000 in partnership with the company. This year we'll be lucky to raise even half of that on our own.

So we are left on our own as a team of independent employees to raise funds and meet our minimum commitments.

We are in the process of coming up with a new name and refocusing our efforts on a few key fund raising events. More on that will appear on the team's blog page (yet to be developed) and on the team's FaceBook page (which needs to be renamed, or deleted and re-created).

Another Possibility: Merge with Another Team?

There is also the possibility that we might be able to merge with another team. There are a couple that we are looking into.

The worse case scenario: PMC Monsters totally disbands and we each find another team to join.

I guess it is time to really start focusing on individual fund raising efforts...

---

Pan Mass Challenge

Please visit my PMC Profile, read my story, and sponsor me as I ride for a cure.

• PMC Profile Page
• PMC eGift Page
• PMC 2009 Blog Entries

More Street Sweeping News

Franklin Street Sweeping Schedule

I just saw this on the Town of Franklin website:

"The Franklin Highway Department will begin sweeping streets the week of March 22, 2009 starting in the center of Town and then proceeding to Precinct 5 and working counterclockwise for the remaining precincts."

Town of Franklin - Street Sweeping News

---

Pan Mass Challenge

Please visit my PMC Profile, read my story, and sponsor me as I ride for a cure.

• PMC Profile Page
• PMC eGift Page
• PMC 2009 Blog Entries

Street Sweepers!

Clean Roads!

I saw the street sweepers out yesterday in some of the town I pass through on my way to work. that's a sure sign of spring for us cyclists :-)

Soon I will be able to swap off my "off season tires" (Continental Grand Prix 4 Season) and mount lighter, faster tires.

Which Tires?

My tires from this past season are shot. I threaded my rear tire and my front tire is not too far behind. The question is, should I stick with the Continental Grand Prix Attack / Force Combo that I rode last season or explore something new. I've had Continental Grand Prix 4000 tires in the past, but they cracked rather early in their life cycle.

I really liked the Attack / Force Combo. I like the way they felt riding and they also seemed less prone to cracking than the GP 4000's. Like I mentioned before, the rear tire threaded before anything else (like cracking) happened.

Any thoughts before I go and buy myself a new set of tires?

---

Pan Mass Challenge

Please visit my PMC Profile, read my story, and sponsor me as I ride for a cure.

• PMC Profile Page
• PMC eGift Page
• PMC 2009 Blog Entries