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More news on US Pro move

Friday, May 4th, 2012

Here is an updated list of news stories regarding the move of the USA Cycling Professional Championships. The Greenville News has a couple of good articles giving more insight into the reasoning behind the change. Here is hoping that Greenville will be able to capitalize on the opportunities ahead.

It is certainly understandable that the event would want to find a new venue to keep it fresh and expand its draw. As I commented recently on Facebook, “As a fan of cycling, I’m fine with the event moving to Chattanooga. As a fan of Greenville, I wish we could have kept it here.” Of course, Greenville is still the same place that drew the race here in the first place. It will draw other events.

Who knows what the future holds?

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2014 Para-Cycling Road World Championships in Greenville

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

Around 2 PM yesterday a press conference was held at City Hall in downtown Greenville to announce the UCI decision to bring the 2014 Para-Cycling Road World Champships to the city. The events will be held over a five day period beginning August 28 and conclude on September 1. The routes the racers will compete on were not announced. The fact that the race will be held here is a great thing for Greenville. This is a world class event with a strong international involvement.

Here are a few ways to learn more about the event:

It is exciting to see what cycling is doing for Greenville. It began many years ago with some passionate local riders. Then there were those early races like the Michelin Downtown Classic. Into this atmosphere came George Hincapie and the following National Championships. Now we see this opportunity expand with an international event.

Bryant Young

Greenville para-cycling athlete, Bryant Young

Yes, it takes a lot to make these events happen. The role of sponsors cannot be downplayed. With out the Greenville Hospital System and the support of the county and city governments these events would not happen. This support should not be taken for granted. Without it it would not matter what type of terrain, weather and passion Greenville brings to the table.

Greenville area cycling coaches Jim Cunningham and Simon Bennett will be excited to see the para-cycling event come to Greenville. They have worked hand-in-hand with the US para-cycling team to help train athletes for competition on the national and international scene. I can only imagine the feeling of satisfaction they will feel to see their efforts bring fruit on the streets of their city.

I am also excited for Greenville residents like Bryant Young. Bryant is an amputee who has not let the loss of a limb keep him from competition. He has made his own attempts to reach the worlds. It is kind of cool that now – in a way – the worlds are coming to him.

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2011 Ride for Mike in pictures

Monday, October 31st, 2011

Here are a couple of links to photos from the 2011 Ride for Mike. I want to once again say thank you to Eddie Helton who not only helped me along the road, but also recorded the ride with his camera. You can check out more of his work at his own website: eddieheltonphotography.com.

I also want to give an update on the pledges that have been made from the ride. We have now passed $13,000! This is well above the $4,400 goal I set before the ride began. Thank you so much to all of you who made the ride a success.

Right now I am just recharging my batteries. I’ll get back on the bike tonight for a very short spin. I’ll start to ramp up my off season from there.

A good sign is that I am looking forward to next year. I’m actually looking forward to racing. It will kind of be exciting to be a rouge assassin in the Upstate peloton.

Of course, I’ve also got to get busy during this off season with the next project for Ride for Mike. I’ll be coming to you all for help as I work to get this off the ground. So, stay tuned and get ready for 2012!

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Do not leave me here at Coon Dog Lane!

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Just a short note to ask you to help me get through Orangeburg, South Carolina. The fund raising for the 2011 Ride for Mike is just 10 miles out of my stop in Orangeburg. It is exciting to see we are up to $2,560, but we need to get to $2,760 before I can stop and eat!

Rebekah Grace Ellis

Rebekah Grace Ellis

Again the goal is $20 per mile between the cities of Greenville and Charleston. The money is going in its entirety to the family of little Rebekah Grace Ellis. This little girl has battled much in her first few years of life with a heart condition and only one operating lung.

You can help her family by making a pledge. We’ll direct you to information on how to fulfill it through Helping Hands Ministries. Your gift will be tax-deductible.

Where exactly are we? Looks like we’ve made it to North Road and Coon Dog Lane near Northside Lake. Please. PLEASE. Don’t leave me here! Just $20 per mile — $200 will get me into Orangeburg. Then we’ll be two-thirds of the way there and it will be time to head on to Charleston.


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Make your pledge today and help me on my way!

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Ride for Mike is halfway there!

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

With $2,220.00 raised toward the $20 per mile goal for the 220 miles between Greenville and Charleston, the 2011 Ride for Mike is now halfway there! Some gracious gifts over the last two days pushed us beyond Saluda closer to Pelion. Next stop? $580.00 will bring us to Orangeburg — two-thirds of the way. That is exactly how much was given Sunday and Monday of this week.


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Please consider making a pledge. Once you make your pledge, you will be given instruction on how to fulfill it. It is simple and is tax-deductible.

