New England Classic

Today, May 1, starts National Bike Month.

Let’s all hope the weather finally makes a turn for the better. MassBike has a whole slew of things to do this month, something almost every day, no matter where you live.

Don’t miss the 12th annual Par-tay at Redbones on Monday, May 12 (benefits MassBike and NEMBA). Barbecue, beer and bikes: what’s not to like? Ride your bike, they have free valet parking for bikes. Or take the T (Davis Sq, red line). If you’re in a car, you’re on your own.

But one of the best things you can do to celebrate Bike Month is register for the New England Classic.

This week, the American Diabetes Association is encouraging people from around the country to make a difference by calling Congress and urging them to do much more to fight diabetes.

Please call 1-877-ADA-2008 today and urge your members of Congress to help the 20.8 million Americans with diabetes by supporting an increase in research and prevention funding for diabetes at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We need all the help we can get so please let your friends, family and co-workers know about this.  We need to make sure Congress understands the effect diabetes has on the lives of millions of people living with this disease.  For more info on Call to Congress, please visit our website at www.diabetes.org/calltocongress.

Want to do even more - register for the New England Classic and raise money to help fund ADA’s own research projects.  Have a great time riding your bicycle around New England while supporting this important cause.

Your help is really important.  Thank you in advance for your support.

April 22 will mark the 38th anniversary of Earth Day.    Earth Day signifies a growing commitment to environmental action and change. 

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has published their 7 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day.    Take a ride to celebrate one of America’s most unique recycling projects: the rail-trail.  It will be good practice for the New England Classic.

Patriot’s Day (sorry, Massachusetts and Maine only) is observed this year on Monday April 21. That’s also the day of the Boston Marathon. There is somewhat a tradition of cycling the marathon route before the race begins. We start at the finish line in Copley Square, go to Hopkinton, and return for a total of 52 Miles, 770 yards. It might be more of a circus than usual this year as Lance Armstrong has announced he’ll be running, so expect larger crowds. There are lots and lots of cyclists who do this ride! Come and join them, er, us. Yes, you have to go up Heartbreak Hill, but unlike the runners, you also get to go down! How great is that?

So if you’re interested in riding the marathon route on Patriot’s Day, post a message here or write admin {at} newenglandclassic {dot} org. We have to start sort of early because they close the last couple of blocks towards the finish line when the race starts (but the route remains open until the racers approach). The wheelchair race starts at 10:00.

Wear your TdC jersey!

1. Nearly one in ten American adults now has diabetes
2. Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death by disease in the United States
3. Diabetes is a chronic disease and has no cure
4. Each year, more than 80,000 people with diabetes undergo amputations
5. Diabetes can cause other serious health problems ranging from stroke, heart disease and kidney failure
6. The incidence of diabetes has increased by 61 percent since 1990 and continues to rise at an alarming rate
7. Approximately 20.8 million Americans have diabetes - including 6.3 million who don’t even know it
8. An additional 54 million people have pre-diabetes, putting them at great risk for developing type 2 diabetes
9. One out of every three Americans born today will eventually develop diabetes if present trends continue
10. More than $1 in every $10 spent on health care services in the United States is attributable to diabetes.  This translates to more than $132 billion direct and indirect healthcare costs

Riding the New England Classic will help us raise the much needed funds to help support the mission of the American Diabetes Association - to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. 

The New England Classic is a great ride for an important cause.  Please register today by clicking on the link to the right.

As part of the American Diabetes Association’s partnership with MassBike and the League of American Bicyclists, John Siemiatkoski will be teaching Enjoy Better Bicycling, from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9 in ADA’s Boston office, 330 Congress Street, Boston, MA.

Description: Off-bike lecture/discussion; free and open to the public. This course–which provides an overview of bike safety principles, tips for riding in traffic, maintenance and accessory advice, and more–is generally held on a weekday evening and is a prerequisite for Basic Bicycling Skills and/or Intermediate Bicycling Skills (Road I equivalent). Please RSVP by emailing bikeinfo@massbike.org to attend.

