I suggested in a previous post that if you intend to ride with a group, you should have everybody in the group on the same application (ie in the same envelope when mailed). That way you won't have some of your group not making it on PALM because they mailed their application in too late. If everyone is on the same application (envelope) either everyone in the group is on PALM or none of the group is on PALM. (And if the group decides to cancel, it will only cost $20 for the whole group, not $15 apiece.) But what if members of your group are in different states? (We have one family with members in Nebraska and members in Arkansas.) How is everyone going to sign the waiver?
To get around this, I put the waiver on the website at http://www.lmb.org/palm/files/PALMLiabilityWaiver.pdf. Pick the person who will mail in the application. Have everyone who is remote download the waiver now, fill it out, and mail it to this person before Jan 12. Then this person can download the application at noon on Jan 12, fill out the application for everyone, sign the waiver him/herself, and include the waivers for everyone else who is remote. Don't forget the business sized stamped self addressed envelope.
One thing you will notice is that the waiver is 1.3Mg in size and takes a while to download. You may worry about how long it's going to take to download the whole application. Don't worry: the application is about 1/10 the size. I don't know why the waiver alone is so large.
I mentioned I like to bike at least once every month even during the winter. I hadn't ridden yet this December and it wasn't looking like I would be able to do it. But while I was running yesterday I noticed that there wasn't any wind, that it was partly cloudy, and seemed mild. It was supposed to rain, but it looked like it would hold off for a while. So when I got back, I put on all my cold weather gear, pumped up the tires on my mountain bike (that took a while), and got out. It was about 38 degrees but it didn't seem that bad. My toes got cold at the end, it started to sprinkle the last few blocks, and my throat got a little sore but I was able to get a 12 mile bike ride in. I was happy. And tomorrow I plan to do the First Dozen bike ride in Dearborn so I will be able to check January off the list. Now if I can get down to Florida sometime in February...
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
PALM Postcard
By now everyone should have received a postcard from PALM announcing that PALM will not be mailing out applications this year. Instead you will be able to download the application from http://www.lmb.org/palm starting at noon January 12. Once again, we are doing this so that everyone will be able to get the PALM application at the same time and have an equal chance to get on PALM. We know that not everybody has internet access. We mailed out the postcard early so that riders that don't have internet access have time to make arrangements with friends or locate a public library with internet access. January 12 is a Thursday so libraries and post offices should be open. If you have friends on PALM, check to see if they received this postcard and realize that they will have to download the application from the PALM website.
Remember you only have to pay the registration fee right away (same as last year: $110 for participants 18 and above, $65 for participants 11 to 17, $55 for participants 10 and below.) You can add meals and bus rides any time before May 15. Please enclose the completed application page, the signed release page, and a business sized stamped self addressed envelope with your check or money order when you mail in your application. If you are riding with a group, try to get the whole group on the same application (ie in the same envelope). That way either everyone will be on the ride or everyone will not be on the ride. We would like everybody to be on PALM, but the size of the schools that we stay at forces a limit of 700 riders. Best of luck to all.
No white Christmas but winter is here for sure. I don't think I'm going to be able to get in a December bike ride. My vegetable garden has been put to bed. (I pulled the last carrots, beets, and parsnips at the beginning of December). I leave the flowers in the front of the house alone so that the birds can eat the thistles from the cone flowers and blacked eyed Susans. I got to see some finches in September/October but last week I got to see a pair of downy woodpeckers: all black and white and red. Pretty exciting for Detroit.
Remember you only have to pay the registration fee right away (same as last year: $110 for participants 18 and above, $65 for participants 11 to 17, $55 for participants 10 and below.) You can add meals and bus rides any time before May 15. Please enclose the completed application page, the signed release page, and a business sized stamped self addressed envelope with your check or money order when you mail in your application. If you are riding with a group, try to get the whole group on the same application (ie in the same envelope). That way either everyone will be on the ride or everyone will not be on the ride. We would like everybody to be on PALM, but the size of the schools that we stay at forces a limit of 700 riders. Best of luck to all.
No white Christmas but winter is here for sure. I don't think I'm going to be able to get in a December bike ride. My vegetable garden has been put to bed. (I pulled the last carrots, beets, and parsnips at the beginning of December). I leave the flowers in the front of the house alone so that the birds can eat the thistles from the cone flowers and blacked eyed Susans. I got to see some finches in September/October but last week I got to see a pair of downy woodpeckers: all black and white and red. Pretty exciting for Detroit.
Friday, December 16, 2011
PALM 2012 Update
As I said in a prior post, we will not be mailing out the 2012 PALM application as we have done in the past. The only way to get the application will be to download it from the PALM website: http://www.lmb.org/palm. The 2012 PALM application will be available for download starting at Jan 12 noon (EST). This will give you 48 hours to download and mail your application before the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. Remember to send both the filled application and the signed release page with your check or money order and a business sized stamped self addressed envelope to PALM; PO Box 7161; Ann Arbor, MI 48107. If you mail your application from a post office, you can have them postmark it right then. This may help you get on the ride (if we get don't 1000 applications all postmarked Jan 12).
There's been a change to the route. We couldn't get Oxford as a site. Instead the Thursday site will be Ortonville. This will mean that the last day's ride will be 45 miles. Usually we keep the mileage for the last day down to 30 - 35 miles to be sure everybody is there in time for the PALM parade, PALM provided lunch, and the return buses. We may have to rethink the parade and have the buses leave later. We'll see.
