Post Cranksgiving Interview

After holding the first Cranksgiving in Philadelphia, Gary and CJ took the time to answer some questions about how and why they created this event, what they have learned and plans for the 2012 Cranksgiving. 

1) What was your inspiration for creating a Cranksgiving Ride in Philadelphia?

Gary: Our introduction to Cranksgiving was in York, PA in 2007 while CJ was attending Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster. Since both of us have an interest in cycling, he told me about the race, and so we went out and did it! It turns out this race was the first one being run in York. It was actually started by Tone, a former messenger from New York City who had moved to York and brought the tradition, running in New York City since 1999, with him! After having so much fun doing the race out in York for the past 4 years, and with CJ no longer going to school in Lancaster, we decided to bring the race to a common ground, Philadelphia. Unfortunately, hunger is a problem in many major metropolitan areas around the world, with Philly being one of them. The city is very lucky to have a great advocacy group like Philabundance, which made us proud to be able to support them with Cranksgiving!

CJ: I remember a lot of posts on various bike blogs around Thanksgiving about this bike race, "Cranksgiving". I found the national site (www.cranksgiving.org), and found out that York was having one! Since I went to school only about a half hour away, it seemed like a no-brainer to participate. I called up Gary, since we had gotten into cycling together, and he made the drive down. We had a lot of fun, and met the organizer, Tone, an ex-NYC messenger that had started the whole Cranksgiving tradition in New York in 1999. Turns out he had moved to York, PA earlier that year to settle down, but couldn't resist bringing Cranksgiving with him. That was back in 2007. Since then, every year, we had made the drive over to York to participate. And every year, Gary says, "We should really start one in Philly next year!" I bugged him about it a lot this year, because honestly, I didn't want to make the 2 hour drive to York. What better way to get around that than to have our own ride? No, but really....We definitely wanted to spread the Cranksgiving spirit. Tone had provided us with a lot of pointers and suggestions from his 10+ years of organizing Cranksgivings, so it actually seemed like a very do-able thing. I encourage anyone who is thinking about starting one in their own city to DO IT!

2) How many people participated?

Gary: In our first year, we had about 15 people who participated. Next year (2012) we are hoping to more than double that!

3) How many pounds of food were donated?

Gary: We collected 167lbs of food. The manifest specified six different food items to be collected, and the winner of the "Most Charitable" prize brought in 10 extra items!

4) With the temperatures in the 60's it was like spring. What is your secret for having such good weather the day of the ride?

Gary: As far as weather, we could not have been more lucky. In years past in York, PA, temperatures had been in the low 30's, which was brutal! Hopefully next year mother nature is just as friendly to us as this year.

5) Was there anything that stood out during the ride?

Gary: The nicest thing about the day, other than the fact that we collected close to 200lbs of food, was how nice the weather was. Also, the Philadelphia Marathon was the same day and snaked around Center City, and we got lucky with the timing of that event and how it coincided with the start of ours. Fortunately, the amount of interference between the two was minimal. Although, some of our riders ended up not being able use certain routes because they were still blocked off. All part of the challenge!

6) What was the most challenging thing you had to do to plan this ride?

Gary: As with any event like this, the most challenging thing was promotion. Unfortunately, we got a bit of a late start getting things together, so that made getting the word out tough. Most of the other planning, such as arranging the stores and items to be purchased, as well as arranging sponsors and collecting the prizes, went fairly smoothly.

7) If you could change something for the 2012 Cranksgiving what would it be?

Gary: A couple of things really. First... start planning earlier! We definitely could have gotten the word out to more people, as well as collected more/better prizes for the participants. We also have been thinking about a few tweaks in the way we'll be running the race. Finally, after doing the race for the first year, we learned a lot about a number of logistical issues that come with running an event, and we definitely have a lot we can apply to next years event.

CJ: Promotion, promotion, promotion. I want everyone to know about it! Get organized earlier, make up all the materials sooner, contact more sponsors, and just make sure that more people come out.

8) What kind of assistance do you need for 2012 and how can people contact you to help?

Gary: Tell your friends! Obviously we have the internet at our disposal for promoting the event via Facebook, message boards, etc... but the best way to get the word out there is just to tell your friends! This race is great because it's very laid back, the format of the race is a lot of fun, it's a great way to get involved with your community, and it supports an awesome cause. All that being said, we look forward to seeing you out there next year!

CJ: Just participate! And tell everyone! Post it on your Facebook, your cycling blog, your Myspace (hah), anything. Really, the great thing about Cranksgiving is that there is minimal preparation compared to other races and rides. The only other thing that we could use help with is sponsorship. It's always nice to have stuff to give out to riders. Of course, prizes take a backseat to the real purpose of this ride, which is to benefit a charity and help those less fortunate. Doing a good deed should be an award in itself! But anyways, if anyone needs to get a hold of us, we can be reached at: philly@cranksgiving.net. Soon we'll have an updated website with results and photos and everything, as well as post info for next year as it gets closer, but until then, send us an email and we'll definitely get back to you!

