 |
| Red, White and Blue Kit Day! Bowties, hair ribbons, orange shoes! Is this a great country or what?!? |
SHARKMAN ON THE PODIUM?!? WAIT,.....WHAT???
IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?!?
WARM WEATHER GREETS THE NATION!!!
LET THE SEASON BEGIN!
MOTORCYCLE RIDE YOU SAY?!?
Belo News
May 25, 2019
Shark Cove, Mi. - As dawn broke damp and cloudy over the Shark Cove, our intrepid hero, the Sharkman's first thought was, "is it raining?"
The forecast for ride day looked dismal the previous evening and the thought crossed our hero's mind to just cancel the ride and avoid the early morning ruminating over the Shark Radar.
However, much to his surprise, a quick check of radar showed an opening in the weather for at least the morning hours!
Game on!
 |
| Brewman sporting his Victory Beer RW&B Kit! |
Sharkman was again, unsure of who would be riding over with hime, but none the less was excited to don his Red, White and Blue kit. Each layer of this our hero's ensemble reeked of patriotism!
From the red, white and blue helmet, to the American flags on his dew rag, to his all American star's and stripes jersey to his blue bib shorts! His USA socks and his red and white riding shoes, our hero was living the Shark Minion Credo that "if you can't be good, look good!" and our hero was looking good!
With his flashing lights, he cut quite a figure on the wet roads over to the start.
Again, no one joined on and Sharkman was feeling the loneliness of the long distance rider.......(hey, does that make the entourage feel sorry? Uh, does it? Where are you guys???) Can we hear a collective ...."Awwwwww...." for our hero? Uh, can we?
Again, he counted cars that passed him on the way over, (and the count doubled since last week (4) as he thought of the glory days when he always had at least one other rider in his Shark entourage......
 |
| Brewman fashion error..... Orange/Black shoes.... |
As he passed the Klutch and waved to the early morning group, he noticed Wishbones bike resting against the wall of the Klutch, so he knew there would be at least one other Shark Minion in attendance for Red, White and Blue Kit Day!
As he rolled into the school yard, there was Sasquatch pulling into the start, followed by perfect attendance Brewman and others. Both were in their RW and B Kit, with Brewman filling out his ensemble by having both a Victory Brewing AND a RW and B jersey. The man knows how to rock the holiday weekends!
He did have a small fashion issue with his orange shoes, but the Commissioner let it pass. Sasquatch was rocking it in his USA jersey!
Shortly after, Padre showed up and though he did not have RW and B Kit, he did have a very attractive, yet masculine RW and B Bow Tie! (check photo). He even wore it for the entire ride!!!
Hoosier Boy had his Hoosier Jersey, which is red and white, but was cutting it close with the blue helmet straps. But again, the Commissioner looked the other way.
 |
| Reb makes the start! Well, sort of..... |
Bissell Boy arrived with the ever popular Mick Jagger RW and B jersey, always a crowd pleaser. To shouts of "Gazelle Girl" the "Sweetheart of the Peloton" arrived with her RW and B hair ribbon (check photo)! Shortly after, Stryker Guy returned to the peloton in his RW and B Pedal Kit!
 |
| Padre rocking it in his RW&B Bowtie! |
Man, the Nation was looking good!!!
Even Reb showed up at the start, sans any RW and B Kit, as he was taking his son to play baseball and couldn't ride, but did want to try to remember what the start was like!
Oh, the humanity!
Including the Sharkman, there were nine at the start, and though small in number, they made up for it in enthusiasm! Many thought they wouldn't be riding with the weather report, but they were out to celebrate being Shark Minions, as well as our beloved, good old US of A!!!
After the start photo and the obligatory selfie that Sharkman just can't seem to get the hang of, they were off!
As they passed the Klutch, their adoring fans in the Early Morning Koffee Group waved and Andrew came to the door to wish everyone a safe ride.
As the Nation headed past the Klutch, PJ and Hutch jumped on. Then they were eleven!
Sharkman worked the crowd and insured his count as the Shark Nation train headed up toward the first sprint. Not long after, Kid Doster, making his season debut, jumped on, making it 12 riders.
 |
| The ever popular Mick Jagger RW&B Jersey! Bissell Boy rocks it! |
Sasquatch and Padre went to the front and did a great job leading out the Sharkman to his honorary sprint, clocking it at 22. 3 mph this week! The man was on fire!
After the first G crossing, Stryker Guy took the sprint in the run up to the col de Twin Lakes "uncontested" as he stated. He claimed the he likes to get at least one "uncontested" sprint per season! And that folks, is why he is a legend!
The Nation glided up the col de Twin Lakes and past the Northville Church, past Kellogg Korner and through the Kountry Klub section.
Padre and Kid Doster were leading in this section with Sharkman hard on their wheels, hanging on like Wolf King hangs on to a piece of bologna!
After the traditional "sit up" after the turn to the Rt. 43 sprint, Sharkman took off and was soon tracked down by Kid Doster and Padre, however, Sharkman had enough left to take the Rt. 43 sprint! Or did the Kid give it to him?......None the less, it was a victory for America!