Yesterday it was in the 50's. I try to ride every month and yesterday seemed my one chance for December. Too bad about the rain. Although the weather kept getting cooler thru November and there was some frost, my fall vegetables didn't seem to be in danger. I didn't pull my carrots and parsnips until the last week in November. (I got a pretty good crop of carrots: good size and no forks. But did I get the ugly parsnips! More like misshapen heads than roots.) And I didn't pull my beets until the beginning of December. Now with my garden put to bed I have nothing left but winter. At least the grass is still green.
There's been a change to the route. We couldn't get Oxford as a site. Instead the Thursday site will be Ortonville. This will mean that the last day's ride will be 45 miles. Usually we keep the mileage for the last day down to 30 - 35 miles to be sure everybody is there in time for the PALM parade, PALM provided lunch, and the return buses. We may have to rethink the parade and have the buses leave later. We'll see.
Yesterday it was in the 50's. I try to ride every month and yesterday seemed my one chance for December. Too bad about the rain. Although the weather kept getting cooler thru November and there was some frost, my fall vegetables didn't seem to be in danger. I didn't pull my carrots and parsnips until the last week in November. (I got a pretty good crop of carrots: good size and no forks. But did I get the ugly parsnips! More like misshapen heads than roots.) And I didn't pull my beets until the beginning of December. Now with my garden put to bed I have nothing left but winter. At least the grass is still green.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Something Different For 2012
PALM has 700 rider limit. When I first joined staff in 1998, Drew was doing the registration. He would always make a motion to extend the May 1 cutoff date for signing up for PALM. Then 6 years ago we hit 700 riders in April and had to close the ride early. We didn't know what to do. We ended up well over 700 because we were caught off guard. Since then, we've been filling earlier and earlier. Now it's to the point that the ride fills before some of our out of state riders have gotten their applications. I tried to rectify that by mailing out of state applications and out state applications earlier. But even though we mail out applications 1st class, the mail is not delivered predictably. Our ride chair, who lives 45 miles from where the applications were mailed, received his 4 days after it was mailed and last year the ride closed in 4 days.
We want everyone to have an equal chance of getting on PALM.It is obvious that mailing out applications is not going to do it. So we are going to try something different. We are going to announce a date and post the application on our (new) website for download on that date. Everyone will have a chance of getting the application at the same time as everyone else. This only works if everyone knows we are going to do this and the date on which we are going to do it. To this end we are going to mail out postcards to everyone on our mailing list announcing the date that they will be able to download the application.
As you can see we have our work cut out for us. We will be getting the word out in all kind of ways, this blog being one of them. Please, if you know anyone who is interested on PALM, let them know of this change. The only way to get the PALM 2012 application will be to download it from our website. We will announce the date when it will be available on Facebook, this blog, our our website. Everyone on the PALM mailing list will receive a postcard with the details. Keep your eye out for an oversized postcard with the PALM logo.
We want everyone to have an equal chance of getting on PALM.It is obvious that mailing out applications is not going to do it. So we are going to try something different. We are going to announce a date and post the application on our (new) website for download on that date. Everyone will have a chance of getting the application at the same time as everyone else. This only works if everyone knows we are going to do this and the date on which we are going to do it. To this end we are going to mail out postcards to everyone on our mailing list announcing the date that they will be able to download the application.
As you can see we have our work cut out for us. We will be getting the word out in all kind of ways, this blog being one of them. Please, if you know anyone who is interested on PALM, let them know of this change. The only way to get the PALM 2012 application will be to download it from our website. We will announce the date when it will be available on Facebook, this blog, our our website. Everyone on the PALM mailing list will receive a postcard with the details. Keep your eye out for an oversized postcard with the PALM logo.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Last Chance Before PALM
Ok, it's only a week before PALM check-in. Are you ready? You still have time to get a few rides in before PALM. As I've often said, it's more about saddle time that fitness when it comes to multi-day rides.
Is your bike ready? You still can get your bike into the shop or service it yourself prior to leaving for PALM. Don't wait for PALM and have to wait in line at the PALM bike shops for service. Make sure you have a proper tube, tire levers, pump, and multi tool in your seat pack so you can take care of minor issues on the road.
See you next Saturday at the PALM check-in.
Is your bike ready? You still can get your bike into the shop or service it yourself prior to leaving for PALM. Don't wait for PALM and have to wait in line at the PALM bike shops for service. Make sure you have a proper tube, tire levers, pump, and multi tool in your seat pack so you can take care of minor issues on the road.
See you next Saturday at the PALM check-in.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Mirrors
In the past, one of the controversies in cycling was the use of mirrors.
The cons stated that mirrors had a small field of view, could not replace scanning with you head and eyes, and give a false sense of security.
The pros said that mirrors were an addition to scanning and one mounted on one’s helmet or glasses actually could enhance your field of view by turning the head a bit to look behind.
Personally, I have a difficult time riding on the road without a mirror. With one mounted on my helmet, I have over an 180 degree field of view behind me by turning my head while looking in the mirror. It can even help me keep track of my riding partner when on my single or my stoker when on the tandem.
I highly recommend a mirror when riding. Would you drive a car without rear and side-view mirrors?
Here is a link to a mirror that I use on one of my helmets:
http://www.cycleaware.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1
Enter code RFLX11 before the end of May and receive a free parts kit.
Whether you use a mirror on your helmet, glasses, or handle bars, it greatly enhances you rearward vision.
The cons stated that mirrors had a small field of view, could not replace scanning with you head and eyes, and give a false sense of security.
The pros said that mirrors were an addition to scanning and one mounted on one’s helmet or glasses actually could enhance your field of view by turning the head a bit to look behind.
