What's In A Name?

The MS Mountain Tour wrapped up on Sunday and thanks to all the pledges received, the event raised over $330,000.00 to help defeat MS.  That is nearly $1,000.00 per entrant and when you consider how difficult the tour itself is, I'm always surprised when some riders tell me that raising the donations is harder than the ride itself.  My favourite method is to offer bicycle tune-ups in exchange for a minimum $25.00 donation.

A person can always do the tour as an individual or as a team member.  I've done the tour both ways and belonging to a team is much more fun.  Although I must say that with the team I belong to - "Mike's Wheels of Justice (the forked-up version)", I rarely see my team mates except when I show up on both days and they are set up right at the start line, with the pink ribbon stretching across their proud chests and I'm showing up what I consider to be early and having to put my bike at the back of the pack.  Oh, I could join them at the front but I know that in no time at all, they'll be out of sight.


My team mates all rarin' to go



The name of our team strikes a certain resonance with me as most people know me as "Mike".  My wife and children call me Mike, my neighbours know me as Mike and my extended families call me Mike.  So the team name rings a bell as it were.  I get a kick out of the team names that are often emblazoned across the front and back of jerseys.  "Chain Gang" is a good one.   A ladies team called the "Menstrucycles".  Or the "Handlebar Moustaches", "So and So and the Sore Arses", "Double Track Slackers" or my favourite - "The Bad Apples"  - a team who studied nutrition together at the U of A.  They always have apple emblems made from craft foam somewhere on their persons or on their bikes and they all look like they're having a swell time.

To quote the David Wilcox song:  Some people call me a bad apple
                                                        Well I might be bruised but I still taste sweet
                                                         Some people call me a bad apple
                                                         But I might be the sweetest apple on the tree!