Randy’s Cycling Log

Ride Data
Distance: 37.60 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1765.75 miles
Time: 2.05.16
Avg. Speed: 18.0 mph
Max. Speed: 30.4 mph

Ride Description: Velo City Cycles Tuesday Night Road Ride

Riding Partners: Jim Mahaney, Kirk Walters, John Jasker, Leon Slikkers, Tim Seamore (new gent), Tom Slikkers, Mike Clark, Jeff Wert, and many others.

Notes on the day: The ride was uneventful.  A very hot day today and still very hot when we hit the road.  The route tonight was basically our classic East Saugatuck loop, so I knew where my challenges would be.   The average is a bit misleading as the pace into the bike shop and the pace out of town was really slow.  Once the ride really started rolling we pushed 23-25 until I cracked going up the hill by the Ravines golf course on 136th Avenue.  It was just too damn hot.   was overheating… felt like all of my body heat was trapped between my chin and my forehead.  So I just eased up and let the pack of 9 that I was with go on.  Not long thereafter I saw that Kirk decided to do the same and I then caught Kirk at the crest of the next hill on 136th.  We then rode down to 58th street and then up 56th/Lincoln together at a pretty comfortable 21-22 pace.  For a short period of time we pushed the pace back up once we got the tailwind on 56th street when the group ahead was only 300 yards or so in front thinking that we could prehaps close the gap on the tiny rise up 56th St. to East Saugatuck Church.  The gap unfortunately stayed about the same the entire time we were pushing.   In cycling 8 against 2 means that 2 loses

We then backed it back down to a very friendly 18-19 and had a great chat from the Airport (Tulip City) back to the bike shop.

Hey – I’ve been appointed a co-ride leader for this Saturday’s Sweet Roll Ride (Tom Ayres is out of town with his Family), so please come out and join me at the West Ottawa High School Atheletic parking lot at 8:00am for a friendly (and comfortable) ride up to Grand Haven!

Ride Data
Distance: 36.46 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1728.15 miles
Time: 2.09.11
Avg. Speed: 16.9 mph
Max. Speed: 26.8 mph

Ride Description: MCC Monday Night Crash Ride

Riding Partners: Mike Mortorff, Jim Mahaney, Steve Lambert, Kirk Walters, John Jasker, Rick Kraai, John Vandenberg, Conrad and Roberta Van Haitsma, Marshall and Marci Michmerhuizen and several others.

Notes on the day: Another crash on the Monday Night Ride!  This time my good friend Morty went down in the 2 bike pile up.  Once again I believe it was a couple of circumstances that added up to trouble.  First a rider from the A group stayed back at the top of the 196 overpass on Lincoln in an attempt to alert the B Group to a bunch of glass.  The guys heart was obviously in the right place but the problem in my opinion is that he was way to far out into the road and literally spooked the B group and we went everywhere…. from 2 abreast to 5 abreast scattering across the road.  That circumstances combined with a split second application of brakes in the paceline in the middle of group caused another rider to lockup his brakes and either skid or veer from the left line of the paceline to the right of the paceline and the rider on the right side the paceline had nowhere to go.

The result?  2 people on the ground.  Mike Mortorff (Morty) and Ed Speyers.  Ed appeared ok with what appeared to only be a small cut to a finger or two.  Morty was pretty banged up on his right knee.  I rode with him from the accident site (south of Tulip City Airport) back to his house.  He rode the 4 mile stretch using only his left foot clipped into the pedals and hung his right leg of to the side.  Mike’s a tough bird… we got going 17mph with his one legged approach

I spoke to Mike on the phone this morning and he is still pretty stiff and sore in his right knee.  He can move around a bit better than last night, so he felt that he didn’t need an x-ray but perhaps it will take some time to heal.

As for me…. Afte rI got Mike delivered safely home and in the care of his wife – I left Mike’s and attempted to backtrack the Monday Night route backwards and meets the group.  The problem was that I went one mile to far south and then ended up calling Jim Mahaney on the road to find out where and the heck I had gone astray.  Jim also known as the ‘Human Roadmap’ easily guided me back to meeting up with the group at 46th Street and 144th Avenue just North of Overisel.  From there I rode back with Jim, Conrad, and John Wood.

