BORDER RAID 2010

WE ARE BACK........ Just like in the Shining and we may be a little crazy, but we are never dull...... Join us for the 6th edition of the Border Raider Bicycle and History tour............... You can snail mail or use electronic online registration to let us know you are coming..... We will leave the porch light on for you.......

Hooray, our snow is gone and we may be able to actually ride a bicycle really soon...... but a little more winter is on its way, besides it is still January.........Dang it. Anxious to see my old buds and to make new ones.....
Train well, ride well, eat well and we will see you soon. Rubber side down.
Jim

JERSEYS ARE HERE!!!!!!!

To All,

You are probably sitting down as you read this, so don't fall off your seat. THEY ARE IN!. Yes the Border Raider jerseys are in and I mailed them out late Saturday evening. For some reason they were hung up at one of the mail delivery drop offs for awhile - the company has no idea why. They were delivered Thursday and I got everything labeled and mailed last night. You should get your jersey by mid-week.

Sorry for the delay. We hope to see you next year on Border Raiders. We are looking at tweaking the ride a little with the possibility of stopping at Indian Cave Park and having a River Boat meal. Look forward to more details in January 2010.


Thanks,
Paul Corcoran
785-842-5273

Sunday August 16th Border Raid Jersey

Hey all you Raiders that have emailed about the jersey's, they are in the pipeline and should be here around the middle of or late in the month of September..... Paul sent you a little note explaining the delay.... and here is hoping we have no delays from the manufacturer.

We all appreciate your patience and understanding. Paul has been busier than a duck chasing a June bug. Between getting ready for the new school year, our Death Ride and the local bicycle club's ride he was a man with too many missions..... and there are precious few who can and will do what he does in terms of registrations.... I won't even pretend to entertain the notion I could pick up the slack.

Thanks to all who sent the kind emails after the Border Raid was over, hugs and kisses right back at you..... we will see you next year and hopefully it will be cooler during June 19th to the 26th, 2010.

So mark down that week on your calendar. Get your time off request in and we will do the rest......
You might want to ride a little before next June, too.

Keep the tread side down,
Jim

July 20th Border Raider Wrap Up

This year several things about the ride will be with me for some time to come.....

We have two empty saddles and two fellows from the Border Raider family will not be returning. We lost Dale L. last September and Earl J. this June. Dale succumbed to lung cancer and tragically, Earl was hit by a car on Highway 73 off route while he was on his way to join us the 2nd day of the ride this year. We will have a short memorial for both of these guys next year in Atchison.

Yes it was HOT and yes it was HUMID, but after losing Earl the second day, nothing else was really that hard. The ride did go on and the folks did a wonderful job of coping with the heat. It really felt like August in June. Gradually the heat took a toll on the riders and we had some cases of heat exhaustion to take care of. Some riders had to abandon the ride. One other casualty was the Long Rider Century, 42 folks had signed up, but with a weather forecast with a heat index of 115, we pulled the plug on the Century. They still got the lunch and t shirt, just no chance to ride 120 miles in triple digit heat.....

We are exploring some exciting possible changes for next year, they are in the discussion stage at the moment.
So keep an eye on the website and this blog, I will try to update it once a month or more if there is something to report....


Keep riding and keep that rubber side down on the road and hopefully your state will not decide to pave your roads with what appeared to us to be glass shards....... (In Missouri this year we had to reroute riders because they were experimenting with using crushed slag from coal fired plants in the asphalt mix, for bike tires, it was a disaster!!!!!)

Jim Turner

Memorial Service for Earl Johnston

My apologies for the somber post immediately following the tour this year, but I wanted to make sure to share the information about the memorial services for Earl Johnston for those of you who may be interested in attending.

Earl Ryan Johnston, 51, of Surprise, AZ passed away on June 21st, 2009 as a result of a bicycle accident. Earl was born September 13th,1957 in California, PA. Earl and Sally Johnston lived in Olathe, KS for 27 years and moved to Surprise, AZ in 2005. Earl was an active member of Horizon Church in Surprise, AZ. Earl was a senior manager in the aerospace division of Honeywell and had been employed there since 1978. He was an avid cyclist and had ridden his bicycle across Kansas, Arizona, and several other states. Surviving family members include his wife Sally and son Ryan Johnston of Surprise, AZ; daughter Amy Johnston of Olathe, KS; parents Harry and Nancy Johnston; sister Carol Tymoczko of Washington, PA; sister Cathy Runyan of San Jose, CA; four nephews and two nieces. He was preceded in death by his brother Paul Johnston of San Francisco, CA.

