The Tour Divide Challenge '12 | Bellwether Craftsmen | bellwethercraftsmen@gmail.com

Final words & images

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 16:05:15 -0400

Above: Before & After. The start in Banff and the finish in Antelope Wells.

Above: images along the route

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Mikey and Georg Deck with only 19 miles to the finish line. Michele caught up at this point and took a quick video.

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Crossing the triumphant finish line

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And a quick interview…

Once again THANK YOU to all who helped in imeasurable ways!!!

I finished the race on Saturday morning, June, 30th. Michele and I got back to NY on Tuesday July 2nd. Since then I have been trying to get back into "normal life". It is quite hard to transition from having only one thing to do each day, (ride my bike) to the myriad of things that go on in a day around here! I find now that I am remembering more and more of my trip. If there is a quiet time in my day where I can just let my mind wander it inevitabley takes me back to the tour divide. I am pleasantly surprised by the little details that pop into my head from different parts of the trip. I also can't help but think of the next time, if there is ever a next time…

The Finish!!

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 12:52:49 -0400

I made it!!

2,745 miles- Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, NM.

22 days, 2 hours, 55 minutes

I made it back to NY and I am still trying to comprehend all that I have been through in the last month!

I wanted to give a BIG thanks to everyone who has donated to the cause, everyone who has been following me at home and all that have put their energy behind me the entire race!!!

There will be more to come soon- I have a lot of thoughts and experiences to share with all of you! Happy Independence Day to all!!!

Roadside Late-Night Rendezvous!

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 09:00:43 -0400

BREAKING NEWS from the little town of Colter Bay, Wyoming…

Let's see if I can get this story straight:

A day or two ago I sent an email out to our great friends in Jackson, Seth & Kai Turner and Gant & Jessica Ginter, to give them a heads-up on Mikey's approaching position (at that time he was cruising out of Lima). Gant responded immediately with the idea of meeting him along the road and riding with him for awhile to give Mikey some company and support! Yes! As it turned out, Mikey was peddling a bit faster than planned and it took Gant 3+ hours to track him down, finally catching up around 9:30pm (Mountain Time) in Colter Bay. The phone was breaking up, but I believe I heard Gant say that he spotted Mikey at a food stand placing a big order… (no surprise there)

This morning I received a missed phone message from Kai and Seth - it seems they just got out of the woods yesterday (biking? backpacking?) and read my email. As far as I can tell, they must have jumped in the car immediately to track Mikey down as well…

notes from the start

Sun, 10 Jun 2012 17:43:34 -0400

Hello Everyone from The Orendaga…. Northville, NY's command central! I know you all have been keeping an eye on Mikey and sending lots of good thoughts. Here are a few items of interest for you!

Some excitement for you all from the Grand Depart… a video courtesy of "Crazy Larry"…

and a gorgeous photo of a last minute training ride courtesy of Grey and Rebekah Davis…

be well…

GO, MIKEY, GO!!

The Grand Depart... is this morning!

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:47:21 -0400

In exactly three minutes, the 100 or so riders will be leaving the parking lot at the Banff YMCA and begin their parade to the Continental Divide Trail Head. Our best wishes to all those attempting the race this year... especially to our Mikey - enjoy the journey!

Off to Canada, eh?!

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:29:57 -0400

Mikey left this morning from Philadelphia International Airport on a 6:30am flight to Calgary, Canada. (His lovely wife got him a first class ticket!) Many thanks to Bob and Dee Drozd for driving him down to Pennsylvania and then waking up EXTRA early this morning to take him to the airport.

As you can see, friends and family gathered here in Northville yesterday to give Mikey a proper send off. GO KICK SOME TOUR DIVIDE BUTT, MIKEY!

He will be greeted in Calgary this afternoon by the famous Grey and Rebekah Davis, who will then be driving him to Banff and spending the next few days helping to dial in the gear, the bike, and Friday's official start...

