WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES!

WILD RIDE? AND A WORD FROM SHARKMAN!

SHARKMAN IN ‘OUTSIDE MAGAZINE?’

AIRMAN & CLOUD GIRL SIGN AUTOGRAPHS!

BEER RIDE AND MORE!


Belo News

Galesburg, Mi.

May 15, 2010

Galesburg, Mi. – From rains of “Biblical Proportions” to sweet, warm sunshine! What a difference a week makes! The sun broke bright over the Shark Cove for Saturday’s ride and though a tad nippy, it was a glorious morning for a ride! So glorious, even Rainman showed up.

Fifteen mighty Minions were in attendance for the ride, chomping at the bit to get going after the one week lay off. The sartorial splendor was beyond description and the Minions were looking good. Several riders were wearing Custer Cyclery Jersey’s (Sharkman didn’t get the memo) except for the guy who actually owns Custer Cyclery. Danimal, who does own Custer Cyclery, was sporting the new Oberon Race Jersey and looking quite dapper before covering it with…..a Custer Cyclery wind jacket!

Meanwhile, Rainmain had on a pair of white, yes you’re read that correctly, white riding shoes. He looked fast just standing still and certainly must be confident in his manhood wearing white shoes before Memorial Day! There were so many riders, it is difficult to name them all, but a returning Minion from a couple of years ago was back on a new steed. Alan Gravely, now known as Wilier Boy, was back from a stint working in Canada and you guessed it, was riding a beautiful Wilier carbon fiber machine! Welcome back Wilier Boy!

As the peloton rode past the Klutch, Luann came out front to cheer the mighty Minion Nation on as they rode past in their sartorial splendor in the bright morning light. She shouted out that she had missed the Minions and decided to come to work to see the Minions ride! God love ya, Luann!

As has become the norm, Gazelle Girl caught on north of town and was greeted with shouts of “Gazelle Girl!” and the ride got started in earnest and got started fast!

Hoosier Boy, Chumly and A-Rod led our intrepid hero, the Sharkman, out to the first sprint and things began to get crazy after that. Sharkman later commented at the Press Conference that he may have to give up the Honorary First Sprint as it is too fast, too early for an old Shark!

The speed picked up tremendously as a few Minions began fighting it out at the front of the peloton. Riders started to get spit out the back at the climb to the summit of the col de Twin Lakes.

Sharkman went back for riders, and the peloton moved to the Rt. 89 crossing. Some Minions made the crossing and performed a “rolling stop” which basically means, they kept going. Those who had waited had to furiously ride to catch back on, including our intrepid hero, the Sharkman. The ride through the Country Club section and up to the Rt. 43 sprint hit record speeds and caused the peloton to split apart. Though the Sharkman was able to get the peloton to slow at the Rt. 43 stop, the speed immediately picked up and another “rolling stop” took place at the summit of the col de Norte.

(REMINDER – One of the Minion Credo's is – “We leave no Minion behind!” The Commissioner of Cycling (that would be Sharkman) wants to remind all Minions that we stop at all Stop Signs to see if we have all Minions accounted for. If a Minion is having a bad day and instructs others to go ahead, that is fine, but we don’t want to have a mechanical or an injury and not stop to assist. No more rolling stops. (In a related story, see the definition of a Minion below.)

The pace stayed so hot that the Minions did not form up into their usual pace lines after the crossing at the Digital Divide through the 3G Zone.

As the Minions lined up for the finish, Mike Miller, herein known as the Tow Truck, took the front of a hard driving pace line and did a humongous pull with Falcon, Sharkman, A-Rod and the Mighty Minion Nation on his wheel.

At the top of the final summit to the finish, the Tow Truck pulled aside and let the peloton by. Falcon took the finish and A-Rod caught Sharkman before the final tape knocking our intrepid hero to the third spot on the podium. Final finish speed average was an astonishing season high of 20 mph!

The fans went wild on the Champs le Galesburg as the Minions straggled in from their season record high speed romp. The tofosi and paparazzi was waiting at the Klutch as one of the two “in couples” of Miniondom, Airman and Cloud Girl, made an appearance to sign autographs with their dog, Lacie.

(Who is the other “couple of Miniondom” you might ask? That would be Rainman and Tardette and we’ve not had a Tardette sighting this year! (see WANTED ITEM below.) (Of course THE First Couple of cycling is none other than Sharkman and Lava Girl!)

You can check out all the photos at the new Shark Minion Photo link courtesy of Nikeboy. By the way, did anyone else notice the new Porsche Team Car this week? Does Sharkman know how to line up team cars or what?

Nikeboy did require Sharkman to put his “things” that he wanted taken home on the floor of the car and not on the “leather seats.” What was that all about?

Check out the pics!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23853130@N05/

NEW TEAM MASCOT?

May 15, 2010
Galesburg, Mi.