-John Siemiatkoski

Massachusetts Bicycle Coaltion - President, Board of Directors

League of American Bicyclists - Cycling Instructor #1306

The American Diabetes Alert Day is a one-day, “wake-up” call to inform the American public about the seriousness of diabetes. The American Diabetes Association encourages people to take the Diabetes Risk Test and find out if they are at risk for developing diabetes. Observed on the fourth Tuesday of every March, the 20th annual American Diabetes Alert Day is Tuesday, March 25, 2008.

Why is Diabetes Alert Day important?

• Nearly 21 million children and adults in the U.S. have diabetes
• One-third of those or more than six million do not know they have diabetes
• One in five Americans is at risk for developing type 2 diabetes

For many, diagnosis may come seven to ten years after the onset of the disease. Therefore, early diagnosis is critical to successful treatment and delaying or preventing some of its complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke, amputation and death.

Everyone should be aware of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. People who are overweight, under active (living a sedentary lifestyle), and over the age of 45 should consider themselves at risk for the disease. African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and people who have a family history of the disease are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. 

What is the Diabetes Risk Test?

On Diabetes Alert Day, the American Diabetes Association will “Sound the Alert” about the dangers of diabetes. People are encouraged to take the Diabetes Risk Test. The risk test requires users to answer seven simple questions about weight, age, lifestyle and family history — all potential risk factors for diabetes. People scoring 10 points or more are at a high risk for type 2 diabetes and are encouraged to see a health care professional for further evaluation. 

 Don’t you just love it when your friends and colleagues are amazed you’re going to ride 150 miles in two days or 550 miles in a week?

 Well, don’t tell any of those people but there’s a Scottish cyclist who’s put us all to shame. Last month, Mark Beaumont shattered the record for cycling around the world, pedaling 18,000 miles in just 195 days. That’s no typo, he did it in 195 days, besting the previous record of 276 days.

Let’s put that into New England Classic perspective. The mileage Beaumont racked up on his Tour de World is the equivalent of riding 32-plus 7-day New England Classics or 120 two-day rides. At his pace, Beaumont was averaging 92.3 miles per day. If he traveled at our weekly pace of 550 miles, it would have taken him 224 days to circle the globe.

Now, if we’re going to look at his trek by the numbers, let’s measure him in terms of the most important NEC figures – fund-raising dollars. If Beaumont had pedaled to fight diabetes at the minimum rate of $1,800 per 550 miles, he would have raised $57,600 for the American Diabetes Association.

LET’S GET THIS GUY REGISTERED FOR THE NEC!

But don’t let all these numbers make you feel like the feat of completing the New England Classic pales in comparison to Beaumont’s accomplishment. Sure he traveled through 20 countries but let’s see him negotiate Kennebunkport while keeping an eye open for just the right gift shop or clam shack. And maybe he triumphantly crossed the finish line at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, but has he experienced the joy of arriving at UNH the first day of the NEC knowing an all-you-can-eat dinner awaits in one of New England’s finest college dining halls? I think not.

Rather than being blown away by all those miles Beaumont cycled, I say we take on a greater challenge. If we can get 125 cyclists to join the two-day NEC, collectively they alone would ride 18,750 miles, eclipsing Beaumont’s distance. Add 75 seven-day NEC riders pedaling a combined 41,250 and we rack up 60,000 miles, equal to more than three trips around the Earth.

And you want to talk about big numbers? If we put that many riders on the road, it’s quite possible to raise more than $275,000.

Impressed by Mark Beaumont? You ain’t seen nothing yet.    Register today.

What is the Diabetes EXPO you may ask? Well, it’s one stop shopping for everything related to diabetes, healthy eating and active living. This high-energy event is designed to provide you with access to product demonstrations, free product and food samples, knowledgeable health professionals, exiciting lectures, comprehensive health screenings, hands-on workshops and more. Not only that but you can visit us at the Tour de Cure display in ADA World. Come talk to us about the ride and the other New England tours.

The Diabetes EXPO will be held at the Seaport World Trade Center on Saturday, March 15 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Admission is free. Click here for the day’s schedule.

Mike Keating’s long lost video has resurfaced.

Hurray!

Mike wore a helmet cam through most of the 7-day 2004 tour. Here’s a 17 minute film that resulted.

Mike Keating, NEC 2004

Come and join the fun!