Let me explain how it works. You might ask, “Why can’t I just give?” Due to their arrangement with the IRS it is a policy of Helping Hands Ministries not to divulge the amounts of the funds to people outside of the organization and those the charity is serving. So, if you give directly to HHM without using the pledge system, then I am not able to track how much is given. I apologize for the extra step, but it is necessary to allow me to express my thanks to those who participate and to know to whom I should be providing the Low Cadence coffee.

Maybe you have just come upon this blog and you are wondering what this is all about. To learn more about the 2011 Ride for Mike, go to RideForMike.com. We have 20 more days to go before the pedals start turning. Thank you to all who have helped so far. You really do not know how much of an encouragement you are!

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Paint the road green

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

It is getting to be about that time of the year again. That time when I wonder if people cringe when they see me coming. We’re coming down to the wire for the 2011 Ride for Mike and I’ve got to be out there promoting the ride in order to meet the goal.

What is the goal? I am looking to raise at least $20 per mile for the October 24th ride from Greenville to Charleston. Depending on the route you take, that will put the distance at 220 miles and a grand total of $4,400.

So, I’m asking you to help me paint the road green between the GHS Children’s Hospital and the MUSC Children’s Hospital. Follow this link to the pledge page. Make your pledge and you will be directed to information on how to fulfill your pledge. We’ll be taking the pledges all the way to Charleston and reporting on the status via the @lowcadence Twitter feed.


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Thanks to all of you who have already given. With your help, I have made it a little past Saluda, South Carolina and on the way to Batesburg-Leesville. We’ve only got 138 miles to go. We’re over a third of the way there!

Rebekah Grace Ellis

2011 Ride for Mike helps Rebekah Grace Ellis


Won’t you help me? Oh, and to make things even better — today is National Coffee Day! On the pledge form is an option to request a pound of the famous Low Cadence Coffee. They are beans on a mission to support little Rebekah Grace Ellis and her family. But those beans need to end up in your coffee cup to complete their journey!

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Beans on a Mission want into your cup

Tuesday, August 30th, 2011

If you follow Low Cadence at all, you probably know by now that Low Cadence coffee is now available. The “Beans on a Mission” campaign  is a fun part of the fund raising for the Ride for Mike projects. It’s our way of making it a little more enjoyable to give to a worthy cause.

Getting yourself a pound is easy. A bag of beans is yours when you give a minimum gift of $15. Of course, 100% of the money goes to the Ride for Mike. The coffee is our gift to you.

Here is how it works…. Send me an email with your 1) name, 2) amount given, 3) address, and 4) bean choice (medium or dark). You can send the email to lowcadence@pait.org. Then go to the 2011 Ride for Mike giving page and make your tax-deductible donation through Helping Hands Ministries.

Low Cadence Coffee Dark Roast

Help these beans fulfill their mission!

There are currently both medium and dark roast beans available. The dark roast is a bright, bold, semi-sweet blend to get you cranking. The medium roast is a lively, smooth, full-bodied blend to get you in gear. Low Cadence worked with E.A. Gritz Coffee Company in Hendersonville, North Carolina to put together these specific blends for the Ride for Mike.

So, give in support of Rebekah Grace Ellis and enjoy many delicious mornings with a cup of Low Cadence coffee. You’ll get extra enjoyment in knowing that you are joining in the mission with the beans… helping a little girl and her family deal with her medical challenges.

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So where are we going for the 2011 Ride for Mike?

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

The ride will be a 240 mile ride from Greenville, SC to Charleston, SC. What makes the ride unique for this distance is that it will all be accomplished in one day. It is the longest distance I’ve ever ridden. The date for the ride will be October 24, 2011. This will be a solo ride except for those cases where friends along the route come out to ride along with me. The Beautiful Redhead, Annette, will once again  follow as my “support crew.”

Little Rebekah Grace Ellis has spent much time at Greenville Hospital and the Medical University of South Carolina. That is why this year’s route will cover the distance between the two hospitals. Maybe you can’t ride along, but you can help encourage me along the way by participating in the project.

The 2011 Ride for Mike

But wait! That’s not all! I’m also making plans for another ride that will take place on October 22. The plan is for an informal ride (pending approval) for families along the Swamp Rabbit Trail with a picnic waiting in Travelers Rest. Depending on Rebekah’s health we look forward to her joining us on the ride.

I’m certainly open for a little help on both these rides. I’d like some feedback from folks on what they think would be the best route to take down to Charleston. Also, it would be great to have some volunteer help for the family ride.

One thing I’ve learned about these things is that sometimes you just have to kick your shoes off and dive in. It seemed to work in 2010! Thank you to all of you who have already expressed your support this year. Stay tuned to the 2011 Ride for Mike page for some fun fund raising options and to learn more about the family ride.