Personally, I have a difficult time riding on the road without a mirror. With one mounted on my helmet, I have over an 180 degree field of view behind me by turning my head while looking in the mirror. It can even help me keep track of my riding partner when on my single or my stoker when on the tandem.
I highly recommend a mirror when riding. Would you drive a car without rear and side-view mirrors?
Here is a link to a mirror that I use on one of my helmets:
http://www.cycleaware.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1
Enter code RFLX11 before the end of May and receive a free parts kit.
Whether you use a mirror on your helmet, glasses, or handle bars, it greatly enhances you rearward vision.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Time to Begin to Prepare
Well, the weather seems to have finally turned, so it’s time to get out on your bike. It’s not that PALM is difficult, but being physically prepared (especially your posterior) makes for a more enjoyable ride. At this point you should be riding 15 to 20 miles 2 to 3 times a week. As PALM approaches, throw in a 40 to 50 miler once a week while still doing multiple shorter rides.
And don’t forget your bike. Have you really checked it over? How are the tires (worn, dry rotted, cuts)? Are the brake pads in need of replacing? Are the wheels straight? Does it shift well? What's in your seat bag? If any of these (and more) come to mind, and you don’t do your own maintenance, please take the bike to your local shop. Having a properly prepared bike, just like your body, make for a much better experience.
If you have any questions about your bike or preparing for PALM, please let me know by posing a comment or sending an email to: sproketsandspokes@tir.com
And don’t forget your bike. Have you really checked it over? How are the tires (worn, dry rotted, cuts)? Are the brake pads in need of replacing? Are the wheels straight? Does it shift well? What's in your seat bag? If any of these (and more) come to mind, and you don’t do your own maintenance, please take the bike to your local shop. Having a properly prepared bike, just like your body, make for a much better experience.
If you have any questions about your bike or preparing for PALM, please let me know by posing a comment or sending an email to: sproketsandspokes@tir.com
Monday, May 9, 2011
May 15 Deadline
April was not only the cruelest month, it was the wetest. I read on our Facebook page that it rained 20 out of the 30 days in April. A lot of that was 40 degree rain. It was cool, well, cold most of the month. I left the straw on my garden bed until the last week of April. The ground was too cold to germinate seeds anyway. I got cold crops from the Garden Resource Program on April 16 but couldn't even harden them off because it was too cold outside.
But time marches on. The May 15 deadline for adding/changing meals and buses is this week. If you sent in your registration and planned to order meals and buses later, it's later now. Download an application and make your choices. Mail it in with a check and a stamped self addressed envelope (for your new confirmation) to the PALM address: PO Box 7161; Ann Arbor, MI 48107. May 15 is also the last day that you can cancel from PALM and get a refund (minus a cancellation fee). It must be done in writing, no emails will be accepted. There will be no refunds or changes after May 15.
Thank goodness it's May. I was only able to ride once in April. The last two weekends I've been able to ride at last. Only 20 miles or so but at least it's a start. And the last time I rode I could sit on the bike seat. PALM is closer to becoming a reality.
But time marches on. The May 15 deadline for adding/changing meals and buses is this week. If you sent in your registration and planned to order meals and buses later, it's later now. Download an application and make your choices. Mail it in with a check and a stamped self addressed envelope (for your new confirmation) to the PALM address: PO Box 7161; Ann Arbor, MI 48107. May 15 is also the last day that you can cancel from PALM and get a refund (minus a cancellation fee). It must be done in writing, no emails will be accepted. There will be no refunds or changes after May 15.
Thank goodness it's May. I was only able to ride once in April. The last two weekends I've been able to ride at last. Only 20 miles or so but at least it's a start. And the last time I rode I could sit on the bike seat. PALM is closer to becoming a reality.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
May 15 Deadline for Meals and Buses
If you are like me you are wondering when spring will come. Baseball season has been going on for over 2 weeks now and we are still getting sleet and snow (2-3 inches on Monday). I've been able to ride my bike exactly once, the one Sunday it was warm. 10 miles into the wind, 10 miles back and I was done for the rest of the day. I have a lot of work to do before I'm ready for PALM.
Speaking of PALM, May 15 is the deadline for making changes to your application. (Except fo jerseys. If you wanted a jersey, you had to get your order in by April 1 so that Voler could manufacture them.) So if you sent in your application quickly so that you could reserve your spot on PALM and meant to add meals/busses later, now is the time. The way to do this is to download an application from the website, fill in your name and address, the meals, buses, extra t shirts you want and mail it in to the PALM address with your check and a stamped self addressed envelope. (The stamped self addressed envelope is so that I can send you a new confirmation letter.) The meal totals we have now are about 20 below the meals totals from last year when we had 100 fewer people on the ride so I know that there are people out there who haven't ordered their meals yet. Do it now.
May 15 is also the last day that you can cancel from PALM and get a refund (minus a cancellation fee of $15 for an individual, $20 for a whole application). Cancellations must be done in writing, no emails are accepted. And please include a stamped self addressed envelope so that we can mail the check back to you. There will be no refunds after May 15 for any reason.
Speaking of PALM, May 15 is the deadline for making changes to your application. (Except fo jerseys. If you wanted a jersey, you had to get your order in by April 1 so that Voler could manufacture them.) So if you sent in your application quickly so that you could reserve your spot on PALM and meant to add meals/busses later, now is the time. The way to do this is to download an application from the website, fill in your name and address, the meals, buses, extra t shirts you want and mail it in to the PALM address with your check and a stamped self addressed envelope. (The stamped self addressed envelope is so that I can send you a new confirmation letter.) The meal totals we have now are about 20 below the meals totals from last year when we had 100 fewer people on the ride so I know that there are people out there who haven't ordered their meals yet. Do it now.
