MATES Space

Google/Picasa Web Album MATES 08 Photos

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:01:31 GMT

http://picasaweb.google.com/markscook/MATES08

Hello Friends,

Cheryl and I, along with the remainder of the DOGS on our event committees, want to thank you for all of your kind words today and throughout the MATES 2008 weekend. Many of you made a special effort to find a serene moment to express your gratitude for the work that we did in preparation for and execution of the event. The weather, although a little hot on Saturday, genuinely cooperated to make it all feasible. However, what really made the weekend a success was you - the wonderful tandem teams who gather to share stories and toil along the asphalt together with smiles on your faces. We are grateful for the time that we got to spend with you. I sincerely hope that all of you encountered the opportunity to meet somebody new during the course of the weekend.

Above is a link to my Picasa Album web site where I was able to upload all of the photos that you submitted. David Kristol aptly uploaded, stored and arranged on my computer so that we can share them with you. Go to the web site and click on the "SLIDESHOW" button. The slide show timing is adjustable if you wish to make it go through the frames at a slower rate. Hover your mouse along the bottom of the page and adjust the number of seconds to that which appeals to you. Anyone who has other photos to share, let us know where you store them online.

Well, I'm off to sleep for the next 24 hours. Have to rest up for DOGS Equinox weekend, DOGS Camp & Ride on July 4th weekend and then ETR soon after that. We hope to meet up with you again very soon. At the very least, we intend to travel to Carlisle, PA for MaTES 2009. I thank you all, again, for working with me throughout the year to make this a wonderful weekend. Take care and stay healthy.

mark & cheryl

Final Details

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:51:16 GMT

6/10/08 Greetings to my favorite "mates",

How many of you have been out training in this 95+ degree weather in preparation for your MATES 2008 weekend? I am just shy of 2000 miles for the year as of tonight - nearly 800 behind the same date last year! I think MATES and going back to work is responsible!!!!!! Cheryl and I will be moving along at a moderate pace this weekend. We hope to ride a few moments with each of you.

We have two automobiles packed with gear and supplies. Our trip will begin on Thursday morning. Decided to get there a day early in order to take advantage of the opportunity to do set up/packet packing at the hotel. Those of you who also plan on arriving on Thursday, please make an effort to find us to pick up your packet of materials.

Now for important reminders::::: The event is slated to care for nearly 100 people - with 50 teams participating. Our original plans were to entice approx. 40 teams to come ride with us here in beautiful New Jersey. May I remind you that the conference rooms will not be available for bike storage. I ask you to please store your bikes in your rooms or in your vehicles. You may also place your bikes in the hallways where they are more than likely going to be safe. I have arranged for the use of both conference rooms, however, with drinks, snacks, and Saturday night entertainment, there will not bu sufficient room to store bikes as well. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Also, by this point, I hope that you've had an opportunity to download the booklet and ride files. Review them once again and print out the parts you will need to get you through the weekend. I urge you to STRONGLY consider taking on the MAIN, long ride to lunch on Friday in order to experience the full compliment of beautiful terrain that New Jersey has to offer. Friday and Sunday rides as well as the medium Saturday ride are primarily in the "Valley" and therefore devoid of any significant change in elevation. The MAIN Saturday ride contains some climbs and exhilarating descents. I've packed up my printer for use at the hotel in case any on you have difficulty printing out the ride sheets at home.

Cheryl and I will be monitoring our email and we also will carry the cell phone at all times in case you have a question or two. We hope to see the vast majority of you for the Friday Vineyard Tour (I'll have earned my glass of wine by then!!!!). Come find me in the conference room before we ride for your packets. Most of us will all meet by 7PM for ice cream and packet pickup in the conference room just down the hall from the front desk. Those of you who cannot make it to the social can meet up with Cheryl and me in the morning before we ride.

Let's ALL put forth the effort to make friends with, at least, one new couple this weekend. Safe driving to you all. See you soon.

Packing for MATES

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:23:18 GMT

JUNE 4 - Getting Closer

All the prep work for MATES 2008 laid the fabric for a wonderful weekend. Now, it is time to take care of the last minute details. The custom printed cycling socks arrived and look great in my opinion. It is time to begin putting together the welcome bag of materials. They will be available at the ice cream social between 7 & 9 PM at the hotel. If you have a room at the hotel and cannot plan on making it to the social to pick up your packet, let me know and I'll leave your bag in your room or at the front desk.

Friday 1PM Vineyard Ride Jersey Note: If you attended the 2006 ETR in Keuka Lake, NY, you received a beautiful "GRAPES & G.R.E.A.T.S" jersey. I'd like to suggest that those of you who have the jersey wear it for our Friday ride to visit the wineries.