2011 Annual Bilenky Junkyard Cyclocross

Looking to take a break from all of the Christmas festivities, then come to the 2011 Annual Bilenky Junkyard Cyclocross on Sunday, December 18, 2011 from 10am to 4pm.

First started as a fun race, it has evolved into friendly competition. Held in a junkyard the course offers a range of surface conditions from paved to dirt single track so the course is a challenge for Cyclocross and Mountain Bikes. Along with some equally challenging barricades: ramps, tunnels, bridges, hurdles, running sections, and a seesaw. Weather is also a factor; the surface could be muddy, frozen, or covered in snow. What makes this a truly unique experience is that it’s held in a junkyard creating some rather unique course markers and adding the chance of flat tires due to debris.

Over the years the number of racers has increased and this year to improve safety and increase speed Bilenky Cycle Works is holding smaller heats to avoid bottlenecks at the obstacles. Which means a full day of racing for racers and spectators alike.

Make sure to bring plenty of cash; Chewy's Food Truck will be on site throughout the day providing breakfast and lunch. And of course there will be beer.

To find out more use this link to go to the Bilenky Cyclocross Facebook event page, you can also register as a racer here. At a cost of $10, if register in advance, this will be the most fun you can have on two wheels.

Want to get sense about what to expect, watch this video

Philly Cranksgiving - Sunday, November 20

Looking for a charity bicycle ride that doesn't involve pestering your friends, family, and coworkers for a donation or requires months of training. Then check out the 2011 Philly Cranksgiving, on Sunday November 20 at 11:30am. All you need to bring is a bicycle, a lock, a backpack or messenger bag, and $15.00 to make your purchases. Plus your knowledge of the streets of Philadelphia or a map. No entry fee required and all items will be donated to Philabundace.

Cranksgiving was first held in New York City in 1999. Each year it is held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving urban cyclists to socialize, compete, and enjoy themselves while also raising food for local soup kitchens or food pantries in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Since its beginnings it has been adopted by organizers in numerous cities in one form or another where all types of cyclists participate to have fun while benefiting a local charity.

Philly Cranksgiving requires you to navigate from Love Park to Tattooed Mom's on South St. You will be supplied with a manifest (shopping list) and purchase these items from check points (predesignated supermarkets), make sure to save the receipts as proof that you followed the route. The organizers have made a point that this is a ride and not a race, but there will be a reasonable time you must complete the course by.

Come and bring a friend, its a great ride and great test of your navigational skills.

Lock your bicycle - Winning

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It seems the only way to get the local media to report on the issue of bicycle theft is when it happens to one of their own, 6ABC reporter Brian Taff, we get an in depth report.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/video?id=8373535

After watching this video I can understand why Brian's lock got cut, it was never intended to be a primary lock in a city environment. It's the type of lock that could be cut with the scissors they used to give us in kindergarten. While its effective to lock a rim or a seat, I would never use it as a primary lock for any bicycle.

The error is compounded by the advice given by Lee Rogers, owner of Bicycle Therapy. Given the cost of replacing a rear wheel, a minimum of $140.00, I would never lock a rear wheel with any cable. All it takes it some bolt cutters, a little bit of muscle, and you have a set of rims.

But instead of pontificating, I would rather bring in an expert of my own, Hal Ruzal, founding partner of Bicycle Habitat. In 2003 Hal did a video where he walked the streets of Manhattan with a camera crew rating how well people had locked their bicycles.

This lead to to two more videos, the third leads off with Hal showing you how he locks his bicycle before he goes on a tour of the streets.

So what grade would you give yourself on how you lock your bicycle?

Fourth Annual Philadelphia Tweed Ride

Just like Sarah Palin's mythological Paul Revere I would love to ride through the streets of Philadelphia ringing church bells and shooting guns to alert everyone about the Fourth Annual Philadelphia Tweed Ride on Saturday, November 19 at 12:00. I'll just have to settle for writing about it in this blog.

What is a Tweed ride? Contrary to what you may be thinking the Philadelphia Tweed Ride is not a bunch of hipsters. Participants are a wide range of ages and backgrounds. A tweed ride is a return to a bygone era in England when families would dress in their best clothing, assemble a picnic lunch, get on the train with their bicycles and go out to the countryside. Riding their bicycles home.

What should I wear? Ideally your looking for Edwardian or Victorian era look. You don't have to dress in vintage clothing, with a little bit of creativity you can use modern clothing to create a vintage look. If your looking for inspiration use this link and scroll down to the Third Annual Tweed Ride and you'll find links to photo galleries of last years riders.

What kind of bike should I ride? Every bicycle and cyclist is welcome, of course if you have something that looks vintage, like a three speed or an British bicycle like a Brompton all the better. This is not Critical Mass and the ride organizers make it clear at the start that they expect everyone to obey the traffic laws. With the normal stop and go traffic in Philadelphia and the large number of cyclists that participate you'll never get lost. But be prepared to have people wave at you, because they do think it's some sort of parade.

Will there be other activities? In the course of the ride there is one stop at a local park. Where pipes are smoked, hip flasks are sipped, and don't be surprised if a croquet game starts.