May 15 is also the last day that you can cancel from PALM and get a refund (minus a cancellation fee of $15 for an individual, $20 for a whole application). Cancellations must be done in writing, no emails are accepted. And please include a stamped self addressed envelope so that we can mail the check back to you. There will be no refunds after May 15 for any reason.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Meet Your Bike
Here is a nice video that does a good job of showing all the various parts of a bike:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l-ZAbZ1Rzs&feature=related
This may help clarify what us bike geeks are talking about around the dinner table each evening on PALM.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_l-ZAbZ1Rzs&feature=related
This may help clarify what us bike geeks are talking about around the dinner table each evening on PALM.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
How to fit your bike Video
This month's video's are all about fit. Every year I see a lot of riders whose bikes do not fit properly or wear their helmets improperly.
This first explains how to adjust your bike to fit your body:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fsr7yYShD8&feature=player_embedded
This next is how to fit you helmet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yzSwxWIJTk&feature=player_embedded
Remember that helmets are required on PALM whenever you are riding your bike, even in the school parking lot.
Again, let me know if you have any questions or if there are any topics you would like covered.
This first explains how to adjust your bike to fit your body:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fsr7yYShD8&feature=player_embedded
This next is how to fit you helmet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yzSwxWIJTk&feature=player_embedded
Remember that helmets are required on PALM whenever you are riding your bike, even in the school parking lot.
Again, let me know if you have any questions or if there are any topics you would like covered.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Back From Florida
When we got back from Florida, the temperature went up to the 50's for 2 days and all of the snow that accumulated for two months melted. It was amazing. It was like we brought Florida back with us, except the green grass was replaced by brown and it was covered with two months of debris. The day we left for Florida, I got a bunch of PALM apps that I wasn't able to process. When I got back, I got another bunch of PALM apps to process. Welcome back.
I processed the first batch and when I checked I caught a lot of mistakes that I then had to correct. The second batch I processed had 10 applications without a stamped self addressed envelope for the confirmation letters which I then had to supply. It took from Wednesday when I got back to Saturday to process all the applications and mail out the confirmations. Then Sunday we were hit by 10 inches of snow, more what than the "storm of the century" gave us. Later in the week we got another 4 inches or so. All the snow that had melted was back.
Because I was in Florida I missed the February potluck that kicks off the Garden Resource Program. There is nothing better than getting together with a bunch of enthusiatic gardeners in February when there is no hope of spring. The best I could do was help out in the seed packing. There are 1700 people who get seeds from the Garden Resource Program. The seeds are brought in bulk and then split into individual seed packets by volunteers. There are seed packing parties all over the city. Our group packed Kentucky Wonder pole beans into 1400 envelopes. It took over 2 hours and we were all sick of beans by the end. Then it was off to Calendula seeds. One of our group was a middle aged woman who had done the Michigander several times. I got to talk up PALM. We weren't any closer to spring but we were surrounded by seeds and bike riding anyway.
I processed the first batch and when I checked I caught a lot of mistakes that I then had to correct. The second batch I processed had 10 applications without a stamped self addressed envelope for the confirmation letters which I then had to supply. It took from Wednesday when I got back to Saturday to process all the applications and mail out the confirmations. Then Sunday we were hit by 10 inches of snow, more what than the "storm of the century" gave us. Later in the week we got another 4 inches or so. All the snow that had melted was back.
Because I was in Florida I missed the February potluck that kicks off the Garden Resource Program. There is nothing better than getting together with a bunch of enthusiatic gardeners in February when there is no hope of spring. The best I could do was help out in the seed packing. There are 1700 people who get seeds from the Garden Resource Program. The seeds are brought in bulk and then split into individual seed packets by volunteers. There are seed packing parties all over the city. Our group packed Kentucky Wonder pole beans into 1400 envelopes. It took over 2 hours and we were all sick of beans by the end. Then it was off to Calendula seeds. One of our group was a middle aged woman who had done the Michigander several times. I got to talk up PALM. We weren't any closer to spring but we were surrounded by seeds and bike riding anyway.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Florida Weekend
Every year in February I try to spend a long weeknd in Florida. By February it's been winter for 2 months and you can't remember going out without mittens, a down jacket, and a goofy hat that covers your ears. This winter has been especially brutal for me. It got cold and snowed in the first week of December and the snow never went away, only accumulated. I run in the morning and there were a lot of mornings in the low teens. You have to wear so many clothes. The day that we left for Florida it was 6 degrees when I ran.
The first challenge to going to Florida in February is packing. Every year I have to persuade myself to take a short sleeve shirt and suntan lotion. They seem so exotic in February. Another problem is that what you wear to the airport you are stuck with the whole time in Florida. You don't want to take a down jacket especially if you are paying for luggage. I dress in layers. Of course all those layers have to come off for airport security. (If you are only going for a weekend, you can't drive.) But it's all worth it if you stand outside without wearing a coat and see sunshine and green somewhere.
This year I went Feb 11-15 to Jacksonville, Florida for the Breast Cancer Marathon. I ran it with my brother and my sister who is a survivor. We finished it the same day we started: a victory. Note we are casting shadows. (Remember the sun? Another casualty of winter in Michigan.) And in the background. Is that green? And my brother is wearing shorts and a t shirt. (Remember it was 6 degrees when I left.)
The next day we went on a short bike tour of San Marco in short sleeve shirts. It was in the 70's. So I got a February ride in. (I have to mention bikes somewhere. This is a blog about PALM after all.)