Saturday Rides - For the main event rides, let's show our "colors" by wearing the jerseys associated with our home tandem clubs. I'd like to see all DOGS members in their club jerseys on Saturday.

Cheryl and I just decided to arrive at the hotel on Thursday. If you need anything from us from that point forward call my cell or leave a message at the hotel.

Now time to start packing..........!

June MATES Update - Duke Farm Release Form

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 20:49:16 GMT

June MATES Update - Duke Farm Release Form

The new month emerged today with fabulous riding weather. Yesterday, Cheryl and I snuck in a morning ride just before a huge lightning and thunderstorm chased us into our garage. Later we went out to BJ's Wholesale Club to add to our stash of supplies to keep the troops happy at the upcoming event.

On a more serious note, I now have the two-sided, release form from DUKE FARMS in an electronic format. All riders (captain and stoker) must print out the form, fill out and sign both sides. We are to bring along all these sheets accompanied by our payment of $12 to go to our tour guides.

The PDF file is available for download at the bottom of the page in the folder: RIDE SHEETS. I will also have copies at the hotel as well as a computer for those teams who prefer to fill it out during the weekend. See ya'all soon.

-msc-

MAY 23RD - KCSF

Fri, 23 May 2008 11:15:00 GMT

MAY 23RD - KCSF

Beautiful sunshine outside the window of our hotel this morning in Deleware. Cheryl and I making our way down to the Kent County Spring Fling this morning for a wonderful, 4-day event in Chestertown, Maryland. I know that some of your will be there. If so, make an effort to find us and say hello.

On the MATES front, I've confirmed with my DUKE farm representative all the details associated with the Sunday "ride and tour". Most of you have responded with confirmation that you will be able to attend. I'll have a release form specific for Duke Farms Security for all couples to sign.

Well, out for some riding. See you soon.

-msc-

Revised Ride Sheets - 5/17/08

Sun, 18 May 2008 01:24:01 GMT

Revised Ride Sheets - May 17, 2008

OK, everyone, as of today Cheryl and I combed over the ride sheets one last time. They are confirmed accurate so that you can ride confidently with complete confidence that you will be following the right path. Please download the file below, review and print out the ride sheets that you intend to use during the course of the weekend. There are two files - one in Excel format and one in PDF format.

-msc-

Ride Sheets Now Available in PDF as well as Excel Format

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:57:05 GMT

May 14, 2008

Cheryl and I are combing through all the necessary details associated with the upcoming MATES event. As of today, final confirmed ride sheets are available for download and printing. Please review the ride descriptions in the booklet file. Then download the ride file, print out the pages of rides that may interest you during the course of the weekend. Then try to remember to bring them with you. If you have any difficulty with downloading the file or printing it, contact me and we'll see if we can help you. As a fail safe, I'll have some copies with me at the event. I'll also have a computer and printer for any last minute printing needs. -msc-

LOOK FOR EMAIL SOON

Wed, 07 May 2008 02:25:20 GMT

MAY 6TH - FRIDAY AND SUNDAY RIDES

Event details are all beginning to fall into place. Ride sheets are complete and are in their final form. With all rides tested, I am confident that attendees will find them complete and accurate. Download them below for review. There are multiple options for rides on each day. Please be advised that in the interest of saving paper, you will NOT be receiving ride sheets in your personal packet.

Soon, everyone will receive an email requesting a commitment to the Friday Vinyard ride at 1PM and, more importantly, the Sunday ride to Duke Farms for the tour of the estate. Friday's ride will stop at two wineries. The wine at Amwell and Unionvill vinyards is superb, many of which are affordable. I've negotiated with one place to reduce the wine tasting fee in half and have yet to hear from the second. I'll be back with details soon. I WILL, however, need to know how many couples plan to do some sampling so that the vinyards can upgrade their staff appropriately.

Sunday's Duke Farm ride will be the cherry on top of the "sundae". I hope that every couple plans to attend. Again, I will need to know in advance who is going to ride with us that morning. Look for the email and reply to let me know your attentions for both days.

mark

Getting Closer

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:39:58 GMT

April 28th

Spent a lot of time working on rides the past couple of weeks. You can check out the latest version of the file by downloading it from the link below on this page. We still have room for some more couples. If you wish to attend, send me a note or call. Get ready for a fun filled weekend!