What can be done with the ‘B’ group on Monday nights to make it safer for everybody?  Last year I rode the entire year on Monday nights with the ‘B’ group and we never had any accidents. This year we have had 3 pretty serious crashes.  Any suggestions regarding the group and what to change?  Leave a comment!

Until next time-
Randy

Ride Data
Distance: 47.00 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1691.69 miles
Time: 2.25.55
Avg. Speed: 19.3 mph
Max. Speed: 44.5 mph

Ride Description: Macatawa Cycling Club Monday night route (Hamilton / Bentiem edition)

Riding Partners: Mike Mortorff, Steve Lambert, Kirk Walters, Mike Clark, Paul Nelson, John Jasker, Rick Kraai, Randy “The Original” Boltman, Jessica Osting, Kelly (I don’t know her last name yet), and several others.

Notes on the day: Slightly smaller turn out this evening than last week.  I didn’t feel really much like riding today but I got some friendly encouragement from Sara to ride.  She reminded me how few Monday’s actually remain until the daylight fades and then soon after the weather.  I rode into the Aquatic center very slowly averaging 16.1 for the 4 or so miles.   We then also rode out of town on Central as a group at a very easy pace.   It didn’t take long to realize once we were on Lincoln that this B group wanted to roll and roll pretty seriously.  In the end my average ended up at 19.3 – I would guess the actually ride minus the ride into the Aquatic center and the warm up out of town was really a 20mph pace. As the night went along I felt better and stronger on the bike.  Mike truly seemed tired on the bike last night. Usually he says that in email and then dusts the streets with me later at night.  Tonight was different. There were two climbs where he didn’t really even chase Steve or I up the climb.  Although I knew he would challenge up the hill on 24th Street to the light at Waverly.  Sure enough he got Jasker to pull him up to the front in time to dust me off.

I fell 1/2 mph shy of my downhill speed goal of 45 mph.  I got 44.5mph on the gradual long downhill stretch.  I kicked it up chasing Paul Nelson on the downhill.  I went early and knew I had no chance of winning the sprint but that wasn’t the point or goal. I still had gears left. I am rethinking my goal for this downhill. I think I might be able to get 47.5 mph on the stretch with the correctly timed jump on the group and perhaps a great Chris D lead out

Very fun ride tonight.

Ride Data
Distance: 39.10 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1644.69 miles
Time: 2.14.04
Avg. Speed: 17.5 mph
Max. Speed: 31.2 mph

Ride Description: Velo City Cycles – August Fun Raiser “Friday Night with Lights”

Riding Partners: A shame that there was only 8 of us.  Mike Mortorff, Jim Mahaney, Jeff Wert, Mike and Linda Clark, The Original Randy, Tom (whose last name I didn’t get) and myself.

Thought of the day: This was the first fun raiser of the season that I have attended.  Normally they are on Sunday afternoon’s which doesn’t work or well in my weekly schedule.  The ride itself was great fun.  Tom got a flat on the raod and changed it in the dark.  Really too bad that we didn’t have more participants for the ride.  

The collection of custom designed Herman Miller jerseys now spans 8 years.  We’ve been fortunate to have a continued committment to health and fitness and in particular cycling at Herman Miller that spans several executive leadership changes over the years.

I’ve given the jerseys nicknames over the years.  All 8 years are presented below.  I also have higher resolution images available for viewing in our Family Photo Gallery.

 2000 – The Original HMI Jersey – “Polka Dot”
 

2001 – “Wheel Spokes or Tie Die”
 

2002 – “Rising Sun”
 

2003 – “Steeplechase”
 

2004 – “Roadkill”
 

2005 – “Celle” named after the HMI Celle Office Chair”
 

2006 – “Coral”
 

2007 – “Airliner”
 

Ride Data
Distance: 46.95 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1605.59 miles
Time: 2.29.20
Avg. Speed: 18.8 mph
Max. Speed: 42.7 mph

Ride Description: MCC Monday Night Ride – using the alternate route through Hamilton and the surrounding area.

Riding Partners: A large MCC Bunch tonight.  A few of the protagonists…  Mike Mortorff, Steve Lambert, Bob Slikkers, Leon Slikkers, Rick Kraai, Marci Michmerhuizen, Roberta Van Haitsma, Mike Mamo, Dan Ensing, Chris Davison, Gary Veldoff, John Jasker, Jaqui Groendyke… and many more who I can’t remember right now.