Galesburg, Mi. – A new Minion Mascot was named on Saturday when Airman and Cloud Girl brought their dog, Lacie to the Klutch for the post race activity. Since the Minions don’t have a mascot like the San Diego Chicken, Sparty, Bucky Badger or a Wolverine, and since it would really really be hard to have a Shark Mascot, an immediate motion was made to make Lacie the Team Mascot. So moved and seconded. Please join us in welcoming Lacie as our new Official Team Dog and mascot! (this will be a great trivia question at cocktail parties in future years…..”So, who was the official team dog and mascot for the Minions in 2010?.... answer?….Who were the Minions?)



WANTED - TARDETTE!

May 20, 2010
Battle Creek, Mi.

Battle Creek, Mi. – As anyone seen this woman? The other half of one of the two “In Couples of Cycling” has not been seen this season. Reports indicate that she had gone over to the dark side and has taken up running and has joined the Michigan Race Circuit. Known in the peloton as Tardette, we haven’t seen her on the bike or even for Koffee this year. What’s that all about?

The Commissioner of Cycling is offering a reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Tardette. If you are aware of Tardette’s whereabouts, please send the information in a self addressed envelope addressed to the Shark Cove, Battle Creek Mi, along with a check made out to Sharkman in the amount of $50.00 to cover the cost of further investigative initiatives. If the subject is located, you will get a kup of koffee at the Klutch. Everybody wins! Come on, someone must know where she is hiding!

NEW DATE FOR THE BEER RIDE!
FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010!


Due to popular demand, the date for the Beer Ride has been changed to Friday, June 18, 2010 so more people can make it!

The Info
What’s happening? A casual beer ride from Arcadia to Bell’s. Emphasis on beer and fun. This isn’t a race.

How far is the ride? The full ride is about 27 miles. Arcadia to Barking Frog is about 12 miles and the last 15 miles is from Barking Frog to Bell’s.

I like beer. When’s this happening? Friday afternoon ride from Arcadia Brewery in Battle Creek to Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo. June 18, 2010.

When are we rolling? Noon brew at Arcadia followed by an approximate 12:30/1:00 start

Will there be a T shirt? – Oh, yeah! What’s a great ride without a great T shirt!

For more information, contact the Sharkman!


WHAT IS A MINION?

We thought with all the new Minions this year, we might define what a true Minion is;

In addition to complete and utter allegiance to our intrepid hero, the Sharkman, a Minion is a person who loves to bike and enjoys some spirited competition but also appreciates the social aspect of riding and has limited time to do it. Minions are people who have families, jobs, kids, soccer, little league and responsibilities that come before cycling and do not have time to ride every day, ride over 100-150 miles per week and become what we have come to know as “Hammer Heads.”

Minions are riders who try to get the most out of the limited riding time they have in their otherwise busy lives. The Minion KK-TdG ride allows riders who want to “hammer,” to do so between stop signs. To contest sprints and have a good time but also a Minion waits for and watches out for the riders who may be new to the peloton, have an injury or a mechanical, or just having a bad day.

Minions would love to compete at a higher level, but just can’t put in the time it takes to do so, so they use the KK-TdG to get their riding and competitive “fix” in on Saturday mornings. Minions all have come to realize that it is more about the camaraderie and friendship than about kicking butt, even though it is fun to kick butt once and a while, between stop signs.

There are many opportunities to race or even take part in a harder ride than the KK-TdG. There is the Tuesday Night Chain Gang, the Wednesday Night Hammerfest, the Friday Night TdG, to name a few. And many Minions also avail themselves of these other rides.

But each ride has its own personality and those rides aren’t the same as the KK-TdG for a reason. It’s about the fun, the pure joy of riding with your friends on Saturday morning, its about getting a chance to sprint and also seeing a new rider improve their skills on the bike. And it is about a great Kup of Joe at the Klutch, talking after a great ride, with those other riders who appreciate that it is about the bike and about the quality of the ride and the friends, not how many miles or sprints you win. Oh, and it is about the Koffee! Ah, nothing like a dark roast bottomless kup at the Klutch, yeah, that too…….

That’s what being a Minion, is all about!

SHARKMAN FEATURED IN THE OUTSIDE BUYERS GUIDE!

Santa Fe, NM. – Yes, it is true! The Sharkman is featured in the new Outside Magazines Buyers Guide! The new Outside Magazine Buyers Guide is on newsstands now and the Sharkman’s photo is on page 6 along with OBG Editor and Sharkman’s Son-in-Law Sam Moulton. Sharkman’s review of the Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Leader Bib Shorts can be found on page 104. (And he got to keep the shorts! Is this a great country or what?)

We know that this edition will be flying off the shelves in Western Michigan so don’t wait to pick yours up. Get out there now! Sharkman will be available to sign copies of the magazine during the post race activities this Saturday at the Klutch. So you won’t want to miss this Saturday’s ride!

SATURDAY’S RIDE!

May 22, 2010 – Launch Time – 8:30 A.M. – SHARP!

Be there!