• VISITATION:
  Thursday, July 2, 2009 / 6:00 - 8:00 pm / Porter Funeral Homes & Crematory, 8535 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS, (913) 438-6444)


• FUNERAL SERVICE:
  Friday, July 3, 2009 / 10:00 am / Mill Creek Community Church


• CONDOLENCES:
  Please visit PorterFuneralHome.com

The cross memorial shown above was constructed by Micah Bicker who runs the Hiawatha Cyclist blog.

June 15th it is almost Raider Time......

Many of you may be getting excited and ready to leave for Lawrence, Kansas for the RAID....... Paul and I will be at Free State High School at High Noon to 8 pm for early registration and check in. Feel free to sleep in the school or camp outside....

One note about adult beverages, we have nothing against them personally, but WE CAN NOT have them on ANY School Campus.
All 4 states have a no tolerance policy for drugs, alcohol and firearms, so please abide by this rule for the entire week.

We are all excited too, and I have the weather under control, for now. So air up those tires and we will see you soon.
Keep the rubber side down.
Jim

A few updates...

If you're having trouble viewing and downloading the 2009 Get Ready Guide through the links in the previous post, CLICK HERE for a good old fashioned PDF.

Also, we've received a few requests for the addresses of the overnight facilities. Here they are for your records:

• Free State High School
  4700 Overland Dr, Lawrence, KS 66049
  Friday, June 19, 2009


• Atchison Middle School
  215 N 8th St, Atchison, KS 66002
  Saturday, June 20, 2009


• Falls City High School
  1400 Fulton St, Falls City, NE 68355
  Sunday, June 21, 2009


• Kimmel AG Expo Center
  PO Box 385, Syracuse, NE 68446
  Monday, June 22, 2009


• Marnie Simons Elementary
  309 S Street, Hamburg, IA 51640
  Tuesday, June 23, 2009


• Maryville Senior High
  1503 S Munn Ave, Maryville, MO 64468
  Wednesday, June 24, 2009


• Savannah Middle School
  701 W Chestnut St, Savannah, MO 64485
  Thursday, June 25, 2009


• Weston High School
  931 Washington St, Weston, MO 64098
  Friday, June 26, 2009

2009 Get Ready Guide

The drill for the newsletter is the same as last year:

Instead of getting a newsletter in the mail, you can view the 2009 Border Raiders Get Ready Guide online right here! You can read it online, or download and print it out -- whatever you prefer. Either way, this guide will answer any last minute questions you may have -- but as always, feel free to holler at us anytime!

Click on the link below to flip through and view a readable version of the guide.

Open publication

Please Note: We will update you should any of this information change.

2009 Border Raiders Jersey

As you'll read in the get ready guide I'm about to post, we're trying something new with the jerseys this year. Typically we like to place the order and have them for you at registration. However, we always end up needing to re-order a few, but because we have to place a minimum order of at least ten, re-ordering can be a sticky situation that ends up taking considerably longer than we'd prefer. What this means is that if you've already ordered and paid for a jersey, you won't get it the week of the ride. Bummer, I know. But, the silver lining is that now you'll get a great, unexpected package reminding you of all the fun you had on Border Raiders some time after the ride. There's nothing wrong with surprises in the mail is there?

We made to make a few adjustments, but the overall design is shown below. You can click on the image to view a larger version of the design.

2009 Border Raiders Jersey (front)

2009 Border Raiders Jersey (back)

2009 Border Raiders + Long Riders T-shirts

Hey guys! Mary (a.k.a. Her Majesty the Queen of Awesomeness) here. I've been slaving away for the boys designing the gear for this year and can finally post it for you all to check out. Below are the T-shirt designs for both the tour as well as the Long Riders Century. You can click on each image to view a larger version.

Border Raiders Shirt (front) // Grass Green T-shirt

Border Raiders Shirt (back) // Grass Green T-shirt

Long Riders Shirt // Army Brown T-shirt

One new thing about the shirts: I'm really excited to let you guys know that this year the designs will be printed on T-shirts by American Apparel. For those who aren't familiar, AA shirts are super soft, breathable, American-made and overall about the nicest T-shirt you'll ever wear. OK, I may be a little bias, but all joking aside, they're great, and I really hope you enjoy them.