Up the col de Norte and through the Holy Rollers, the Nation rode at a pretty good clip considering the past few weeks of Spring Training pace. Padre commented that the group was pretty mellow and Sharkman told him they were all waiting for the final sprint.
 |
| Hoosier Boy in his Indiana Kit with blue helmet strap. |
As they passed the Zyckmann Estate, there was the venerable Fabio doing lawn work.
Wait, what? Lawn work? Lawn work? What was he thinking!??
Belo News was going to have some fun with this, but later learned that Fabio/Zyckmann has a virus and will be out for at least two weeks! Oh, the humanity!
Get well soon, Zyckmann!
At the Feed Stop, PJ dropped off and the Nation took the low road, all deciding it was nicely paved and less traveled. They then headed to the Digital Divide, where the pace line formed up.
Sharkman led out and got the show started, but Gazelle Girl was bound and determined to teach the wayward Minion Nation how to do the pace line clock wise, as the wind was coming from the southwest. Though Sharkman was doubtful, Gazelle Girl proved him wrong as she shouted out orders to the Minions to reverse the direction and got the outside line to move up, while the inside line moved back. It actually worked for quite a while until some on the inside line seemed to forget and moved faster than the outside line, not allowing them to move in front.
However, for a while, it was a thing of beauty!
 |
| Stryker Guy back in his RW&B Pedal Kit! |
Gazelle Girls method to her madness bore itself out when, after the bend in the road just before the final sprint, she popped up near the front and got a near perfect lead out to her beloved GGG Spot Sprint! It was another victory for America on this Memorial Day Special Edition!
As the Nation headed south to the final sprint, Sasquatch and Gazelle Girl took the lead out.
Sharkman, remembering his being so gassed the week before trying to lead out, sat back and watched the ride unfold. He had remembered that Padre was pretty preoccupied by the sprinting and the old Shark thought that he would try to get his wheel if he could, knowing he would rock it hard to get that sprint.
As Sasquatch and Gazelle Girl got to the final ascent, the Nation started to splinter, and up came Padre.
Sharkman grabbed his wheel and hung on as best he could as the road descended to the finish.
Padre slowly took the speed up as Sharkman looked in his mirror and saw that they had opened up a gap and no one seemed to be following them!
 |
| "Gazelle Girl!" |
 |
| Red, White & Blue Hair Band! |
Sharkman thought that maybe, just maybe, he could wait to the last second and come around Padre as they bore down on the finish. He continued to look down at his mirror to make sure that no one was off his left shoulder. That is when it happened....
Just as the old Shark was planning his jump, he heard Kid Doster to his right say, "I guess it is just us...."
Sharkman had been unable to see the swift moving Kid coming up on the inside.
Just as Sharkman was thinking he had the Kid boxed in, Padre started to drift a bit left to counter any move by the old Shark.
As Padre made the move, Kid Doster came up on the right while the old Shark tried to attack from the left.
 |
| Another bad selfie! Oh, the humanity! |
Sharkman got up to about a half wheel off Padre, almost pulling even, when Padre and Kid Doster put the hammer down and Kid Doster, timing his attack perfectly, edged out Padre with Sharkman on their wheels!
It was another victory for America as the crowds went wild on the champs Le Galesburg!
Average Speed on the day was 18.99 mph, which was a bit of a jump since the previous averages during Spring Season.
The race also began for who was buying the Koffee. With PJ and Hutch dropping off, the numbers were down again and Hoosier Boy and Gazelle Girl, followed by Bissell Boy, led the three way attack to the Klutch, which was almost as furious as the rush to the finish!
However, as the Nation, paparazzi and tofosi arrived at the Klutch, there was Greyhound waiting with a big grin on his face. He was buying and won the final sprint to the Klutch without even riding! Thanks Greyhound! Is this a great country or what!?!
 |
| Who is that ghost rider? |
Again, the Nation stayed late at the Klutch, enjoying the banter as well as the bottomless kups of koffee.
Sharkman was pleased to learn there was a nice east wind for his ride back to the Shark Cove and that he had enough gas to get there in a respectable time.
You won't want to miss this weeks edition of the KK-TdG!
Saturday, June 1, 2019 (How can it be June already!??)
Launch Time - 8:00 A.M. - SHARP!
Be there!
 |
| Winner of the Koffee Sprint! Greyhound! |
 |
| The Klutch was rocking! |
MOTORCYCLE RIDE YOU SAY?!?
Belo News
May 29, 2019
Hickory Corners, Mi. - It is well known that Sharkman has been riding two wheels for a very long, long time. One of those two wheeled vehicles is a motorcycle that he dearly loves. He also loves going to the Gilmore Vintage Motorcycle Show and is on June 8 and 9 this year.
June 9 is also Gazelle Girls Birthday AND she rides a motorcycle, and so does Toesetter!
Is this a great country or what!
So if you are a motorcycling Shark Minion, get that bike out to ride with us on Sunday morning, June 9 for the Gilmore Car Museum's 2019 Vintage Motorcycle Weekend followed by a lunch ride up to the Walldorff!
Please let Sharkman know if you are attending! All are welcome!
Riders joining the Minion rides acknowledge the inherent risk involved with bicycle riding and by joining any Minion ride hold harmless any rider involved.
