Our 3rd Annual National Mayors' Ride is set to kick off soon and the excitement continues to pour in. In fact, we just received the Chicago NBG Day proclamation from Bicycle Enthusiast Mayor Richard Daly's office. Here it is:http://www.BikeRoute.com/NationalMayorsRide2004/ChicagoProc2004.html !
From antique HiWheel riders to World Record holding unicyclists to a Mayor riding one of our legs to an actress riding another to a musical entourage preparing towns for our arrival, etc, etc, we are filled to the brim with celebration.
Many of our relay legs are covered by a lead rider but there are a few key legs that need coverage as per our 2004 schedule.
We need to get the Seattle to Portland leg covered. We were hoping that last year's superstar, Mighty Jim Muellner would take that route as he had intimated he might but we can't get him to commit. He may very well surprise us as last year, we never got a commitment out of him either. And even as he rode from Washington DC to San Francisco, we never knew from one NBG Day city to the next if he would continue. Hey but I guess if you're 68 and independently wealthy and accomplished all he has, there is no need to be on anyone else's schedule but your own.
So if you want to make a little bit of history with us, and want to ride the 172 mile distance on your own route and covering all your own expenses in 3 days time (a weekend) to a reception in Portland, please apply at: (http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Forms/newriders.php).
As for the Tampa to Washington, DC leg, we have had a lot of interest in the free Rowbkes we are offering and may very well choose more than one applicant for this section but we still need conventional bikes to set out from Tampa where they are really turning on the afterburners as a new participant in this our 3rd annual event. As the Southeast send off point for the ride that then joins Northeast riders coming down from Boston, NYC, Philly and Baltimore in Washington DC on July 2, they have devoted staff from their Greenway division to our ride. And they are working with Tampa sponsor Power On Cycling to make for an even bigger splash. And as such Tampa Greenways will also be showing off some of the cutting edge trail work they are doing some of which can be found at their web..
Toward the end of letting more of America see how much value Tampa places on its growing network of trails and paths they have already gotten a commitment from Mayor Pam Iorio to be at our celebration. As further testimony to the support they get from their local citizenry, the Tampa Greenways people are already asking us if there is any limit to the number of people who can be present for the ceremony. And before last week ended they were asking for the NBG logo so they could run it on the T-shirts they will be producing for all of this!
Out on the east coast, besides the Tampa excitement, the Northeast Recumbent people plan to help make for a noteworthy New York City reception for George Reynolds who will be arriving from Boston on one his Reynolds Weld Lab speed machines. Toward that end, Johannas Grossbrink tells us that he will see what kind of excitement he can create with the Transportation Alternatives people as well as with the Metro Area Recumbent Society (MARS) and he may even get a worthy hand from his friend and long time recumbent activist, Shelly Mossey. This last fact bodes well because, as a former bike messenger and bike shop owner, Shelly is well connected in the Big Apple. Nor does it hurt that Johannas has created a loyal following of customers who he has sold and serviced only the best recumbents to over the last decade!
In a bit of news from out here on the West Coast, in case you missed it, here are the legendary HiWheelers who will be joining Jack Martin of Gomber Bike Mounted Hydration to make for a much celebrated 37 mile run from Davis to Folsom:
http://nbg.bikeroute.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/Jacques_Graber.php
http://nbg.bikeroute.com/Events/Mayors_Ride/bios/Robert_Howe.php
The above just scratches the surface of how much excitement we are so all consumed by! And since it bears repeating, do get a look at our schedule, I know all the color and pictures and sponsors will fully astound you:
http://www.BikeRoute.com/NationalMayorsRide2004
And anyone can ride any of the relay legs you see there. Apply at:
http://NationalBicycleGreenway.com/Forms/newriders.php
Yahooo!!