Thanks! And a Few Observations from 2011

Another Peckerhead is in the books.  Over 90 riders and well over a hundred attendees.  We want to thank everyone who attended, all of our volunteers and supporters, as well as all the sponsors who dug what we are all about. We're pretty well signing off until next year, but will probably keep posting ride notices and other random crap on our Facebook page, so keep up with us there.  If we have your address and e-mail, you might just get some stuff from us every once in a while.  So, in closing, below are a few observations heard, overheard, thought of, or found scrawled on my bathroom wall...

1. Ted and Karl made us all look like pussies.   
"Hey lycra boy,  you ride 36 miles on a 55 year old three speed commuter bike or Karl's a 3 wheeler contraption with a fishing creel strapped to the front of it, then talk to me about your fancy clipless magoomium whatsit you just paid two hundred bucks to have FedExed to your office." 

No, that light is not an LED...

2. Beer out of these bottles tastes better.

Only 24 made this year.  Got one?

 

3. Is it just me, or does Original Peckerhead S. Conery represent a fantastic sales opportunity for the good people at Twin Six?

Paging Mario Cipollini...

4. To the guy who rode in SPD sandals, I can't decide if you're a total badass or just nuts.

Notice the stylish footwear.

 

5. If you're here from Italy, we do not require a helmet. Your natural sense of style and connection to the motherland will protect you from all harm.

Helmets are for people who cannot outrun automobiles.

6. We have very cool neighbors.

7.  If you're Ralph, it's okay to come late because you'll have more miles than anybody anyway.  122 miles and 6550 feet of climbing to be exact.

What was that about 9:00 am?

8. From G. Wardell.  "Two words.  Superb... Horrible".  

Good to know we're on target.

9. It's not doping, it's preparation.

The founder started early.

10. When there are no race numbers, everyone's a campionissimo and that is very, very cool.

Layacona on Teeter Road.

-

Beehive Books - Sweet Like Honey

Those of us who read books without pictures extend our thanks to our remedial reading sponsor, Beehive Books of Delaware, Ohio. Beehive has contributed some cool stuff for the three or four of us who enjoy those sorts of things, and we're really happy about that.

On top of that, you might not know that Beehive Books sponsors a bike racing team, has a cool bike hanging from their ceiling, has a really complete cycling section, AND serves great coffee!

So next time you're going to Columbus, get all old school and take route 42 to Delaware. Follow your nose to Sandusky street and stop in for a bit. Thanks Mel for all your support.

Some of the Water Bottles are Pink. Oh Yes They Are.

This one's pretty easy. What do you say about your local bike shop? Thank you Denny and Eric Petersen for once again supporting the Peckerhead Invitational. Every year we go back to them and every year they just come through and deliver the goods for our crew. So, leave your flask at home.  Y-Not has kicked in enough pink water bottles to hold all of your water and on-the-bike vodka tonics.

Oh yeah... and thank you guys for teaching me how to build bikes fifteen or more years ago. I still use tools I bought at Y-Not way back when.

What is This "Bonk" of Which You Speak?

Dear Jay,

Clif Bar & Co. is happy to provide 196 Clif Shot Gels and 216 Clif Shot Bloks in support of The 11th Annual Peckerhead Invitational on June 18th. Your shipment is set to arrive on June 10th and is meant to be enjoyed by your event participants, volunteers and fulltime staff.

I just spent the last half hour looking for our "fulltime staff"...  who the hell are they?  But besides that, the goods arrived today and all my "ran out of food" excuses just went out the window.  Thank you Clif Bar!

Leiter Begins Journey to PeckerHeadQuarters

Original Peckerhead, P. Leiter has begun his journey from southern Ohio to rendezvous with his homies on Saturday June 18th. The photograph at left -- submitted by P-Head J. Stites from his organic pot farm and meth lab in Colorado -- suggests that Leiter is adapting well to the southern Ohio, er, lifestyle.

As our readers may know, Leiter once rode a vintage Marx Toys Green Machine across the country. Aside from his cross-country vehicle, Leiter has also piloted mountain bikes, recumbents, and a Merlin road bike. And those are just the bikes he's ridden. I shudder to recall the Tequila soaked days just off the AU campus.

Uhmmm, That Won't Work...

For whatever reason, there have been a number of road closures this year that may or may not affect our routing.  A bridge on North Liberty is out and impassable.  We also have a bridge situation on St. James / Kings Corners  that may still work.  The Full Pecker and John Holmes routes have had to be altered to deal with the North Liberty bridge.  Maps are updated.  We'll keep you posted on other stuff that may get you hopelessly lost and possibly killed by feral pigs.

Pedal On, Peckerhead

Cleveland Critical Mass

A chance for the LeBron haters to work off some of their frustrations. Critical Mass in Cleveland.
Article on WKYC.

Peckerhead Invitational Sees Record Support from Sponsors (We Can't Believe it Either)

The search for supporters of this year's Peckerhead is officially over and, frankly, we're a little stunned.  Support this year was through the roof.  The way we see it, there's only two explanations for this phenomenon...

1.) People who run bikey-type companies are easily fooled.

2.) People who run bikey-type companies know a good thing when they see it.

Either way, we're stoked to have all this cool stuff to share with our riders. Like us on Facebook , cause we're gonna give some of the stuff away as we lead up to the ride.  Thanks to everyone who stepped up this year to help us out.  In all seriousness, we're floored by the generosity.  Please make sure you think of these companies when you're purchasing stuff.

2011 Sponsors

Apres Velo

Really nice t-shirts and bikey off-the-bike stuff.

Beehive Books

Best selection of cycling books and periodicals in Ohio.

Breakaway Cycling

Long standing - and recently remodeled - bike shop in Delaware.

Chrome

Doubled our street cred with their sponsorship alone.  Not to mention their killer bags..

Clif Bar

Good on-the-bike eats - and enough for everyone this year.

DZ Nuts

What do we say? You rub this stuff on your berries and you feel better. Seriously.

Kenda

Five or six sets of tires.  I'm still riding a set from last year and no flats.

Pedal Pushers Club

Powered by cheap American beer.  Like us.

RealRides

I am less fat this year because of Real Rides.  I still hate my trainer, though.

Road ID

If I am ever run over by a tractor, they'll know who I am.

Sock Guy

Really, really comfortable socks.  Love them.

Twin Six

All the Minneapolis cool, with none of the hipster doofus window dressing.

Walz Caps

Keeps your head warm (or cool).  Helpful for bald guys.

Y-Not Cycling and Fitness

Mansfield's LBS for like, FOREVER. 

The Gravel Metric

Still time to make the trek to Gravel Metric on May 29th.  Scroll down and watch the video. 

And I thought our invitations were cool.  Holy crap.

2011 Peckerhead Invitational

You're invited.  More info when we're ready to give it out.