#dreamriders

[cyberxen]

Dreamriders laboratory by ~BorjaPindado

[thedreamprojectnj]

Brendan Checking In

Dreamers, We have completed 400 miles. There is a great deal of trust that comes with a week of riding. Since instituting a rotation with head navigator, we learned to accept each others personality traits, and trust the head navigator to lead us to our destination for the day. Any slight mishap could push us 10 to 20 miles too far west or east. We hit some brief bumps in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and enclosing darkness in a late night Fredricksburg, VA ride. Now that we are southwest bound from Richmond to Willamsburg, the going will be a tad bit easier (of course most of this is due to terrain, for our challenges continue to change from hills to temperature).

When working with a team, as we are now learning, you must learn everything you can about your teammates, how they eat, drink, and sleep. With close sleeping quarters and no where to run, we are forced to get to know each other, fortunately this is coming willingly from all Dream4TK members. We are preparing for our departure to Willamsburg tomorrow. I'll be talking to you again in North Carolina. Keep Dreaming,

Brendan

[thedreamprojectnj]

Rider Blog: Phil Lubik 

Long overdue, but so satisfying. I got to ride with Ramon Dompor, one of our co-marketing directors, in my first trail ride for the season.  

While I now have taken on road biking, I began my experience with bicycles as a trail rider.  I will never forget the guiding hand and watchful eye that first taught me how to ride a bike.  Since then I have never looked back.  In middle and high school, biking became my weekend stress relief and anti-drug.  Back home I ride at Nepaug State Forest, a trail system not too far from my house.  I’m headed back to CT tomorrow and will definitely have to spend a day or two (or three) back on those trails with the old gang.  

Ramon and I rode Six Mile Run in Franklin, NJ.  The ride is a very tricky “switchback” trail that had lots of twists and turns to keep us on our toes. Ramon got to hit a few jumps and I had a few good skinnies (log rides) that I got to try my hand at. And then as the sun set, we got to switch into night gear.  I’ve been on late afternoon and even twilight rides before, but never in the dark.  As the sun set, we were able to put on our headlamps and flashlights and keep pedaling.  

The trail was marked by reflective markers, which was OK until two of the markers moved.  Not knowing what we were looking at I was glad to see it dart away and see the brown side of a deer instead of the black of a bear.  After our hearts jumped we continued on. After a full 20 kilometers, we made it back safely to the car.  Overall, it was a good (and fun) training session on the bikes.  It also served as a nice transition from the road that I have and will see so much of this summer.  Tomorrow is a new day, gotta keep pushing and keep dreaming!