-msc-

"NO Socks For You!" (Seinfield reference)

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 01:35:08 GMT

April 14th - Socks Ordered. As of today - all socks are ordered. In order to get the order back to us in time for the event, we were required to get in our order promptly. Artwork is approved and check is in the mail. From this point forward, teams may continue to register to attend but they will not be receiving socks. The Hampton Inn will continue to offer rooms at the reduced rate as long as they remain available. From April 1st forward the unregistered rooms were released to the public.

mark

New GPS File Folder Added

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:49:35 GMT

April 14th - Garmin Ride Files

For teams who have Garmin GPS units for their bikes, I've created a file folder below with two files that contain the majority of tours that will be offered during the course of the MATES weekend rally. Be mindful that the files are NOT FINAL! I have recently determined how to make the properly follow the courses that I create in the accompanyine MapSource mapping software. If you ever experience problems with routing, the following are the steps that I utilize to make my GPS Map 60CSx:

Load all area maps onto the memory card

Use the routing tool to trace the route.

Download the route to the GPS

Under settings/advanced ensure that the type of transportation is set to "Bicycle"

Select "none" for "auto route recalculate"

Select the appropriate route on the routes menu

Ask it to Navigate.

Start riding.........

Files have an extension of .gdb for garmin units. I can also offer gpx files if they are helpful to anyone. Contact me personally for them.

mark

Extended Registraion Notes

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:53:22 GMT

April 12, SPECIAL MATES Registration Update

As of now, we have 42 committed teams registered for MATES 2008 in Flemington. The committee will retain open registration for a short time in an effort to entice a few more teams to come and enjoy the wonderful weekend we have planned. It is IMPORTANT to note that teams who register from this time forward will NOT receive the promotional cycling socks as part of the weekend package. We placed our order at the prompting of the factory so that we can have them produced in time for our event. We are now in the process of testing rides and constantly updating the information booklet. Both files are available to download at this time. However, please check back occasionally for the latest updates to the information contained therein.

mark

EXTENDING MATES Registration

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:07:13 GMT

MATES 2008 REGISTRATION REMAINING OPEN !!!!!!

Sunday Evening - Cheryl and I just returned from an equally exciting and challenging weekend at the ETR sponsored Eastern Tandem Off-Road Rally in the pine barrens of south Jersey hosted by Malcolm Boyd and Judy Allison. Seven teams participated representing an area from Rochester New York to Maryland. The mildly damp weather pattern we have been experiencing transformed the sand into a palatable mix permitting us to slalom the trees like olympic skiers. If you ever get a chance to ride full suspension tandems in challenging terrain - we highly suggest it!

Well, back to ON-road riding: Following a discussion with several members of the ETR board, we will extend the registraion period for this year's MATES a little longer in an effort to permit more couples to take advantage of the fine schedule of events we have planned for this year. If you know anyone in your circle of friends who are still interested in attending, please send them to this site for an application.

Keep an eye on the "FILES" section below and download frequently for up to the minute information on rides and event information.

-msc-

Closing Registration Soon

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:09:36 GMT

Event Registration for MATES 2008 is coming to a close. It is typically an event that is small and intimate in nature. We are at approximately 42 teams as of today. I plan to take as many as 45 after speaking to several couples this weekend at Mel and Barbara's Tandem EXPO here in southern Jersey. There are still some rooms at the Hampton Inn remaining. Call me on the phone (908-285-5834) if you would still like to attend and take one of the last couple of spots. Looking forward to seeing all of the registered participants soon. -mark-

Late-March Mates Report

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:28:15 GMT

Hello Tandem Friends,

The end of March signals a time to begin an increase in tandem riding time as well as an update for you of the administration of the MATES 2008 event. Event attendance is at 40 teams. We will accept only a couple of additional applications. Cheryl and I as well as the rest of the DOGS supported MATES committee members are definitely hard at work finalizing details. The rides are complete on paper and now require road testing. As of this time, we are scheduled to have a long Friday ride leaving the hotel at 1PM to head south into the rolling farmlands on an approximate 30 mile ride that has planned stops at two area vinyards. More details are to come later but we are likely to avail ourselves of the wine tasting and we'll attemtp to make arrangements for delivery of any product purchased to be delivered to the hotel. For those who arrive late on Friday and still wish to ride, the short Saturday route will be a good option.

Saturday's rides will include three options to lunch and two return routes back to the hotel. The main ride will take us up into the hills of Hunterdon County where we will nearly circumnavigate the Round Valley Reservoir. The main, long ride to lunch will cover nearly 50 miles before we gather for lunch at Hunterdon County's Deer Path park. The hotel is but a short ride from lunch or teams can opt for the longer ride in.

