Cherry-Roubaix Gran Fondo – June 4
Some words I haven’t typed in quite some time:
“I’m doing a road race on Saturday.”
Such is the state of the road racing scene in Michigan these days. But if there’s an event that will bring me out for a road gallop, it’s the Cherry-Roubaix; particularly one held at Crystal Mountain.
The cool thing about the event is that it’s two rides in one. Want to just ride it? It’s a fondo. Want to race it? Then pin some numbers on, punk, and line up with 70+ shaved-legged dingleberries and hold on for dear life. I’m really looking forward to teaming up with Tim Bottrell to help the man of the moment/teammate Josh Concannon finish as high up the order as possible.
Base Media is bringing a hell of a team and are the clear favorites, but there’s enough talent on the line to make a game of it. Plus, Sean Kickbush is signed up. He’s super good at bikes, if you didn’t know, and will certainly make the front group.
Kolo t.c. Less Cancer Ride – June 11
Sure, it’s not a race. But Cody is leading it, so it’s going to kind of be a race. On June 11, we’re doing an 80-miler in Leelanau County to raise some money for Less Cancer. It’s going to be hot. It’s going to be hilly. It’s going to be a hell of a good time. I missed the ride last year due to work, so I’m pretty pumped to be involved again in 2022.
Want to learn more? Check out some details here. We’d love to see you roll with us.
The Cookie Ride – July 2
Back for 2022 is the Cookie Ride, a donation-based group ride that encourages riders to donate to the Great Lakes Humane Society. This ride hits close to home for me andy Cody, as we’ve both adopted animals from Linda at GLHS. My two dogs from there (Ziggy and the late Disco Volante) were both rescued from kill shelters by GLHS and have been wonderful sources of love and joy. Join us for the ride or toss GLHS a few bucks RIGHT NOW if the thought of abandoned animals makes you tear up a little bit, like it does me.
Traverse City Trails Fest – July 23
I always do pretty terribly at this race. It’s still one of my favorites on the calendar. A fundraiser for Northern Michigan Mountain Bike Association, the race course ties together the best possible trails in Traverse City to create a positively thrilling morning on a bicycle. It’s always hot and humid, but the dip in the creek at Ranch Rudolph after the finish is the most rewarding (and freezing) post-race experience of the summer. Come ride with kolo and Suttons Bay Bikes on July 9 to get a taste of the course for yourself.
Patrick’s Heavy Ride for Norte – July 30
This is the big one. A 123-mile jaunt is on the cards for 2022, with a completely revised event structure. Beginning and ending in Traverse City, the event also has 47-mile and 20-mile route options so that everyone can join in on the fun. After all, a 20-mile ride is an ambitious challenge for a lot of people and we don’t want to sideline anyone from taking on their own Heavy Ride.
As Norte’s biggest fundraiser of the year, we’re hoping to raise $25,000 to keep our youth programs rolling. We have over 1,200 kids in our programs each year, and it’s a huge deal to us to keep our programs affordable and to offer scholarships to all families who need them.
Since our programs began, we’ve never turned away a single kid who wanted to ride with us but couldn’t afford the registration fee. That’s thanks to our donors – and that includes our Heavy Riders!
Want to come to TC to ride with us sometime? Drop me a line. Hope to see you on the roads and trails soon.
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