Sunday, June 24, 2018

Wrap it up. I'll take it. PKR 2018 in the books

Well kids, we did it. Eighteen years. Together we raised our boy to adulthood, and he's eligible for the draft and registered to vote. Thanks for joining in on our graduation party.

Kudos to our riders who came from Delaware, Georgia, Michigan and all over Ohio to ride bikes and hang out afterwards. Pataskala, Columbus, Cleveland, Wooster, Bucyrus, Hilliard, Dublin... you name it. People traveled and we're grateful for that.

Couple dozen new ones, too.

Special thanks to Mansfield's riding community for showing up and showing out. This is a great place to ride bikes and you guys are big reason why.

PKR 18.1
Last thing, if you're up for a challenge join your overweight and undertrained host for PKR 18.1 on September 22 as he gets re-acquainted with Mr. Holmes.


Friday, June 15, 2018

Getting to PeckerheadQuarters

It's pretty easy to find my house, but for the out-of-towners here are some links:

From the NORTH via I-71
From the SOUTH via I-71
From the EAST via Route 30
From the WEST via Route 30

Parking details are here, and if you use the overflow, here's how you get to HQ from there. Or just follow the trail of Natural Light cans.



Or if that doesn't work, I live here:

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Why even do this anymore?

I don't believe in fate. I rarely think that things are "meant to be" and most of the time I think God basically watches us make idiots out of ourselves and shakes his head. But hey, that's me.

Every once in a while though, I get reminded that maybe somebody up there has my best interest in mind. 

Today, while I was making sure things were dialed in on the site before Saturday I noticed that the highest performing piece of content we've ever had was a short post from 2012. Curious, I clicked on the link.

It was just an announcement that we were a "go". That's it. Oh, and then my eyes welled up when I read the comment from Paul "Possum"Leiter. Paul died senselessly a year later when he was shot to death by a gunman who invaded his home and took him from the world. He was one of my best friends and I miss him every year around this time.

The 2012 PKR was Paul's last. We rode 2013 in his honor.


I don't ride as much as I used to. I am over-committed, over-scheduled, and have a shit-ton going on. I've have never been happier. The PKR takes a lot of energy to make happen. It's moments like that one, wives like Amy, kids like Maggie and Ellie, and friends, family, and neighbors like you that remind me how important it is to take time out to celebrate cycling. 

Thanks for being you. See you Saturday, Peckerheads. #PKR4EVR

Jay

 

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

2018 PKR Update - Five days away

Holy hot dog sandwich. In less than one week - Saturday June 16 - the Peckerhead Invitational sets off for its 18th edition. That's a lotta bike riders and hot dogs. So here's the scoop:
  • 536 Chevy Chase Road in Mansfield Ohio. We open for business at 7:00 am, ride leaves at 9:00 am sharp.
  • Route is marked. No maps. No sag. You're adults. You can handle this.
  • Massive cookout afterwards. Hang around and help us freak out the neighbors.
  • If you want to bring something, here's what works best.
  • No entry fees. Donations accepted to help cover costs.
All of the info you need to rock the PKR is right here. 

See you Saturday. Look for more updates through the week. 

Management.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

2018 PKR - One week to go

Look for frequent updates via this site and Facebook this week as we lead up to the 16th. Here's what we have for your weekend.

ROUTES PART 1 - MAPS & MARKS
Maps have been updated and the route will be completely marked by Sunday. Any changes to the route that we have to make on the fly due to road closures and such will be reflected on the online maps. Once the route is marked this weekend, we are not going to do a second drive of it. If something gets paved over, you'll need to survive by your wits, good looks, and natural charm. Route marks are the usual yellow arrows.


ROUTES PT 2 - THE JOHN HOLMES
The big daddy had gone a little soft the last few years. In 2018, PKR management got him squared away and he's standing straight and tall once again. 77 miles and 5,000 feet of vertical. A few things to note:

Number one. Gravel returns at mile 50. Route 3234 south of Mohican is a generally smooth gravel / dirt combo. It's hilly and two miles. It's also impossibly lush and beautiful. People riding the John Holmes need to leave their 21c tubulars at home. Be prepared.

Number two. Holmes also hits the covered bridge road and over Pleasant Hill dam for the first time. There's water at the dam and also the Mohican campground.

Number three. The JH splits from the Full Pecker at Wheatcraft and Hazlett. The split is marked on the road.

HOT DOGS
Grillmaster Grandpa Jess and his lovely assistant Roxie will be attend this year. He plans to be as grumpy as always.

WHAT CAN I BRING?
If you would like to bring a covered dish, we will gladly accept. Salads, pasta salads, and other post-ride fuel is always popular. If that isn't your thing and you want to show up with a side of beef, we'll figure it out.

I have a new garage fridge cause I am "full-on middle age guy", so we can handle more beer and cold stuff on the covered dish side of things.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

The giant... he's awake

For the past several years, routes on the PKR have largely remained the same. After a dozen or more years of scouting, riding, and mapping we slipped into a groove and - frankly - listened to our riders. They told us we had things dialed in pretty damn well.

The Half and Full Pecker, especially, need to have a profile that challenges the rider but also provides a safety net. That safety net is the B and O bike path and it works perfectly. There's literally nothing to change or mess with. They are about as good as we can make them. But the John Holmes... That's where the romance can really take hold for the bold and the beautiful. It's always been a very challenging route. We ditch the bike path and pack the back end with gorgeous roads through difficult terrain. To be honest though, we had gotten a little soft in our old age. Not this year. 

Mr. Holmes is back to form at 77 miles and 5,032 feet of vertical. Most significantly, the Holmes packs 1,856 additional vertical feet in only 12.4 extra miles compared to the Full Pecker. In other words, our boy Johnny finishes strong. 

So it's your call, Baby. Are you up for glory?