Saturday May 23, 2009

Hello Raiders that are flying in to Lawrence, check our transportation & services page on the website for info about Airport Shuttles and such. Two Airport Shuttle companies are listed, GTI and KC Roadrunner. In the past riders have sent their bicycles directly to Paul early so they are here ready to go when they arrive. Contact Paul by email or call to make this happen.

Touchwork of Weston (great massage therapists Kirk and Julie) will again be taking care of tired aching muscles and will have great coffee for sale first thing in the morning.... AND the Banquet in Weston is a direct result of their efforts,
PLUS this year an added benefit is the Cemetery Walk option with local actors performing as characters that once lived in Weston.
Raid Riders get a discount to this event, so take a nap after you get in that day and be ready to explore all that Weston has to offer.

If you want, check out the demographics for the Raid.... You will see I did not lie, we have a group of experienced cyclists many with lifetime BS degrees on board each year and no knuckleheads allowed except for the organizers.... My own personal nurse and medical advisor, Webster will again be with us. We have known each other forever and his medical knowledge continues to amaze me...... because neither one of us knew jack---- in High School.

Sadly, last year the day the Raid ended also ended the life of Lt. David Dillon while he rode his bicycle near Eudora which is outside Lawrence. Many of you may remember one of our bike mechanics, Larry H. from last year. He and David were related and a memorial for Lt. Dillon has been planned for this year in his memory the same week as the Border Raid. So Larry will not be with us this year.

Border Raid registration is still open and getting hits every day...... thank you thank you thank you This is crunch time and we are working feverishly to pull everything together to be ready for you to have a great time this year..... I personally have been working on the weather for this year, NO MONSOONS the week before the ride....

I hope you and your bicycle are all tuned up and ready to go ride in the best parts of 4 states in the bright sunshine while the birds are singing and the flowers are blooming and the hills seem to lay down in front of you as you fly over them......
See, I have my own BS degree, too. Keep the rubber side down.
Jim

May 2, 2009 Happy Day after May Day

Yes, we still have room for you on the Raid this year. I do not know the exact number of folks signed up, but it is so exciting to see the names of those folks that I know are coming back this summer.....
Sue from Oregon, Skip from LA sent in the paperwork this week.... It will be great to catch up with both of them about what they have been up to since last summer...

One face not with us this year is our loyal truck driver Gaylen and my good friend. Some of his own family members decided to organize a family reunion the same week as the Border Raid. Boy, the nerve of some relatives. Sadly he chose "family" over "friends." That old blood is thicker thing..... He will be greatly missed, but only for one year, he assured me he was going to straighten out his kin folks......

Mary has been working hard behind the scenes designing, designing, designing and more designing. We still have some more pieces of the Border Raid puzzle to put together, but it is coming together. My son Ben has been updating and revamping our website so even computer dummies like myself can pretend to look like they actually know something about what they are doing.
I am getting better, I think I just passed out of the "I know just enough to make me dangerous" to " I know enough that I am dangerous" in terms of computers.

Mr. Registration, Paul has been busy collecting, confirming and connecting with BR riders.... I understand we have some far western Canadians coming this year..... Starts with an S and ends with wan.... Again this year, we have folks from all over the country coming together for a week of fun exploring history and quiet backroads of four states. We have old friends that come every year and new ones......
So stay dry, ride safely and be careful out there and June 20th will be here soon......
Rubber side stays down.
cheers Jim