Thought of the day: John Vandenberg,  who I have ridden with on many a Tuesday night VCC road ride, went down on his first MCC Monday night ride.   As normal a couple of different factors came together that likely caused the spill.   Communication was not great at the moment it occurred.  We were coming to the crest of a double kick hill (a rise, a small flat and then another rise) and the route turned left at the top.  John being new had no way to know that the route was about to turn and I’m not sure if it had been called out yet at the time, so the group was slowing partially from the hill and partially for the approaching turn.  I was two riders behind John at the time and it happened so fast that I (and John) aren’t sure what the exact chain of events was.  He may of rubbed into the rider ahead and then got into the loose gravel on the shoulder of the road and went down or he may of instinctively moved to the shoulder to avoid the rider ahead and then got in the gravel and went down.  Either way it was pretty scary to be two riders back and see just how fast John went from upright at 16+ mph to a dead stop and laying on the ground.  OUCH!

John was in pretty good shape considering the fall.  Had a scrape on his elbow and a pretty good knot on his knee.  The obvious concern at the time was his knee that was swelling pretty quickly. John and a friend decided to ventured straight up the road one mile to Bentiem Church and call for a ride from there.   At this time  I do not have an update on John’s condition.  If you know John (or if you are John) please let us know how you are doing!

John commented to this post but I thought I would bring it into the main post so that everyone is aware that he is ok.  [Thanks John!]

Randy thanks for the description of what happen because I don’t remember it happened so fast, I went from riding to being down.
Other than a sore right knee and a Crack in my bell helmet, I feel fine I’ll be riding again as soon as I go buy a new helmet.

Thanks
John Vandenberg

Mortorff Quote of the Day:  “I’m on board with that.”   In reference to my Mortorff ‘isk comment that since we only did 14 mph out of town that we could safely kick up the pace to 23-24 and still come in under Rick’s suggested average for the ride.  Uh-oh!

A few snapshots from last night’s pre-ride gathering are viewable HERE.

RAGBRAI 2007 – 4 days of RAGBRAI

From left to Right: Dean Dornan, Rick Kraai, Chuck Zolper, Mike Mortorff, Leon Slikkers, Doug Reed, Randy Kuite, Tom Novak and Dan Wilson.  Not pictured here is our driver Myles Rehkopf – he’s taking the photo.

This is a bit of a late post to my cycling log but the links below chronicle our 4 days of RAGRBAI 2007.

Day Zero – Travel Day and setting up camp
http://www.kuite.com/bikelog/ragbrai2007-day0/

Day One – Spencer to Humboldt
http://www.kuite.com/bikelog/ragbrai2007-day1/

Day Two – Humboldt to Hampton
http://www.kuite.com/bikelog/ragbrai2007-day2/

Day Three – Hampton to Cedar Falls
http://www.kuite.com/bikelog/ragbrai2007-day3/

Day Four – Cedar Falls to Independence / return trip home
http://www.kuite.com/bikelog/ragbrai2007-day4/

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Ride Data
Distance: 46.82 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1558.64 miles
Time: 2.38.58
Avg. Speed: 17.6 mph
Max. Speed: 31.1 mph

Ride Description: 32nd St West to 66th. 66th around and south to Lake Island to 64th St. Blue Star to Douglas. Center to Wylie/River Road to 62nd and down and around Hutchin’s Lake. 56th Street home out of Fennville.

Riding Partners: Jim Mahaney and Mick Doran 

Thought of the day:A nice easy ride this evening.

Mortorff Quote of the Day: Mike did not ride tonight.

Ride Data
Distance: 26.36 miles
Year to Date Disance: 1511.82 miles
Time: 1.29.16
Avg. Speed: 17.7 mph
Max. Speed: 33.3 mph

Ride Description: Tuesday Night Velo City Cyles Road Ride

Riding Partners: Various riders of no particualr distinction 

Thought of the day: The group got split earlier and I was toward the back when the split occurred.  This may have been a blessing as I was pretty tired all day yesterday and this put me in the B group where the pace was gentle. 

Mortorff Quote of the Day: Mike did not ride tonight.