One of the best things about staying in Jacksonville Beach was that I got to run on the beach at dawn. The sun comes right out of the sea. You see all of the colors of the sunrise reflected in the water. And since it is winter you don't have to get up all that early to do it. I know, I know, I should be processing those PALM applications. I'll get back to them soon, I promise. Winter will win out.
The first challenge to going to Florida in February is packing. Every year I have to persuade myself to take a short sleeve shirt and suntan lotion. They seem so exotic in February. Another problem is that what you wear to the airport you are stuck with the whole time in Florida. You don't want to take a down jacket especially if you are paying for luggage. I dress in layers. Of course all those layers have to come off for airport security. (If you are only going for a weekend, you can't drive.) But it's all worth it if you stand outside without wearing a coat and see sunshine and green somewhere.
The next day we went on a short bike tour of San Marco in short sleeve shirts. It was in the 70's. So I got a February ride in. (I have to mention bikes somewhere. This is a blog about PALM after all.)
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Safe Cycling for Adults from the NHTSA
Our first cycling video comes to us from the LAB and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It provides us a general overview of safe cycling on the road:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdrrxIpQpt4&playnext=1&list=PL20CCC0D547D6115C&index=10
And, from a real Road 1 (now Taffic 101) class, is a little more detail on the ABC Quickcheck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VziOIkNXsE
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdrrxIpQpt4&playnext=1&list=PL20CCC0D547D6115C&index=10
And, from a real Road 1 (now Taffic 101) class, is a little more detail on the ABC Quickcheck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VziOIkNXsE
As always, let me know if you have any questions.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Bike Videos
Now that the PALM registration rush has finished, it is time to start thinking about preparing for the ride itself.
To start, here again is the link to the Traffic 101 on-line course that contains most of the material that I will be covering during the PALM evening classes: http://www.bikeed.org
This free course is endorsed by the LAB and will give you the basics of safe cycling.
I plan on posting links to various bike safety and maintenance videos over the next few months. If you have any requests for a particular aspect of cycling, please let me know.
To start, here again is the link to the Traffic 101 on-line course that contains most of the material that I will be covering during the PALM evening classes: http://www.bikeed.org
This free course is endorsed by the LAB and will give you the basics of safe cycling.
I plan on posting links to various bike safety and maintenance videos over the next few months. If you have any requests for a particular aspect of cycling, please let me know.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Winter Continues
How did you fare in the storm of the century last Tuesday night? Here the storm got as much coverage as the Super Bowl, starting days before the event. The storm was pretty spectacular: the sound of sleet/ice hitting the side of our house woke us up at 2AM. (How can it sleet when the outside temperature is 20?). And we had loud thunder and lightning which my dog didn't understand at all. But where I live in SE Michigan we only got 6-7 inches of snow. A bad snow storm but one of several we usually get during the winter. For the last couple of years Washington DC has gotten worse snow storms then we've gotten. What it has been is cold. Not below zero or even single digits, but many, many days were the high hasn't reach 20. I run outside during the winter and I can tell you that that wears on you.
After all the publicity everyone was prepared to not go to work on Wednesday. Where I was lots of people were going to work from home which, with the internet, they could do. But I was just starting at a new contract job so that wasn't an option for me. And since this is Michigan missing a day's pay wasn't really an option either. After digging out I was prepared for a long commute. The roads were a mess but there was no one on them so I even got to work on time. Traffic was even lighter on the way home at night.
All of this leads up me to telling you that Vickie is processing your applications in Florida. While you may be cold and housebound, your applications are warming in the sun as Vickie checks them over and fills out the sheets for our accountant. They are still warm when they get to me but the confirmation letters you will be receiving will be cold. I produce those and I'm still here. I will be going down to Florida next weekend to see what all the fuss is about so I'll be able to report to you whether it's worthwhile to go to Florida or not.
Meanwhile my garden is under a foot of snow and my compost heap is frozen solid. If I had mixed the right proportion of 1 part nitrogen to 2 parts carbon, the compost heap would have had an internal temperature of over 100 degrees and would not be covered with snow. It looks like I need some work on that. The snow has been there so long that it's hard to get motivated to look at the Johnny's Seed Catalog let alone start planning where to plant what. Maybe a weekend in Florida will make me believe that there is a spring. Until then all I have are these PALM applications to remind me.
After all the publicity everyone was prepared to not go to work on Wednesday. Where I was lots of people were going to work from home which, with the internet, they could do. But I was just starting at a new contract job so that wasn't an option for me. And since this is Michigan missing a day's pay wasn't really an option either. After digging out I was prepared for a long commute. The roads were a mess but there was no one on them so I even got to work on time. Traffic was even lighter on the way home at night.
All of this leads up me to telling you that Vickie is processing your applications in Florida. While you may be cold and housebound, your applications are warming in the sun as Vickie checks them over and fills out the sheets for our accountant. They are still warm when they get to me but the confirmation letters you will be receiving will be cold. I produce those and I'm still here. I will be going down to Florida next weekend to see what all the fuss is about so I'll be able to report to you whether it's worthwhile to go to Florida or not.
Meanwhile my garden is under a foot of snow and my compost heap is frozen solid. If I had mixed the right proportion of 1 part nitrogen to 2 parts carbon, the compost heap would have had an internal temperature of over 100 degrees and would not be covered with snow. It looks like I need some work on that. The snow has been there so long that it's hard to get motivated to look at the Johnny's Seed Catalog let alone start planning where to plant what. Maybe a weekend in Florida will make me believe that there is a spring. Until then all I have are these PALM applications to remind me.
