As we arrived early Saturday morning at the bike shop, the 6:00 AM sky was black and full of rain, mixed with snow. Our hearts initially sank when we found that someone had put a lock on the gate that we didn't have a key to open. But determined as we were, we pushed Duane over two barbed wire fences, and through the community center to get our bikes and gear loaded. John showed up early and excited, and then picked up Josh and his bowl of oatmeal shortly after. We were only missing Scooter, whose concerned parents decided to keep him home due to his asthma and the brisk, wet, and cold weather. Good choice!
 We got on the road, and it continued to look like a dreary day. The trees were full of ice, and the temperature had plummeted to a level that was sure to freeze our hands permanently to the handle bars. Josh was half awake, and John fell asleep shortly after take off. Thank goodness for our fearless leader Duane, who drove us safely to the start of the race.
Upon arrival, we thought we were going to have to merely watch the race this time around as we were at least 20 minutes late for the start of the Slush Cup. But the wonderfully gracious and accomodating folks at the Iceman Commeth took the time to run us out to the starting point and allowed the kids to race. After getting such a late start and needing to do some catch-up, Duane and Josh raced off into the distance and left John and I to tackle his first competetive 8 mile mountain bike race. We didn't see them again until after the finish. |
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Student Spolight on Scooter |
 Ask anyone that works regularly at the TMI bike shop about Scooter, and you will hear great things. Scooter Logins has been hanging around The Motion Initiative since our first days in the parking lot of Hillcrest Church. Since then, he has proven himself to not only be an awesome young man, but also a valuable asset to the program!
Scooter shows up on time, is polite, fun to be around, learns quickly, and loves bikes! When I asked him what he wanted to be when he gets older, he answered me quickly "a bike mechanic!" Scooter says he likes the bike shop because it gives him a place to go, he likes the volunteers, and he likes to fix bikes. He is proud to say that he now knows how to do a full tune up!
Scooter seems to be shining in a lot of arenas these days. He attends Westwood Middle School, where he is maintaining a B+ average. Something his mother Johnnie attributes directly to his involvement in the community center and their tutoring and mentoring program. He says his favorite subject is math, but he also likes art, reading, science, and geography. |
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By: Eric Smith
 With the autumn color orchestra playing at full volume, we unloaded bikes in the church parking lot and occasionally glanced over to the field. We’re looking for a glimpse of the trails we have only heard of. But all we could see was a two-track leading over a grassy hill and diving into a forest of oranges and yellows.
Sunday was the TMI group ride. By the time we stretched, mounted up the bikes and left the parking lot, there were five kids from TMI, 5 volunteers, and several members of BVC who had helped bring this trail about, along with their kids and some others who showed up just because they heard about the event and were interested. My guess is that there were about 22 people involved! Nate took on pack horse duty and his jeep carried all of our food and extras down to the church’s campsite / picnic area in the middle of their 80 acres of wooded property. Once there, all of the kids quickly identified the single piece of trail that would give them the maximum chances of getting hurt and proceeded to go for it. It was right at the picnic area and consisted of a steep hill with a nice little pile of dirt at the bottom – just enough to catch a little air. Freddie must have hit that jump 25 times! The lead pastor of BVC, Mark, showed up and led us in prayer, thanking God for the ability to ride our bikes and to be present in and enjoy His creation. |
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Leaving at 6:00pm on Friday, 10/31/08 at Mill Creek Tavern, 3874 West River Drive NE in Comstock Park.
It's October and Halloween is almost upon us. PedalGR doesn't pass up an opportunity to visit some interesting sites in the city, so we'll be touring some of the north side's most frightening cemeteries, including the Veteran's, Washington Park, Greenwood, and Holy Cross.
After the ride, everyone is invited to stay and at the Mill Creek Tavern to party with the Western Michigan Mountain Biking Association
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