November 18th 2008

This last weekend my wife had a conference in Lincoln, Nebraska. I got to tag along and boy, did I have fun. On the way home we went through Border Raid territory and I got to show her the sights. She loved the Quilt Shop in Syracuse, was wowed by the Lied Lodge and beauty of the orchard view from the balcony in Nebraska City. We both learned a lot from the Lewis and Clark stop.It astounds me that no matter how many times I go through there, I see something new and different each and every time.

No matter if this will be your first Raid or your fifth, you are in for some great times on the bike.... We go through some of the best parts of 4 different states. Yes, we have a few hills on the route, many riders have noticed that over the years. They do not seem to be overly concerned by them. Last year we had a group of recumbants do the Long Rider Century. I was at the last sag when they rolled in.... looking a little fatigued, but still in very good spirits. It was Skips first Century, oh boy he picked a good one. I watched as they mounted up for the last time to roll on in to Weston and the Banquet. I was very proud and jealous of them.

I don't know what it is, but this ride attracts some of the best folks from all over the country, most come with BS degrees it seems. (and I do not mean a Bachelor of Science.....) I got my BS degree years ago and update it yearly on the Raid. I have had more fun these last few years on this ride than any human should.... whether it is kidding around with the staff or the riders, it does not matter. It is a short week for us cause we are having fun. It really goes by too fast ........

Please have a safe Holiday and we will see you next June or sooner I hope.
Jim

November 1st 2008

Greetings Border Raiders,
Only 3 more days to the election and just 6 months to get ready for the RAID......
I will be glad when it is time for the Border Raid Ride in June and really glad when this election is over.
I voted early and it seems like that was a good decision. I hope everyone exercises their "privilege" to vote. So far the large crowds and early turnout are amazing to me...... This is a good thing for the country and something I always hoped to see some day.

We are working behind the scenes to get ready for the RAID 09 edition. The nice days in Kansas are becoming more and more rare and the days are getting shorter, so are my bike rides....

If you are still on the bike this winter, stay warm and safe. As I gradually get a little longer in the tooth as they say my enthusiasm to go out and freeze my buttocks off seems to be wearing down...... Years ago I bought a new pair of wool tights to ride in the winter so naturally I did. Being all of 20 years old decided to ride from Hutchinson to Harper, Kansas. It was only 80 miles, but it was January. I was going to ride straight south with a north wind as a tailwind...... only 5 miles was with a crosswind and ohh baby that was cold.... I think I averaged around 18 miles per hour, it was hovering around 32 degrees so it was not too bad, really. My buddy Chris Webster picked me up just outside Harper where he lived..... it was starting to rain and he was a little worried about me. It was a very cool memorable ride.

Remember to keep the rubber side down and see you again soon.
Jim Turner

Hey Raiders........

Greetings Raiders,
Jim Turner here. Yes, I am still above ground and will remain that way for many more years...... Border Raid 2009 will begin on Saturday June 20th, so pencil us in on your calendars....

Just so you know I graduated Cardiac Rehab with flying colors and went back to work July 8th. I am back in the saddle and even had the pleasure of riding with Mark Crane from Iowa at Octoginta briefly here in Lawrence, before he dropped me like a rock...... Bill K. and Paul W. were there also and I had breakfast with them Sunday morning and then never saw them again..... With over 700 riders in Lawrence that morning it was hard to stay together with someone or find them... It is wonderful to be out riding again, cabin fever was beginning to set in.

We have high hopes the weather will be a little kinder to us in O9 with no detours because of flooding. We usually draw riders from at least 20 other states besides Kansas so it is nice to give them a taste of "our weather." Whatever the weather, I know our riders will tough it out. (Like our group of New Englanders that did the Long Rider Century when the temperature was also in triple digits) I must say the day we had the special lighting effects in Hamburg from the thunderbolts every five seconds did scare me a little, and I do not scare easily........

Border Raider riders seem to be "exceptional" cyclists, or perhaps, "experienced".( I did not want to say Old Farts) It is not their first Rodeo and they know what they are doing. It has been a pleasure these last few years putting this ride together and a labor of fun. Many seem to have a "BS" degree, like myself and I have to run to keep up with them..... I may be bringing my "waders" this year, just in case.

I really can not wait for June 2009....... it is so exciting to see old friends and new ones from all over the country come together for a week of great riding and great storytelling..... Canada Bob if you are out there and read this I will save you a spot and not put you in time out this year....... Sue from Oregon, get back here we have much more to discuss about how to save the world and right all wrongs....... Ken from Missouri, expect a bit of candy on your sleeping bag each night....

This is my first post and my first attempt at "bloggin". Mary is helping me. It will not be my last.

I am Jim Turner and I and only I approved the above message and any resemblance to "truth" or " facts" is purely accidental.

Ridiculously Late Post-ride Update

Well guys, here we are coming up to four months since the end of the 2008 Border Raiders bicycle tour and I'm just now posting an update on our blog. My apologies for the extreme delay. I hope that this update finds you all well and eager to relive the memories from a few months ago and think about making new memories in a few months for the 2009 tour.

I've uploaded all of the pictures to a Kodak Gallery. You can check out all seven albums here. Yes, you have to have a Kodak account -- sorry! I don't make the rules. The cool thing is that you can view all of the images in a gallery format, save them to your computer, or you can order prints (4x6 prints are $0.15/ea), albums, stickers, mugs -- even apparel.

Speaking of apparel, if you'd still like to order a jersey for the 2008 tour, please email us and let us know. We need to have a minimum of 10 to meet the minimum order requirements.

If you enjoyed the 2008 tour as much as we did, we'd love to see you back for the ride next year -- June 20 - 28, 2009. Check out the website starting in January for online registration.

2008 Border Raiders Get Ready Guide

Hey everyone! For those who have participated in the past, you may be wondering where your Border Raiders Newsletter is... Well, to be honest we've been kind of late in doing things and haven't had a chance to work on it until just now. This is actually a good thing because it means we're not printing tons of paper -- you know, we like to help the environment as much as possible!

This year, instead of getting a newsletter in the mail, you can view it online right here! You can just read it online, or download and print it out -- whatever you prefer. Either way, the new "Get Ready Guide" will answer any last minute questions you may have, but as always, feel free to holler at us anytime!

Click the blue "Open Publication" tab below to view it legibly.

Hamburg Hotels Booked Solid

It looks like the Border Raiders aren't the only group inundating the town of Hamburg this year because their hotels are booked solid already. If you plan on "hoteling it" for the week and haven't made arrangements in Hamburg, we have reserved a block of rooms at the Super 8 Hotel (712-382-2828) in Percival, IA and have arranged for transportation to take cyclists to the hotel in and then back to Hamburg in the morning to begin the ride.

Holler at Paul (pcorcoran@sunflower.com) if you have any questions.

UPDATE: Change of Overnight Town

We have happily camped in the beautiful town of Nebraska City, NE for the past three years, but will be changing things up a bit this year.

The good people of Nebraska City, NE have passed a bond issue to work on the schools for the next two years, so we have altered the route and will be heading 12 miles west to Syracuse, NE on Monday, June 23.

We do not have a means of transporting luggage to the Nebraska City hotels at this time, so for those of you who have made arrangements to stay in a Nebraska City hotel, we ask that you change your reservation to the Syracuse Sleep Inn and Suites - 402-269-2700. We have reserved a block of rooms for our riders, and when you mention the Border Raiders Bicycle tour you will receive a discounted rate on your room.

We apologize for any inconveniences these new arrangements may have caused, and while we're sad to be leaving Nebraska City, we're excited to see what Syracuse has to offer!