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

Friday April 3, 2009

Okay, pinch me, it is April so where the HECK is Spring....... Last week Hutchinson got a mere 18 inches of snow and our weather guys threatened us with up to 12 inches, but lucky for us they were as accurate as ever and all we got was a smattering of ice that was gone the next day...... I do not mean to sound like I am complaining or unhappy we did not get the white stuff, I am certainly glad that we got missed....

I just want it to get warm and stay warm so my butt can hit the saddle for more than one or two days in a row so I can get it broke in, my butt that is...

This year is shaping up to be a very busy one for us and we are jazzed about all of you that have signed up for Border Raid 2009.
I am so excited because many of my very best buds are going to be on the ride this year, some riding, some helping and some there to keep me in line...... HA, let them try.

I can hardly wait to hear how Bryan is gonna hurt Chris and how Chris thinks he is gonna hurt Bryan.... I keep telling everyone, never ride beside Bryan, ride a little behind and the pace will stay normal, if you don't the pee test is on, baby and it is going to get fast.
The Hays Mafia is back, Bill, Paul and Sharon usually ride off the front just behind Ken. That is how in the morning I find the place I need to be.
Again we have folks from all over the country coming together for this ride. It amazes me to this day how so many BS degree holders we get in one place at one time for one week....

I hope your weather is great and you are getting in a lot of miles..... don't overtrain, remember we have one day where you have 90 downhills in 30 miles of road so it will be a piece of cake that day. You will have more fun than you deserve.
Keep the rubber side down,
cheers,
Jim Turner

March 23, 2009 Note from Padre

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know about a NEW RIDER HOSPITALITY SERVICES on The Border Raider’s for 2009!

We are pleased to announce that Padre's Cycle Inn will be providing First Class Tent Accommodations in addition to towel and chair rental, and other hospitality services for our cyclist!

Padre’s, provides a peaceful place of comfort and rest at the end of a long day of cycling. So you can spend more time cycling and less time working on your campsite.

But Padre’s so much more than a tent rental service.
Padre’s provides,

1. Clean, high quality Sierra Design tents.
2. Thick comfortable air mattresses already set-up in each tent.
3. Comfortable chairs to be used around the campsite.
4. Padre’s Post. A shaded canopy gathering area for Padre’s guests to enjoy good times, laughs and relaxation after the ride. While everyone else is working in the sun you will be taking it easy in the shade.
5. Plenty of cold soft drinks and snacks in the afternoon.
6. Plenty of fresh water and Gator Ade in the morning for your bottles or camel backs.
7. Free cell phone charging.
8. Tent customers also receive luggage service to Padre’s Post. Your luggage will be waiting for you in our own camping area. You won’t have to search through all the other bags for yours.
9. On site bike pump, work stand and shop towels for your convenience.

Imagine after a long day of riding uphill in the wind. You come in and your tent is set up ready to go. The air mattress is inflated and waiting and there’s no searching through mounds of bags because your luggage is waiting at Padre’s Post. No roaming around trying to find snacks, or soft drinks in the evening or water in the morning because it’s all waiting for you at Padre’s.

All of these services are included with Padre’s First Class Tent Service so you can spend more time enjoying the ride and less time working to set up camp.

Space is limited and reservations accepted on first come, first served basis, so be sure to sign up early.

As an incentive Padre is offering an EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT until 4-30-09.

Major credit cards are accepted and you can register online at www.PadresCycleInn.com,
or by calling Padre at 573-721-4400.

You cycle inn, Padre does the rest!


Your Friend,
Padre

You cycle inn, Padre does the rest!

For details of Padre's services, to check prices, or to find other rides where I am offering services please go to my website,
www.PadresCycleInn.com or phone 573-721-4400

March 13, 2009 Friday

Friday the 13th is now our lucky day. We were saddened when Shuttleguy pulled the plug on helping with our Border Raid this year, but I have good news...... We have a new Sherpa Service for 2009 and we are very excited about it.

Padre's Cycle Inn
http://www.padrescycleinn.com

Phone: 573-721-4400

Padre's Cycle Inn LLC
PO Box 104
Mexico, MO 65265

e-mail: info@PadresCycleInn.com

We are sure that they will pick up where Shuttleguy left off...... So sign up for the Border Raid and then contact Padre if you have a mind too......

