Is it spring yet? 2009 PedalGR Ride calendar

I’m happy to announce the 2009 PedalGR ride calendar. I’m so excited as 2009 has the potential to grow PedalGR into an even more awesome gathering of cyclists to ride, socialize, and most importantly, drink delicious Founders beer (everyone has their priorities ). Last year over 250 people joined Amy and I exploring the sites and streets of Grand Rapids at a casual, relaxed pace where no riders are left behind.

We’re starting in April this year. Here are the dates for 2009:
April 29
May 13
May 20 – Special Ride of Silence (http://www.rideofsilence.org) PedalGR ride.
May 27
June 10
June 24
July 8
July 22 – A likely repeat of last year’s awesome orchard tour!
August 5
August 19
September 2
September 16 @ 6:15pm
October ??? – PedalGR Halloween ride

All rides start at 6:30pm at Founders Brewing Company on Grandville Ave., except for the September 16th ride, which will start at 6:15 to maximize our daylight. Helmets are required on all Rapid Wheelmen club rides.

Ride Co-captains

New this year, I will be recruiting one to two ride co-captains for each week. As a ride co-captain, you will be required to pre-ride the route, preferably with me. You will then help give directions to those in the back half in case a large group becomes separated. You may also be asked to lead the ride for part of the route.

I will accept volunteers to be co-ride captains on a first come first served basis, so if this is something you’re interested in, you may request your preferred dates soon. You must be a responsible, experienced cyclist and preferably have been out on a few PedalGR rides to get the idea of how they work. It also helps to be familiar with the area we will be riding and to be able to read a map.

Route suggestions

As always, I am completely open for route suggestions and ideas. If you have a connection to get us a tour of a cool building, or there is a specific place you want to see and/or share with others, let me know. We will be repeating our Free Ice Cream ride, courtesy of the Rapid Wheelmen Bicycle Club. If you have a favorite ice cream shop within 5-6 miles of Founders, let me know in a comment.

I cannot wait for PedalGR to start up again! Watch for a possible early ride or two if the weather is nice in early April. And of course, refer your friends to this site (you can use the handy buttons on the bottom of this page to share this entry on Facebook and elsewhere) and bring them out for a ride!

See you on the road!