Monday, January 31, 2011
PALM Meeting / Registartion Starts
Last Sunday Jan23 was the PALM meeting, Everyone was amazed by how quickly PALM filled up this year. We are using the postmark on the application to determine whether the application made it on time or not. If the application is postmarked Jan 18 or earlier, the application was accepted. With this date we accepted 783 riders and 69 staff (including site people, SAGs, bike shops, truck drivers, etc.). Since the meeting a few more applications postmarked Jan 18 have trickled in. As it stands now, we'll have over 850 people on PALM. So much for the 700 rider cutoff. We trying to determine if the this year's sites can handle the extras. So far it looks like there is enough camping room, but one site's cafeteria can only hold 250 people. We may have to go with extended meal times.
There was a discussion on how we can guarantee that everyone gets the application at the same time. US mail, even 1st class US mail, isn't the answer. One staff member who lives 40 miles from Ann Arbor didn't receive his application until Jan 18 even though it was mailed Jan 13. We have riders who are in Florida, Arizona, and Alabama when the applications are mailed. It takes days for them to receive their applications. Mailing the application a day early wasn't enough. Then there's the MLK holiday. If you got your application before the holiday, it gave you some extra time to fill it out. If you didn't get your application before the holiday, you were dead. We are still trying to figure this all out.
I do the final step of registration which includes mailing out the confirmation letters. I got applications for 8 people at the meeting so that I could check out my programs for this year. It took me a couple of days to enter these applications. Now I'm just 850 behind. Ah well, a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.
There was a discussion on how we can guarantee that everyone gets the application at the same time. US mail, even 1st class US mail, isn't the answer. One staff member who lives 40 miles from Ann Arbor didn't receive his application until Jan 18 even though it was mailed Jan 13. We have riders who are in Florida, Arizona, and Alabama when the applications are mailed. It takes days for them to receive their applications. Mailing the application a day early wasn't enough. Then there's the MLK holiday. If you got your application before the holiday, it gave you some extra time to fill it out. If you didn't get your application before the holiday, you were dead. We are still trying to figure this all out.
I do the final step of registration which includes mailing out the confirmation letters. I got applications for 8 people at the meeting so that I could check out my programs for this year. It took me a couple of days to enter these applications. Now I'm just 850 behind. Ah well, a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Alternatives To PALM
As many of you know, PALM filled very quickly this year, and we have turned away a large number of potential riders. I think that PALM is a fairly unique ride in that we keep most of our daily distances to a maximum of about 50 miles, and we try to have a ride that appeals to a wide variety of ages and abilities. However, there are other rides in Michigan and our surrounding states that you might decide to try as an alternative to PALM. I will list some of them in this blog entry, and you can get details by checking out the web sites. As far as I can determine, these rides are not filled as of the end of January.
The Great Ohio Bicycle Adventure. www.goba.com. June 18-25, a 7 day loop ride. From what I have been told, this ride attracts the same variety of participants as PALM does. Like PALM, each year GOBA follows a different route, and this year's ride is flat to rolling and takes place in central Ohio. The 7 days include 5 riding days of 45-60 miles each, with 2 layover days that include optional loop rides or alternate activities including a trip to the Columbus Zoo and the U.S. Air Force Museum. The ride limit is 3000, and the fee does not include meals. GOBA has an excellent web site, with lots of details about the ride and an excellent rider handbook.
Across Ohio Bicycle Adventure (XOBA). July 23 to July 30. www.outdoor-pursuits.org/xoba/ The ride is limited to 250 participants and provides limited sag service. This year's route will travel through western Ohio, with flat to rolling terrain. The daily distances range from 52 to 70 miles, with a total of 444 miles.
Rides sponsored by the League of Michigan Bicyclists. www.lmb.org. The League sponsors several rides, including the Pedal and Paddle on June 4-5 and the Sunrise Adventure October 7-9. Their other 2 rides all have longer days and challenging hills.
If you want even more options, you can go to www.nbtda.com, and search for rides all over the country.
Another option for trips that involve several days of cycling and are based at a hotel or conference center are available from the Road Scholar organization (formerly called Elderhostel). These programs are for mature adults, and most participants in the bicycling programs range in age from 45-70. So these are not options for families. I have participated in each of the programs listed below, and I enthusiastically recommend all of them. Check out the details and dates at www.roadscholar.org. You can also email me at www.palmbiketour@yahoo.com if you want to know more about these programs.
Program #13922RJ. Bicycle Through Amish Country. Rides of 20-40 miles each day on the flat, quiet country roads in northern Indiana.
Program #9947RJ. Bicycling on the Great Allegheny Passage. Bike a 30-40 mile section of this beautiful rails-to-trail route south of Pittsburg each day.
Programs #13329RJ and #13306RJ. Biking the C & O Canal Towpath. Bicycle sections of this bike path that stretches from Washington, DC to Cumberland, MD.
We sincerely hope that all of you find a biking adventure that you can enjoy in 2011, and we hope that you will be able to join us on PALM in 2012.
Ellie, PALM Mail Granny
Sunday, January 23, 2011
PALM 2011 Has Filled
On Saturday we had 61 riders, on Tuesday we had 330 riders, on Wednesday we had 630 riders, and on Thursday, Jan 20, we received the applications for 143 more riders. PALM for 2011 has filled. There is still some discussion but it looks like if your application has a postmark of Jan 18 or earlier you are on, otherwise you are not. This will bring the total number of people on the ride to about 780. (This doesn't include staff, SAGs, and truck drivers). Our cutoff is 700 riders so this puts us well over the cutoff even if 50 riders cancel.