Sunday is the special day. I've been working very diligently with a representative from the famous Duke Farm estate in beautiful Hillsborough, New Jersey. The plan is to have an early breakfast at Perkins and then meet in the parking lot on our tandems at a specified time between 7:30 and 8:00AM for teh 15 mile ride to Duke Farms. We must all meet at the south gate where security witll let is into the compound. We'll meet our guides who upon their bikes will lead us on a one hour tour outlining many interesting features and historical points of the Duke Family. There will be an additional cost of $12 per couple payable in cash to the guides. Depending on the size of our group there will be approx. four guides. - splitting our group into two. Plan on adding a couple of dollars for a gratuity to offer our hosts at the end of our tour. We'll exit the compound and head back to the hotel. Some rooms will be left available for a quick post ride shower. However, we will be required to check out of our rooms before our morning ride.

As an added option, I have arranged with Perkins our catering host for the weekend, to have box lunches ready for you when your return from the Duke Farm ride on Sunday noon. For a fee of $10.50 your lunch will include a sandwich, an apple or banana and a cookie. The MATES committee will provide a cooler of drinks for the ride home.

Please return to this site and look in the folders below for the booklet which will contain all updated information as well as updated ride sheet files. I also hope to include the Garmin .GPX files for those of you with portable, on-bike units.

Conact me directly if you have any questions.

mark & cheryl

http://www.dukefarms.org/

End of 2007 Updates

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:57:23 GMT

MarkSCook

December 24th, 2007 - Christmas Eve - Approximately 10 miles from the Hampton Inn is a beautifl estate called - DUKE FARM. Mr. Duke, of Patty Duke fame, donated it upon his death. Inside the compound there exists a variety of flower gardens, imported trees, stone sculpture, fountains, water falls, and gazebos. I am attempting to work out the details for a Sunday morning excursions for tandem couples who are interested. We'll have to arise a little early, eat breakfast and get on our bikes by a certain time. The trek to the compound is over relatively flat terrain where we will meet our guide at a remote gate to the estate. Our guide will lead us over paved roads throughout the compound extolling the virtues of the estate for a time period of about an hour. We must exit the estate before it is time for the tourist buses take over the roadways inside the farm. Our group will then make the short trip back to the hotel where we can cleanup, pack the cars and head on home. There willl be an additional charge per team which will be negotiated in the deal. There will be a limit to the total number of teams. I suspect the top limit to be approximately 30 teams. I'll have more information in January after my contact works out the details to see if we can pull this off. I am very excited about the prospect. It should be a lot of fun as well as informative. Stop by soon for the latest information. -msc-

MarkSCook

December 15, 2007 - Sunday June 15th DUKE FARM TOUR UPDATE!

http://www.dukefarms.org/page.asp?pageId=4

Hello friends of MATES08. I've been in negotiations with the DUKE FARMS ESTATE to accept a proposal to provide us with a special event tour to accommodate our tandem group on Sunday morning. Plans are to rise early, eat some breakfast and ride the rural roads south of Rt. 202 approx 14 miles to the rear entrance of the estate. We will be greeted by security personnel and a guide who will invite us into the estate. Once inside, we will be treated to a tour of this special place on ur tandems. There will be an additional charge per couple for the activity. I will have additional information in January if I can pull this off. All participants will be notified via email. The tour is likely to be limited to approximately 30 couples. So plan on signing up early so as to not miss this special event. Examine the DUKE web site at the linke above for the history of the facility. mark & cheryl

December 15 9:42 AM
(http://MATES08.spaces.live.com/)

MarkSCook

December 9th - As of this date, the info is live on the ETR web site. Soon to be also linked on the D-O-G-S.org web site. Registration has begun - already have two entrants! Keep them coming. Let's go for a full 40 tandem teams this year. - msc

December 09 3:56 PM
(http://MATES08.spaces.live.com/)

MATES 2008 Invitation

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:01:11 GMT

Mid-Atlantic

Tandem EnthusiastS

The Eastern Tandem Rally, Inc would like to invite you to join us on the weekend of June 13,14,15 of 2008 to attend the MATES ’08 tandem cycling rally. This year we will be exploring central western New Jersey in and around the Flemington area. The routes are a combination of rolling farmlands and the longer rides venture up into the hills of Warren and Somerset Counties. The host hotel is the Hampton Inn in Flemington (link below) at the junction of Routes 31 and 202.

http://www.hamptoninn.com/en/hp/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=FMGNJHX

The area is very amenable to tandem riding and we like to have fun. This is a small, intimate event limited to 40 teams. Early registration is highly suggested.

Event hosts are Mark Cook and Cheryl Prudhomme with several additional couples from the Doubles of the Garden State on committee ( WWW.D-O-G-S.org ). For additional information contact them at markscook@gmail.com.

Look for registration materials and announcements on:

www.EasternTandemRally.org

Photo Album: MATES08Artwork

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:38:00 GMT

MATES08Artwork

MATES Socks

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SockGuy2

Photo Album: Mates08

Fri, 23 Nov 2007 23:53:15 GMT

Mates08

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