Well, it is due time we got to posting up our first blog and when better to sit down and write it than at 12:52am on a train from Prague, Czech Republic to Amsterdam, Netherlands. (I would try to go to sleep, but the cards just don’t seem to be stacked in my favor. Loud neighbors, random alarms, extra bumpy tracks and shotty air conditioning make for less than desirable sleeping situation)
As far as this blog is concerned, it will probably take many forms over the next couple of years. The authorship, writing styles etc. will change and grow as Cycle for the Summit progresses. Michael and I will likely go through changes and we hope you enjoy following this blog as it and we ebb and flow over the next two years or so. We will try to introduce ourselves at the beginning of every entry so you know who is writing the entry and sometimes we may both write an entry, while others may just write themselves.
Writing to you today is Brent and I am just going to share a few experiences and items that have been on my mind lately. (Not everything that’s been on mind though, I don’t want to move too quickly with our relationship)
So yes, I am on a train in Northern Europe right now on a bunk below my lovely girlfriend Megan. She spent the past two months in an internship at a university in Sweden. On her last day I flew over and we met up in Copenhagen to spend a couple weeks travelling together.
While I tried to leave as much of Cycle for the Summit at home as possible so I could enjoy my precious time with Megan in Europe, it would always find its way into various aspects of the trip. One part being two of the cities we have been traveling to are some of the most cycling friendly towns in the world, Copenhagen, Denmark and Amsterdam, Netherlands. When we arrived in Copenhagen the crazy number of bikes was a sight to see. Everywhere you would go people were riding their bikes on the streets, sidewalks, etc. Lining the buildings, streets and sidewalks were rows of bikes used to commute to work and awaiting the end of the workday to take their owners home. Outside the train station bikes were parked in racks as far as the eye could see. I am excited to get to Amsterdam, I hear its cycling community is like Copenhagen on steroids.
Earlier this evening I spotted two bikes in the train terminal. They were fully loaded with gear, from tents and sleeping bags to food and fuel. These tell tale signs indicated they were supporting themselves, so it was time to do a little investigating. Sure enough after introducing myself and a bit of small talk I came to find out they were a couple Dutch gentleman who had just finished a 1,200+ mile tour and were heading on the train back to the Netherlands…the same train Megan and I would be on. So long story short they were great to chat with and had numerous stories, experiences and insight to help prepare for Cycle for the Summit. From bike components to eating on the road, they provided me with a wealth of information. I personally gain a lot more from those personal conversations as opposed to reading reviews on the Internet, so this was awesome because I was getting sick of Internet articles. They also pointed me in the direction of one of Europe’s premiere cycle touring shops in Amsterdam, so you better bet I will be dropping in there once we arrive.
Now I’m going switch gears a bit and chat about how preparation for Cycle for the Summit has been going. Michael and I have spent the past couple months seeking sponsorship and support, and raising awareness for Cycle for the Summit. The largest focus has been raising support for Michael and I, which includes everything from our camping and expedition equipment to funding for food and unexpected maintenance needs. We are also looking for items to raffle off in an effort to entice donations to the charity. We have taken a couple different approaches in raising support. The first being reaching out to businesses for sponsorship and in-kind donations of the items we will need along the way, anything from our bikes and tents to our jerseys and food. (We have also been soliciting items to raffle off during our trip to entice donations for Big City Mountaineers, but I will discuss that further in another blog) Reaching out to businesses has proven to be rather challenging. Sometimes we are denied with a generic e-mail, while others are a bit more personalized. My favorite thus far came from Trevor Clayton at Surly Bikes, after indicating they receive so many requests annually that they could not provide any support, he followed up by saying
“On the bright side, this is heartwarming evidence that so many people are actively helping one another and is a constant reminder to me that the world isn’t as cruel and corrupt as it may seem sometimes.”
I love the way he packaged his response, because it brought together the larger picture. So many people are out in the world trying to make a difference in many ways, be it as simple as holding a door for a stranger or as crazy as cycling around the country. While seeking corporate sponsorship has proven to be difficult at times, it has also had its successes along the way and we are slowly building our base to make this a great success.
While the corporate outreach has been slow, support from friends and family has been phenomenal. We set up a few different options for private support of Cycle for the Summit and donations can be made under the support tab of our website (www.cycleforthesummit.com). One way to support us is to sponsor a peak or day. Sponsoring a peak can be done by making a donation of $50+ to sponsor the high point in any state you wish. You can also sponsor it in honor of a loved one or friend. You can find out more information on the support levels on the website. Also, for $25 you can sponsor a day of our ride. Pick a day special to you such as your birthday, anniversary, etc. and we will dedicate our day of riding to you. Finally most people are excited about our t-shirts, which is a great way to support Cycle for the Summit and get an awesome t-shirt! They are a simple design with our logo on the front and text on the back. You can order them for $20 on our website. A Cycle for the Summit supporter made a great point that it was a $10 donation and a $10 dollar t-shirt. Great birthday and Christmas gifts!
I would be remiss not to summarize ways you can help us during this planning and preparation phase and the first is simple. Spread the word! Post something on your Facebook or Twitter, send an email to your family, friends and colleagues. Shout it from the mountaintops!
Other ways you can support us:
- Speak with your company or business about sponsoring Cycle for the Summit. We would love to feature them on our website, jerseys and more.
- Recommend a cycle friendly business to us. If you think someone would be willing to support us, let us know and we will contact them ourselves.
- Sponsor a peak or day
- Buy a T-shirt!
- Challenge others to support Cycle for the Summit or buy a T-shirt.
- Spread the word!
Thanks for listening and stay tuned for the next post we will be hitting the road before you know it!
***Ok…so I did not post this when I wrote it on July 17th, and we have now concluded our visit to Amsterdam, so the following portion is a couple quick ditty’s on Amsterdam written on July 22nd***
Wow! Is all I can say, it truly was Copenhagen on Steroids. Check out the first thing we saw when we walked out of Central Station. Yes, that is a four-story BICYCLE parking garage, and it was easily 150 yards long! It was huge.
Sure enough, this was a wonderful unexpected surprise to be in such a cycling Mecca while traveling through Europe. On my birthday we stopped in and checked out De Vakantiefiester, the store the Dutch guys recommended to us. It translates to The Holiday Biker. This was an extremely eye opening experience and I learned a lot about touring bicycles. This store is a touring Mecca and people travel from all over the world to order bikes and learn from the best! They provided me a great deal of insight and confusion into building an efficient touring bike. I have a lot to think about and more to work on thanks to my conversations with them, so I will keep you posted as we make progress on getting our bikes.
In good health!
Brent
