The Lord Desireth Fine and Bountiful Sunshine Upon thy Pecker

It has been decided that from this moment on we will only speak of good weather. There will be no fretting about thunderstorms, no attachment of fenders, no internal debates about if you should ride the beater bike, no rationalizations about how you could just come for the cookout, no rummaging around for rain jackets, and so on.  We will still ride in the rain, of course, but we are not to think about it.

We will think only positive thoughts about global warming, ozone holes, UV warnings, skin cancer, heat exposure, and 3rd degree sunburn.
Hereby signed and decreed.
Mother Superior.

Getting to PeckerheadQuarters

It's pretty easy to find my house, but for the out-of-towners here are some links:

From NORTH of Mansfield on I71
From SOUTH of Mansfield on I71
From WEST of Mansfield on Route 30
From EAST of Mansfield on Route 30

See you on the 15th!

Or if that doesn't work, I live here:

Route Planning, or How to Get People Home Happy

Probably the most difficult thing about planning the Peckerhead Invitational is route selection.  The management considers many, many factors -- none of which exist in a vacuum.  Difficulty, beauty, humor, irony, rest, history, tradition... all are critical things we consider.  A route must be planned with the rider and the end in mind.  For the past several years, our desired end has been to have riders return happy, challenged, personally victorious, hungry, and ready to hang out for a while.  We stopped trying to kill people years ago.  Now, if you do stupid things and end up shattering yourself, well, your folly contributes to other intrinsic Peckerhead characteristics like suffering, ridicule, and humility, which of course are also extremely valuable.  But those are on you, friend.

Now back to the matter at hand.

"How do I want the rider to feel at this moment?", the management asks itself when we choose a road. Should you be challenged right here?  Should you be resting and recovering?  Where is the next water stop?  What type of rider will be on this road?  It all depends upon who you are, what came before and what road is yet to come.  Context. 

Choosing roads that are scenic and quiet is very important part of the overall context of a Peckerhead.  We want people to see the beauty of our area and have a chance to talk to one another.  We're hoping to show people roads they normally would never see, or funny stuff that we've found while out riding.  Later in the ride, while riders might be suffering, we try to mitigate that pain with beauty and well-placed resting spots.  When we do a good jobs, stuff connects up just right. Maps for the PKR.

Here are some quick shots of roads from this year's Peckerhead.  We think they're kinda pretty. 

What Can I Bring?

Fortunately, we are always answering this question.  We're lucky to have such a generous group of riders.  Here are the answers:

1.) You do not have to bring anything but your bike and a smile (shorts would be good, too.)

2.) If you want to contribute to the Peckerhead this year or in advance of next year, here's what we recommend:

SOMETHING TO SHARE
-Salads / appetizers are very popular.  Cool or room temp is best. 
-Beer or other recovery drinks are always appreciated.

DONATE TO COVER COSTS
If you can't cook or you just like to throw your money around, there's always the donation jar. Donations are optional.  We use them to help cover costs and put the remainder away for next year's edition.

-If none of these work, you can always do this.  I generally take a 58 cm.

If you have questions, call or e-mail me.

Jay

Possum Would Be Proud of Us

As most of you know, this edition of the PKR is being ridden in the memory of our friend and founding Peckerhead, Paul Leiter. For those of you who didn't know Paul, we wish you could have had the pleasure. He was -- and we know it's a cliche -- the nicest guy you ever met, an adventurer, and a great friend. Paul always wanted the PKR after his passing to be a big party celebrating all the things he loved. With that wish in mind, Paul's friends and family have  put together some special activities, mementos to that we hope share or inspire you to get on your bike. Here's what you should expect or may want to know.

1.) Through some generous donations pledges in Paul's name, every single mile ridden by every single Peckerhead will be matched with one dollar. If we ride 5690 miles altogether, we generate an equal amount of dollars. The final total will be donated in Paul's name to the Friends of the Little Miami Scenic Trail. The 78 mile Little Miami was where Paul spent most of his volunteer hours maintaining it for other cyclists. Riders are not required to donate anything except effort and energy riding as far as you can and remembering that this year you are doing some good. If you would like to contribute to the total, we will have a way to do so at the PKR.

2.) Paul rode across the United States several years back. On that trip he kept an entertaining and informative journal that he always intended to publish. In his memory, Paul's wife Ann has arranged to make that happen. Every rider will receive a bound edition of Paul's journal to take home with them. We hope you'll read that journal and be inspired to take more risks, have more adventures, and waste less time. That's what Paul would have told you to do.

3.) A World of Pain, a bike club from Delaware that is chock full of Peckerheads, took it upon themselves to make up some PKR socks. These will be available for purchase at the PKR. Eight bucks per pair, Two pair for fifteen. Fifty cents from each purchase will be donated back to the Friends of the Little Miami Scenic Trail.