PALM is run by an all volunteer staff who do it because we love PALM. It is hard for us to turn anyone away from PALM, something we love. 700 riders is about the limit that the schools we use can handle. Any more and it is long meal lines and cold showers for sure. When PALM started, it used to have a northern and southern route and had over 1000 riders. It was chaos. It was hard to find (volunteer) staff who could run the extra 4 sites. It doubled everything including the chance of something going wrong. I do the registration now and I can tell you that not that many people did PALM more than once in those days, leading me to believe that the rider experience was not that great. Now there are lots of people who do PALM 3, 4 or 5 times even entire families. The PALM experience seems to be a lot better. So 700 is not an arbitrary cutoff instead it's the maximum number of riders that experience has shown us that we can handle and still deliver a good rider experience.
So the best that we can hope for is to give everybody the same chance to get on PALM. This year I staggered the mailing. I sent the applications to the out of state and West Michigan riders a day early. I hoped that everyone would receive their applications by Jan 15. (I have already heard from people who didn't.) I put the application on the website on Jan 15 (at midnight) so that if you didn't have an application mailed to you (or didn't receive it yet) you could download it. And we are hoping to use the postmark on the applications we receive to figure who is on and who is not. This would be fairer for out of state and West Michigan riders.
For the people who didn't make it onto PALM this year, you will be receiving your checks and our regrets next week. We know you won't be happy. We are not happy if we can't do PALM. Try not to call the PALM phone number and complain to Ellie. She's on the DL and may not be able to do PALM herself. As I mentioned before, Vickie and Ellie are contacting everyone who is on the ride to tell them they made it. It will be weeks before they receive their confirmation letters and this will cut the suspense.
One final word: PALM does not have a waiting list. Instead we accept more than our cutoff (we'll be accepting 780 this year) and pray that enough people cancel to get us down to a number we can handle. Thank you for your interest in PALM.
PALM is run by an all volunteer staff who do it because we love PALM. It is hard for us to turn anyone away from PALM, something we love. 700 riders is about the limit that the schools we use can handle. Any more and it is long meal lines and cold showers for sure. When PALM started, it used to have a northern and southern route and had over 1000 riders. It was chaos. It was hard to find (volunteer) staff who could run the extra 4 sites. It doubled everything including the chance of something going wrong. I do the registration now and I can tell you that not that many people did PALM more than once in those days, leading me to believe that the rider experience was not that great. Now there are lots of people who do PALM 3, 4 or 5 times even entire families. The PALM experience seems to be a lot better. So 700 is not an arbitrary cutoff instead it's the maximum number of riders that experience has shown us that we can handle and still deliver a good rider experience.
So the best that we can hope for is to give everybody the same chance to get on PALM. This year I staggered the mailing. I sent the applications to the out of state and West Michigan riders a day early. I hoped that everyone would receive their applications by Jan 15. (I have already heard from people who didn't.) I put the application on the website on Jan 15 (at midnight) so that if you didn't have an application mailed to you (or didn't receive it yet) you could download it. And we are hoping to use the postmark on the applications we receive to figure who is on and who is not. This would be fairer for out of state and West Michigan riders.
For the people who didn't make it onto PALM this year, you will be receiving your checks and our regrets next week. We know you won't be happy. We are not happy if we can't do PALM. Try not to call the PALM phone number and complain to Ellie. She's on the DL and may not be able to do PALM herself. As I mentioned before, Vickie and Ellie are contacting everyone who is on the ride to tell them they made it. It will be weeks before they receive their confirmation letters and this will cut the suspense.
One final word: PALM does not have a waiting list. Instead we accept more than our cutoff (we'll be accepting 780 this year) and pray that enough people cancel to get us down to a number we can handle. Thank you for your interest in PALM.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Warning: PALM is Filling Fast
I tried to stagger mailing the applications so that everyone would get their application by Saturday Jan 15. That would mean that today would be the first day we could expect to receive applications back. As of today we have received applications for 330 people. If you plan on riding PALM, please tell me that you have already mailed your application to us. Two more days like today and the ride is filled. If you received an application and want to be on PALM, fill it out and mail it tonight. If you haven't received an application yet, click www.lmb.org/palm/files/PALMApp2011.pdf, download an application, fill it out, and mail it tonight. Call your friends and tell them to do the same.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
2011 PALM Site Addresses
This year's PALM sites are
Ludington - Saturday
Ludington High School
508 N. Washington Ave
Ludington, MI 49431
Hesperia - Sunday
Hesperia High School
96 South Division
Hesperia, MI 49421
Big Rapids - Monday
Big Rapids Middle School
500 North Warren
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Clare - Tuesday
Clare High School
306 Schoolcrest
Clare, MI 48617
Bay City - Wednesday
John Glenn High School
(Bangor Township Schools)
3201 Kiesel Road
Bay City, MI 48706
Bad Axe - Thursday
Bad Axe High School
200 Barrie Road
Bad Axe, MI 48413
Harbor Beach - Friday
Harbor Beach High School
402 South 5th Street
Harbor Beach, MI 48441
Ludington - Saturday
Ludington High School
508 N. Washington Ave
Ludington, MI 49431
Hesperia - Sunday
Hesperia High School
96 South Division
Hesperia, MI 49421
Big Rapids - Monday
Big Rapids Middle School
500 North Warren
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Clare - Tuesday
Clare High School
306 Schoolcrest
Clare, MI 48617
Bay City - Wednesday
John Glenn High School
(Bangor Township Schools)
3201 Kiesel Road
Bay City, MI 48706
Bad Axe - Thursday
Bad Axe High School
200 Barrie Road
Bad Axe, MI 48413
Harbor Beach - Friday
Harbor Beach High School
402 South 5th Street
Harbor Beach, MI 48441
Download the 2011 PALM Application NOW
We staggered the mailing dates of the application this year so that everyone would receive it at the same time. We were hoping that by Saturday Jan 15 you and everyone else would have received the 2011 PALM application. If you haven't, download it from www.lmb.org/palm/files/PALMApp2011.pdf now. Remember Monday is the MLK holiday and no mail is delivered. Don't wait to see if you will receive it on Tuesday. We expect that a lot of riders will mail their applications over the weekend and that we will receive a lot of mail on Tuesday. Don't be late. If you want to be on PALM, download the application, fill it out, and mail it now.