Keep your eye's peeled on friday for an email with links to follow Mikey's progress on the leaderboard as well as hear his call-in's along the way.

GO MIKEY!!! We love you.

Surprise Visit

Sat, 26 May 2012 14:04:46 -0400

It was a nice surprise to see Tom Dailey and his wife Susan show up at the Velo Club's event last Saturday eve... I had no idea they were planning to drive up from Long Island to view the film and be there for my talk on the Tour Divide and Alpha-1. It was encouraging to sit with Tom and talk about the race and my goals. Before being diagnosed with Alpha-1, Tom was an avid cyclist... and still is! He plans to be on his trainer indoors each morning while I'm riding my bike on the trail.

It was great to have Tom come up and show his support. Tom and Sue have gone out of their way to assist me in my goal - It is always a good feeling to be surrounded by those who have faith in me and what I am attempting to do next month. THANK YOU!

And a big Thank You to everybody who has helped me - in so many different ways - it all comes down to June 8th...

An Invitation for This Saturday!

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:16:17 -0400

The Adirondack Velo Club will be hosting this fun event on Saturday Eve... be there, or be square! To view the Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7MqAiPOF8c

Thank you to Steve & Stella Williams and The Velo Club for your support, countless invitations to ride, and a very generous donation toward the cause.

The Adirondack Velo Club

is presenting a

FREE viewing of the documentary film

RIDE THE DIVIDE

Saturday, May 19th at 7:00 pm

at the Northville Public Library

341 S. Third Street, Northville NY

Special guest is area cyclist Michael Intrabartola

who is a participant in this year's

2800 mile race from Canada to Mexico

Mike will talk about the race, his training, and his efforts for the Alpha-1 Foundation

Mike will be bringing his bike, packs, gear, and will have a Q&A session

Big Bad Bike

Thu, 17 May 2012 19:04:38 -0400

Wow. Thanks to Porcelain Rocket for really delivering the goods. These gorgeous custom made bags are more than a man could wish for...

And, so far the traveling is easy. I just took the new set up out for an overnight spin last weekend from Northville, NY to Hilltown, PA. 277 miles of country roads helped me fine tune the pack list and placement. Big days of riding are now the norm. Next week it's off to New Hampshire...

Sardegna, Spring, and the Six Week Countdown...

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:33:22 -0400

We're home !! Five weeks in Sardegna, Italy... the weather was amazing, the terrain was rugged and the riding was phenomenal! We rode 1500km around the island, spent 27 days pedaling and enjoyed every minute of the car-less roads of the interior and the stunning beauty of the coastal roads. Not to mention the wine, the cheese, the dolci...

Now that we have returned to Spring in the Northeast, there is much to do! Spring is the time for clean-up after the Winter. It is the time for change, the time for color and the time for mud... at least here in the Northeast! So far it has been a dry Spring, but the flowers are popping and the grass is getting greener. It's time to ride!

Michele and I put in a great base of miles and time in the saddle on our trip, but now it is time for me to start riding even bigger days. And, with only six weeks to go before the Grand Depart, I am starting to set up my bike for the race. I am still waiting for the custom bags from Porcelain Rocket and a few other last minute items. I'll still be riding the road bike and logging big miles day after day but I'll also be riding the race bike fully loaded and sniffing out some trail/road combinations to test everything before the big day.

Here She Is!

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:30:08 -0500

The bike... fresh from the shop! We brought the frames back from Philadelphia with new S&S couplers, and gorgeous new powder coat paint jobs. Not bad for a 12 year old frame! I think that would mean she is a vintage steed at this point! Thanks to Bike Works in Johnstown, NY for putting them back together for us yesterday in such a pinch. Just for some added eye candy, here is a photo of Michele's sweet new bike:

And here is the organizing & packing mayhem that we are in right now:

Many thanks to Nick Gully of The Mountaineer in Keene Valley, NY for expert advice, generous support, and quick shipping of crucial clothing. And a big thanks to Avi & Santi for their unbelievable donation of a GPS - I'll be sure to navigate my way home safely... Once I learn how to use the damn thing!