The overnight stays for 2009 are arranged and I tried to get us back into Nebraska City, but school construction is preventing that. We may have some other school construction issues in the near future.... No matter, Syracuse Nebraska is a wonderful town and great hosts. We tried to tell them what a town full of hot sweaty hungry cyclists would be like, but it is just something they had to experience to understand.....

We are still getting a steady stream of riders and from all over the place...... I can't wait to get back together with old friends and the new ones I am going to make this year. We even got an email from Sue (Oregon) while she was in Australia? letting us know as soon as she gets closer she will be back with us in 09.... I hope she had a great time there and will get back here safe and sound.

It will be Spring soon I hope. At least I hope the temperature will feel like it. I have ridden a couple of times on the few nice days we had, but long for a full week of bicycle fun..... Keep the rubber side down and get out and ride. See you again soon.
Jim

February 22, 2009 Winter is on the run.....

ONLINE REGISTRATION for the 2009 Border Raider Ride is now open and busy, we are getting riders signing up everyday from all over the country. If you prefer snail mail a PDF form is also posted online for your use. We are not mailing out the traditional ride flyer this year. We have embraced the world wide web to spread the word for us............ and many of our former riders will have an email in their inboxes from Paul this weekend. However, Paul and I are old school and it just did not feel right not to mail out something.......... so we are looking to do some postcards soon.

Our Border Raid ride does not have much of a prison following, meaning very few personal cars follow along the ride route during the week. One year our ride had only 3 staff cars and 2 personal ones for 150 or so riders..... But, if you have a spouse that would like to come along and volunteer and help for some or all of the ride let us know and we can work things out with you. We can even entertain the idea of a rider/volunteer combo.

Sadly, the high gas prices last year put the hurt on us as well as Shuttleguy. They informed us that due to the high gas prices and
the fact they lost money last year on several rides they had decided not to join us this year. We are sure sorry and hope they can come back and join us in the future..... We are exploring other vendor's for this kind of service and will let you know.....

I hope you can begin to get out and ride soon...... I know I will be doing that as soon as this winter thing lets up. As always I am jealous of you folks in the southern part of the country that do not know the joy of "cabin fever".

The staff of Border Raid is meeting monthly now and getting ready for another great week of cycling fun....
Keep the rubber side down and get out there and ride...........
Jim Turner

February 14, 2009 Happy Valentine's Day

Hey, the new website is up and running so you can tell everyone to get on board the Border Raider Express to fun in the sun this June through the prettiest parts of 4 different states......
We already have people signing up and this is only day one of registration, so don't be left out.
So in honor of Valentine's Day, we would love to have you join us. You do not need a BS degree to come on the Raid, but it sure seems to be the degree of choice of the riders....

February 12, 2009

By the calendar, it is still winter, but outside right now there is bright sunshine and a warmish 50 degrees.... I will quite possibly go take a short bike ride this afternoon......

We have been hard at work behind the scenes trying to get our 5th Border Raid Ride organized and ready to go by June 20th. It will be here before you know it. Many phone calls have been made and many more will be made.

Our new website should be up and running soon. Keep checking back, it won't be much longer until we get together in June for a chance to create some new Raider memories.....

As always, keep the rubber side down. Jim

January 10, 2009 Happy New Year

I am glad to be rid of 2008, it was not my best year, (could have nearly been my last one) and I feel I dodged a very big bullet last year. I made my annual New Year's resolution to lose weight and ride my bike more..... wish I had a nickel for every time I said that.

The Border Raid was posted on the Missouri Bicycle Federation website today and I would like to extend an invitation to all roadies to check out our website and look over our ride. We ride through some of the prettiest parts of four states. There is a lot of history to look over and a few little bumps to go over, too. That is not even mentioning the pie........

I have long admired the work of Missouri's Bicycle Federation and because I am from Kansas I can say honestly I am a little jealous of it, too. Folks in Missouri get it, they understand the benefit of a strong cycling community and we always enjoy riding through such a beautiful state. Weston is one of the highlights of our week long trip.

With their help, namely from Brent Hugh, Kansas is trying to follow their lead with KanBikeWalk. I hope they can become a very strong voice for Kansas regarding cycling issues.

Hot, cold, hot, cold and now into the freezer. Kansas winter weather can be different, but this year has been really different.
I rode last Friday in 62 degree weather in shorts and this Thursday it is to be below zero, go figure.

So, bundle up and ride when you can. We only have 6 more months to wait before we can get together and have some more bicycle fun. Remember to keep the rubber side down.
Cheers Jim

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