PUT 2015 - All good things must come to an end.

Before wrapping up the 2015 blog series, I'd like to thank each one of my sponsors.  Your donations go to support the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial.  In times like these, support and recognition of law enforcement is even more important than in the past.

The candlelight vigil had more visible security and more media coverage than I remember.  Fortunately there were no protests and the evening was spent honoring those who died in the line of duty.

After the drive back to NJ with trucks and trailers,

I was back on an airplane home.

PUT 2015 - Day 4; Annapolis to the National Law Enforcement Memorial

Due to the ongoing unrest in Baltimore and the impact it is having on law enforcement staffing throughout Maryland, today's ride will be in busses and trucks and vans.  One group of the Unity Tour's ride goes directly through Baltimore and could potentially be a target for the protesters.  Because our ride from Annapolis depends so heavily on the local jurisdictions for help with road closures and other safety measures, our ride would also heavily burden the locals during a time when they need all the support they can get.  All the chapters that were supposed to ride through Maryland today are cancelling their ride and standing in Unity with local law enforcement.

We all got various rides to RFK stadium, our usual gathering place, to join up with all the chapters before the final few miles into the memorial.  Even though we weren't on bikes, we still got to help change a flat.

Once we got to RFK, everyone found their bikes and we got ready to ride to the memorial.  PUT founder Pat Montoure gave some inspirational words before we were led off by the survivors who were riding with us.

After arriving at the Memorial, we were able to track down Dave Baldwin's widow and get a group picture with her.  I also left the spoke card that I rode with at Dave's name on the memorial.

During the arrival ceremony, it was announced that the Police Unity Tour donated:

PUT 2015 - Day 3 Wilmington Del - Annapolis, MD

Each morning and at the end of every break, the ride marshals line up to try and get the riders to go out in an orderly fashion.  We aspire to ride 2x2, but that lasts about 2 minutes before the inevitable accordion effect of hundreds of cyclists slowing and accelerating brings about random chaos.  Fortunately we don't have too many wrecks from cyclists overlapping wheels or hitting each other.

After riding through downtown Wilmington, we leave big cities behind and head out to one of my favorite landscapes of the ride.  We weave our way across the open farmlands of the eastern shore of the Chesapeake.  Our first rest stop is at the David Lokey Center, a day facility for disabled adults.  We always love meeting with the clients and they always come up with some new ways to recognize what we do.

As beautiful as the landscape is, it can get windy, causing big breaks in the group and a lot of riders ending up in the sag wagon because they get caught out in the wind and can't make it back to the shelter of the main group.  It can be a big logistical nightmare when the trailers and sag wagons fill up, so we do what we can to keep the group together so we can meet the schedule for the road closures.

Despite the number that sagged, it was a good day of riding.  Temps in the 60s and 70s and 94 miles ridden before we bussed over the Chesapeake and into Annapolis.

PUT 2015 - Day 2 Somerset NJ - Wilmington Del. - No Mother's Day Mayhem

Day two started off a bit foggy and gloomy.  For an unusual change of pace, I rode near the front.  Since my first year I've gotten to opportunity to ride with the Officers who ride ahead to play Taps at Police Departments and Memorials along the way.  This year we rode by the New Brunswick Police Department to honor one of their fallen Officers.

The fog lifted and we had a fairly uneventful ride south through New Jersey.

We leave New Jersey via the Commodore Barry Bridge.  It's the biggest climb of the day, 292' feet over 2 miles...not really a climb, but the descent can be a bit dangerous because of bike tire eating expansion joints, so we're limited to about 8-10 mph.

Once out of New Jersey, we pass briefly through Pennsylvania before ending up at our homes for the night in the outskirts of Wilmington, Del.  Given the current political climate and anti-police rhetoric, it's especially nice to see folks out along the route giving us support.

Temps today went from the upper 50s to low 70s.

I logged 91 miles.  It was a good day to ride for those who died.

PUT 2015 - Day 1 East Hannover NJ-Somerset NJ

We Ride for Those Who Died.

Sergeant Dave Baldwin, Jefferson County Sheriff.  EOW January 26, 2014

Husband, Father, Mentor, Friend.

When I wrote a while ago about spring training in the rockies and thinking that the snow only fell on my weekends, the glorious thing about "Winter" in Colorado is that it can dump snow one day and be good riding weather the next.  Dave was working on his patrol motor on one such beautiful January day.  He was patrolling Highway 93, a stretch of road that has it's own bumper sticker:  Pray for Me, I Drive 93.  The road is known for heavy winds, blowing snow, and realllllly aggressive drivers.  It's the quickest route between Boulder and Golden and is only one lane each way, with some short two-lane sections to allow drivers to pass.  Dave spent a lot of time patrolling this road for aggressive drivers.  On January 26 he was struck, head-on, and killed by a driver making an illegal pass.

Our usual start is at the same place, just another name, the Ramada that has been our home away from home was bought out an is now a "FairBridge Inn"  Miami Mikes remains the same as it ever was.

A sign of the times

Despite all that makes the news, it's always awesome to see all the public support we get along the way.

Stats for the day:

Temps in the 50's

Mile ridden:  43

PUT 2015 - And so it begins

As has been my practice in recent years, I've flown out about a week before the ride to help out with all the last minute details to help the ride go smoother.

 

The FedEx driver won't need to go to the gym for a month after moving all these bike boxes around.

Hundreds of riders, motors and support all need luggage tags and welcome packets.  That's about a two day job.  

You know it's getting close to go time when the Refrigerated trucks are rented and are getting filled with pallets of sports drinks, water and snacks.

And then it's really about time to go when the last minute washing and detailing of trucks, trailers and motors is underway.

PUT 2015 - May Day Ride

The Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial holds a ceremony every year on the first Friday in May.  Since I've been going out to NJ early for the PUT in recent years, I don't always get to attend this ceremony.  Fortunately the first Friday happened to fall on May 1 this year and I was able to go.  In the early years of my PUT participation it was either just me arriving on bike, or a small handful of riders that has grown over the years.  This year the group of  PUT and Tour De Force and other riders started off from Aurora PD headquarters and headed west to Golden.

PUT 2015 - Spring Training ride for OPD

Over the past couple of years I've noticed a trend.  I might be a little over sensitive, but it seems like it only snows on my weekends.  Which would be great for skiing, but not so great to get ready for a 300 mile bike ride in early May.  Good thing I can livestream and watch re-plays of the spring races in Belgium and Italy.

Occasionally though, there's a break in the weather when it's neither snowing, nor blowing, so a good road ride will start with a little hike-a-bike down do the road.

The shoulder's are pretty well plowed, but pretty sandy. 

 And the selfie view of the Continental Divide it pretty nice too.

But the most important part of today's spring training ride is the number on the bike computer.  Today I rode 32.1 miles.  321...not like a countdown 321, but 03/21.  03/21 the date four Oakland Police Officers were killed.  Officer John Hege and Sergeant Mark Dunakin were shot during a traffic stop.  The killer escaped and barricaded himself in an apartment building.  Sergeant's Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai were killed as they attempted to contact and arrest the suspect.