Vickie reports that we received the first completed applications on Friday and that we received 36 applications on Saturday. So far we have 61 registrants. The last two years we filled very quickly, 8 days (over the MLK holiday) in 2010, and less than 2 weeks in 2009. But it took us until March or April to send out all the confirmation letters. Registration is a two step process. First Vickie verifies the applications: are all the waivers signed? Is there an emergency contact? If there are minors on the ride without their parents, do we have the parent's signed permission and is there a sponser for the minor? Are the t shirt sizes marked? Is the total amount correct? Is there a check and is it correct? Over 10% of the applications have errors. (Last year we got an application where the rider's name was not filled in.) Every application with an error means that Vickie has to contact the sender by email, phone, or snail mail. Then she sends them to me. I enter them, create the confirmation letters, and the meal, tshirt, jersey, and bus counts. The program I use is not web based, it is a single user program on my computer. We are volunteers: cheap but we have other lives. When it took months for PALM to fill up, all of this was not a problem. But now that we fill up in days and it takes weeks (or months) for confirmation letters to go out, this is a problem.
To address this, when Vickie and Ellie open the applications this year to determine the rider count (and whether we have filled or not) they are going to contact sender to tell them we have received their application and that they are on PALM. So you will know weeks before you receive your confirmation letter that you are on PALM. You can help by including a current email with your application. Please be sure that it's legible. If you have no email, they plan to call you. We hope that this will save a lot of worried emails and phone calls.
Vickie reports that we received the first completed applications on Friday and that we received 36 applications on Saturday. So far we have 61 registrants. The last two years we filled very quickly, 8 days (over the MLK holiday) in 2010, and less than 2 weeks in 2009. But it took us until March or April to send out all the confirmation letters. Registration is a two step process. First Vickie verifies the applications: are all the waivers signed? Is there an emergency contact? If there are minors on the ride without their parents, do we have the parent's signed permission and is there a sponser for the minor? Are the t shirt sizes marked? Is the total amount correct? Is there a check and is it correct? Over 10% of the applications have errors. (Last year we got an application where the rider's name was not filled in.) Every application with an error means that Vickie has to contact the sender by email, phone, or snail mail. Then she sends them to me. I enter them, create the confirmation letters, and the meal, tshirt, jersey, and bus counts. The program I use is not web based, it is a single user program on my computer. We are volunteers: cheap but we have other lives. When it took months for PALM to fill up, all of this was not a problem. But now that we fill up in days and it takes weeks (or months) for confirmation letters to go out, this is a problem.
To address this, when Vickie and Ellie open the applications this year to determine the rider count (and whether we have filled or not) they are going to contact sender to tell them we have received their application and that they are on PALM. So you will know weeks before you receive your confirmation letter that you are on PALM. You can help by including a current email with your application. Please be sure that it's legible. If you have no email, they plan to call you. We hope that this will save a lot of worried emails and phone calls.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Thaw and PALM applications
I did do a 10 mile ride on December 31 and then did the First Dozen in Dearborn on January 1. The thaw melted all the snow and ice. I got to see that the grass still has some green in it and to finish putting my garden to bed for the winter by pulling the last of the greens and tiding up my compost heap. So I got a December and January ride in on the only two days above 40. Then on January 2 back to winter The low last night was supposed to be 2, but we were shown mercy and it's actually 13. Imagine being greatful that the temperature is 13. Michigan.
Yesterday I sent the mailing list for the PALM applications to the printer. I included everyone who sent me an address up to January 8, 5:00PM. You can still send me your mailing addresses but now I'll have to address and mail them out myself. And I'll have to get some applications from the printer to do this. Your best bet on getting a 2011 PALM application is to wait until January 15 when I'll post a link to it on our website and in this blog. Download the application, fill it out, and send it in. Our next PALM meeting is Jan 23. If the same thing happens this year as happened last year, we could be just about filled by then.
By the way the mailing list contained 3585 addresses of which 892 have never done PALM, ie the list contains 2693 people who have done PALM at least once. Last year we added 283 new addresses to the mailing list. We'll send people applications for 7 years before they are dropped from the list unless they do PALM. If you have ever done PALM, you are on the address list forever, ie until the post office returns the application as undeliverable or you ask to be removed.
Yesterday I sent the mailing list for the PALM applications to the printer. I included everyone who sent me an address up to January 8, 5:00PM. You can still send me your mailing addresses but now I'll have to address and mail them out myself. And I'll have to get some applications from the printer to do this. Your best bet on getting a 2011 PALM application is to wait until January 15 when I'll post a link to it on our website and in this blog. Download the application, fill it out, and send it in. Our next PALM meeting is Jan 23. If the same thing happens this year as happened last year, we could be just about filled by then.
By the way the mailing list contained 3585 addresses of which 892 have never done PALM, ie the list contains 2693 people who have done PALM at least once. Last year we added 283 new addresses to the mailing list. We'll send people applications for 7 years before they are dropped from the list unless they do PALM. If you have ever done PALM, you are on the address list forever, ie until the post office returns the application as undeliverable or you ask to be removed.
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