Oh, and don’t forget to give a donation!

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Take a punch at cancer and end up in San Lucas!

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

Some of my greatest memories riding a bike have come while participating on the Palmetto Peloton Project’s Challenge to Conquer Cancer ride. I’ve twice had the opportunity to make the ride from Greenville, South Carolina to Austin, Texas. What makes the memories so special is that you join together with riders and support crew with a passion to fight the blight of cancer.

I won’t be joining the crew this year, but my heart always makes the trip with them. It is an emotional experience and an encouraging lesson in love and support. I want to make an appeal for you to support the ride this year.

You can learn more about the endeavor at P3Ride.org. I’d also like to point you to a particular opportunity you might be interested in. Local cyclist Donna Navarro is selling tickets for a chance to win a week’s stay (2 bedroom) in Cabo San Lucas.

The tickets are available for a donation of $50. The prize will be drawn on October 7. You do not need to be present to win.

You can learn more about the opportunity at Donna’s Facebook page that she created for it. It is always fun to give to a cause in unique ways. Here is a way you can give to a worthy cause and possibly even get something cool as well.

All I can say is, “Thank you,” to Ron, Kevin, and the gang for having the vision and perseverance to keep the Palmetto Peloton Project moving forward. I truly wish I could join you again — and perhaps someday I’ll have the chance. Until then, I have my memories…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdWISElHDLI

– 2008 Challenge to Conquer Cancer –

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFkT68b_4CA

– 2009 Challenge to Conquer Cancer –

Remember, you can make a tax deductible gift for any of the riders at P3Ride.org.

 

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To Moscow and a future

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

There have been times when I’ve been faced with expenses that could hit $200 for a weekend in order to race. Normally, in such cases, I have to just stay home. I have to weigh the “return on my investment.” Will the fun value equal the expense?

Then last night I happened upon the following story from Neil Browne’s Twitter stream. It is a letter from Addy Albershardt. If you have participated in many races in Upstate SC and NC, you would find her in the ladies field — often at the front.

Well, Addy has the opportunity to do something that not only gives her the opportunity of her young life, but the opportunity to represent the USA and our region at the World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Here is the problem… She needs to raise $3000 to make it happen. Oh, by the way, she needs to raise it by July 30th. Yes, that is Saturday.

I’m sure this post is coming to you just a little too late, but perhaps there is someone out there who will read this and step in to help her out. I don’t know the current level of her support, but I certainly hope she can make it. What an opportunity!

Read her letter below and access the donation page here.

Addy Albershardt on the track

Addy Albershardt leads on the track

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

As you may know, this has been the greatest year of my cycling career so far. It started with joining the Junior National Team last October, 2010, when I was invited to attend a Jr. Development Team Camp with the USA Cycling at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

In May of this year, I joined a professional womens’ cycling team called NOW and Novartis for MS. The team is sponsored by the host of ‘The Amazing Race’, Phil Keoghan, and the team is named after his book, ‘No Opportunity Wasted’ (NOW). I have been given the incredible chance to travel and race on a pro level at the expense of the team, but I do not earn an income since I am under the age of 18. We race in Charlotte, July 30th, at 6:30 pm uptown in the Charlotte Criterium, please come watch. Here is the link to the website: http://www.charlottecriterium.org/ .

Over the past 2 weeks I have been in Texas training for the Track Junior National Championships for USA Cycling. I raced on a Velodrome (a banked track) in both the 2k individual pursuit and the Team Pursuit. Like swimming, seconds between places are significant, which could be the difference between winning and losing. I won the individual event by 2 seconds and I became the National Champion!! In the Team Pursuit, we blew up the track by not only winning, but we broke, and set the national record. I was so ecstatic to take a second gold medal!

My hard work has qualified me to race the World Championships in Moscow, Russia in August 13-21 and compete in the Track event by representing the USA, however, my race time did not qualify for the fully funded trip Moscow, Russia. I still need to pay for my plane ticket to get there. I am asking for your support to help me get to Russia. I have to raise $3000 by July 30th. I am excited about my future in track cycling.

National team staff and coaches are hopeful that I will compete in the 2016 Olympics for the individual pursuit and by competing at World’s this summer, and with your support, I will be able to build my competitive experience against international athletes, some that I hope to compete against in the Olympics.

Please consider helping me go to the world championships by dontating through this link. If I don’t make my financial goal, your check will be returned or destroyed with your permission, or cash returned within one week. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Addy Albershardt

Good luck, Addy! Good luck to all those younger racers from our region who are finding the doors of opportunity opening for them because of their hard work. There will be a return on THAT investment!

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