LGRAB Summer Games: Players & Prizes, Part 3

All right folks, it’s another evening and another drawing/roundup of this year’s Summer Games winners. Every day this week through Friday, we will be posting a round-up of LGRAB 2011 Summer Games players and announcing the lucky prize winners. Winners will be randomly drawn from the entire pool of players.

For those of you looking for ideas for books to read about cycling, Molly has a review for you:

I picked up this kids book about the history of women and bicycles from the library several months ago and I keep renewing it without reading it. The Summer Games changed that. Actually, this book might have been recommended by one of you: Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way). It was interesting, but I would have liked more about the impact of bicycles on women’s day to day lives, and less on famous lady bike racers.

She performed a maintenance task–an impressive one if you ask me!

I accidentally did the same maintenance task for this year’s Summer Games as I did last year: Repacking a hub. I’m still not very good at it. If I’d planned ahead I could have counted many other things, since this summer I took an 8 week bike workshop through Common Cycle, and we learned everything from raising saddles to replacing cables and housing to headset adjustment. But I didn’t take pictures any of those weeks. I waited til the very last week, when we were doing hubs and wheel truing. Here’s the picture I attempted to take of myself; it was hard because my hands were covered in grease and all I had was my phone.

Molly also went on a group ride on her birthday (happy birthday Molly!) and took this lovely summer-themed photo. We need to do a flikr pool of these for us to pine over when we’re stuck in the depths of winter once again. Mm, sweet corn.

 

Meanwhile, in Wiltshire, Kate from mixed baby greens was making headway on her four events. First up: writing to a council member about a much-needed improved crossing. She heard back that it was in the works. “Which means that from Friday onwards I’ll be able to ride the cycle-lane, stop and cross the road safely exactly where I need to, and head straight to the off-road route into town.”

She also took a new road home and performed a maintenance task: replacing the old pump and bottle cage on her bike with a new, more coordinated one.

And she snapped a photo that is the perfect combo of summer and bikes. I love it!

 

One of the best things about having a bike blog is having all sorts of cool people contact you to say that you’ve inspired them to create their own blog. :) Kathy in Chicago is among that number and you can read about her adventures in multi-modal commuting at Train-Bike Bike-Train. Kathy test-rode a cargo bike and videoed the results—click on the photo to see the video.

She also wrote a letter to Metra suggesting improvements for multi-modal commuters, gave her bike tires a lift and took some stellar summer pictures.

JoAnna rediscovered cycling a year ago when she was in Paris and hasn’t looked back (a woman after our own hearts!). For the Games, she completed seven tasks: riding a bike on vacation, writing a letter, reading a book, cleaning her chain, riding on a greenway and participating in New York’s Summer Streets.

Martina at The Life Academic knocked out quite a few tasks in a single afternoon.

Martina and Poppy

She tuned up her bike and went out for a ride, ending up in a new part of town and discovering a new friend along the way.

How have I never realized that my favorite droid has been waving to me all summer long as I biked to and from work? I honestly couldn’t be happier to have met this new friend. Isn’t it just the summeriest, happiest thing, to have droid along your ride?

(our answer: YES!)

Yvonne, aka The Knot Whisperer, also got in on the fun. She very responsibly biked to jury duty, making me horribly jealous because, oddly, I have always wanted to be chosen for jury duty and somehow have gone 12 years without being tapped (yes, I know it will probably be boring. I still want to be picked for the team!). She read The Lost Cyclist, a fascinating true tale of a man who biked around the world back in the late 1800s.

I couldn’t help putting myself in Lenz’s place as he traveled through Japan and China without speaking a word of those countries’ languages. While it’s true that I went to St. Petersburg, Russia, without knowing a word of Russian, I went there as part of a writing seminar and was therefore hardly on my own. I can’t imagine how frightening it must have been for him, all on his own, especially back then when foreign countries were truly foreign to most people.

She wrote asking for improvements to the Ashland/Armitage/Elston intersection, aka the “Intersection of Terror.” And she rode a cruiser on vacation! Sweet.

OK, now that you’re all inspired: it’s time to reveal the winners, drawn by Dot.

First up: Bates Crate Porter Crate, a beautiful, functional, handmade carrying crate for your bike.

It goes to . . . Kathy F, whose adventures were featured above.

Our second drawing is for a Workcycles apron.

And the winner is . . . Stacy Bisker!

Kathy and Stacy, we will be in touch with information on how to claim your prizes.

Not a winner yet? Keep checking daily, because we still have several great prizes to give away.

Summer Games, halfway point

Well, it’s the halfway point of the LGRAB 2011 Summer Games. How are you doing with your events? If you need some inspiration, check out some of the submissions we’ve gotten so far.