This will be the last post for the next 5 weeks - we are off to Sardinia for a mountain-bike-cycle-touring-(read: giant training ride)-vacation (Michele doesn't know what she's in for). I'll be sure to post a photo or two upon our return. Thank you to everyone who has recently donated - please spread the word!

Thank You, Team Alpha-1!

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:47:17 -0500

Thank You to Angela McBride of the Alpha-1 Foundation and a HUGE THANK YOU to Team Alpha-1 for purchasing the new wheelset from Industry Nine via their generous sponsorship offer. This extraordinary effort by Team Alpha-1 plays a huge role in making this race possible!

Team Alpha-1 will be celebrating their 28th year of an annual Escape to the Cape Bike Trek: from Plymouth to Provincetown, MA. Grab your bike, join the team, and go ride for a great cause!

never would have thought i'd be a blogger...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:55:52 -0500

...but here we go...

My past updates are posted as blog notes below. So go ahead and SUBSCRIBE! Please remember to spread the word to your friends and family and strangers on the street... every donation to Alpha-1 counts!! That is why we're here. So what's new for this inaugural post? I'm busy daylighting as a carpenter, moonlighting as a potter, and in-betweening as a bike racer. The necessary parts and missing pieces of gear are being ordered. Calyxta is getting a new powder coat paint job. Flights are scheduled. And... Michele and I are getting psyched for the training tour in Sardinia. (only four more weeks to go...)

many thanks!

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:32:34 -0500

notes from February 2012

I've been keeping up on the nightly rides, sticking to my schedule of riding six nights a week. I've been hoping for a bit more snow here in the NE so I can get out there and ski but it looks as though riding indoors is the name of the game! I want to personally thank Andy Leeds from bikewerx.com. Andy owns a bike shop in south Fl. and he is helping me update my bike with some new tech! I also want to thank Jacob McGahey from Industry Nine. Jacob and Industry Nine are sponsoring me with a set of wheels to race on...

AND a giant THANK YOU to Ibex for giving me a pro-deal on my full wish list of their amazing wool gear - I'll be wrapped in the best fabric possible for this adventure.

Thanks to all those for their donations thus far. I am amazed at the generosity of all of you. Thank You!

winter rides

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:30:32 -0500

notes from January 2012

Michele says... "I want you all to know about Mikey's dilligence. His road bike lives on a trainer in the upstairs hallway of the house. He rides nightly for hours... hooked up to a heart rate monitor, listening to podcasts, dripping sweat, and with eyes focused forward to the mountains ahead. Or to the bathroom. Not sure which."

Mikey says... I will be racing with a vintage Rocky Mountain steel mountain bike named "Calyxta", not with "Dailey" (the Spectrum Cycles road bike). Calyxta is currently at Bilenky Cycle Works getting S&S Couplers, a few additions, and a new paint job. Stephen Bilenky is renowned for his masterful skill and artistry in steel. Our November visit to the shop proved to be nothing less than perfect. As an artist used to metal fab shops, power tools, and carhartts - it felt like home. The bikes will be well cared for there.

Photos will be posted upon her return to the north country. (!!)

the decision to ride

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:42:27 -0500

notes from November 2011

The decision to ride the race is final! My website is built, the donation page is up and running, and I have been riding all summer to keep the legs in shape. Most of the training is yet to come but it doesn’t hurt to start early. There is not much snow in the NE as of yet so road biking is still on. Mountain biking is another story- we had a really wet fall and early snows have since melted away only adding to the mud!

Thank you to Angela McBride of the Alpha-1 foundation for helping me get set up and doing her part to get “the word” out there to all.

Keep an eye on this page for updates throughout the winter... Thank you to all for your support!