Wendy and her husband took a group ride in Cleveland. As she points out, group rides are a great way to build confidence and learn from more seasoned riders. She also wrote a letter to the city council requesting a bike rack outside her local grocery.

Our friend Melissa is going gangbusters on the Games from her new home in Denver. She test rode a different bike and fell in love with the Electra Townie.

Melissa and the Townie

Looks like a good fit! She also commuted to her new job by bike for the first time. “I was definitely more awake during the day and the ride home helped me relax.”

A&P of The Notables also test rode a different sort of bike (I love reading about people doing this). They enjoyed the Giant commuter model they tried, but are talking about a trip to NYC to see what Adeline Adeline has to offer.

Daniel of La Pedaleada went on a group ride and performed a maintenance task—and videotaped them both! Check it out. I need to proofride MY Brooks…

Cathey decided to perform a maintenance task on her Globe—checking the tire pressure and filling them up. “I never thought I would enjoy doing work on my bike, but now, strange as it may seem, I kind of have my fingers crossed that a tube will need replacing or my chain will need work. I can’t wait to keep learning!” she writes.

Deb went on a group ride to celebrate her one-year anniversary of cycling. Her official mileage tally: 1,140.98 miles. Makes me wonder what mine would be if I kept count! Maybe in 2012. :) She also explored new territory by riding the entire width of her township in Michigan.

Reader Annie from Minnesota has already completed FOUR events. She, too, has logged more than 1,000 miles on her bike in the last year. “I made up a Tshirt that I wear often when I ride.  It says, “Bicycle Minnesota” on the front and “Ride, Fat Girl, Ride” on the back.  It makes me smile,” she tells us.

Keep the entries coming!

p.s. are you adding your photos to our Flickr pool?

 

 

They’re here: The 2011 Summer Games

This Friday, the cycling event of the summer begins! We couldn’t be more excited about hosting the Summer Games again this year—and giving out some wonderful prizes for you players out there.

Things are a little different this year. Instead of three separate parts, we’re asking you to complete 4 out of 10 of the events from the list below between July 22 and August 8. Once you have completed your events, there are two ways to enter:

1) Email us links to your blog posts detailing the activities; or

2) Email us your story and photographs [LGRAB@letsgorideabike.com].

Please use the subject line [Summer Games]. At any time, you can also upload your photos to our Summer Games Flickr pool. By entering, you give us permission to publish your content here.

• on vacation? rent a bike and go for a ride!
• write a letter advocating for bicycling infrastructure (bike lanes, bike rack, etc) to your alderman/council representative, mayor, or a local business.
• take a picture of something along your commute that says “summer” to you, and explain why
• commute to work by bike or bike/transit if you don’t already
• perform a maintenance task on your bike
• explore a greenway or bike path in your city that you haven’t previously visited
• test ride a different type of bike than you normally ride (road bike, mountain bike, etc.)
• read a book about cycling
• ride your bike somewhere new in your city
• go on a group ride

We will draw for prizes from among the entrants who have completed at least four events. So start planning, and drooling over our prize page.

Major thanks to all the sponsors who are helping us spread the bike love!

 

Want a banner to put on your site to let others know you’re playing the games? Right click on any of the images below to download it — and be sure to link to this post.

 

Let the Games Begin! Part I: Social Cycling

Ladies and gentlemen, the Summer Games officially begin today. First up, the Social Cycling category. Local events going on during National Bike Month might make this even easier for you (for example, I plan on getting my group ride in on Nashville’s Bike to Work day this Friday).

Over the next three weeks, you need to complete at least two events from the following list. Be creative with combining events, but please go on at least two separate rides. Once you have completed your events, there are two ways to enter:

1) Email us links to your blog posts detailing the activities; or

2) Email us your story and photographs.

Please use the subject line [Summer Games – Part I]. At any time, you can also upload your photos to our Summer Games Flickr pool. By entering, you give us permission to publish your content here.

Remember, you must complete two events from each of the three categories (six events total between now and July 18) to be entered to win the Batavus BuB.  However, those who compete in this category – Part I: Social Cycling – will be eligible to win a set of Clarijs Panniers (My Dutch Bike), a Terry Botanika flare skort and Euro Halter (Terry Bicycles) or a Nutcase helmet (Nutcase). Prize winners will be determined by random drawing on June 8. A huge thank you to the sponsors for their support of bike fun!

Ready, set, RIDE!

May 17-June 6: Social Cycling

• Go on a group ride
• Leave a friendly note on a bike, or say hi to a cyclist at a red light
• Schedule a bike date with a friend or partner — dress up!
• Recruit a non-biking friend for a ride
• Take a ride with your family