Brielle’s Brigade

Ok, we ARE a bunch of bike riders, and some of us have real musical talent, but what do you think would happen if we all got together and challenged each and every one of you to a round of GUITAR HERO?  This could be fun!  And it could be FUNNY.  Why not find out for yourselves?

The Western Massachusetts Home Show will be held on March 26-29, 2009 at the Big E Fairgrounds in West Springfield, Massachusetts (MA) There will be lot’s of Activities. Contests, Sales, Live Entertainment, and Kids are welcome! Read the rest of this entry »

Hello everyone, and welcome to the new and improved Brielle’s Brigade website.  As of March 1st, 2009, the new site is LIVE.  That said, you may notice that we haven’t plastered all of the tape marks, and capped off the crown molding yet.  We are populating content as rapidly as our limited resources are allowing us, so we want you to come back and check regularly.  There are quite a lot of new features to keep your eyes out for, and over the coming months as we ramp up our training regimen in preparation for the grueling Friday ride from Hillsdale, New York to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, followed by the two-day, 192 mile journey that ends in Provincetown, Massachusetts, we will be updating this site on a regular basis to keep you, our intersted fans, and generous donors, informed of our progress.

In the meantime, please take a look around. If something doesn’t work for you, or just plain looks funny, you can shoot us a note over on the contact page. In the coming weeks, you will see many of the following features available:

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always better to give than receive. The glory of charitable donations is that you give and receive at the same time. While we believe that your motivation to donate to charity should primarily be altruism, we also think you should know that many tax benefits exist for those who give. Here is a direct benefit you should know about, while you are considering how much to give to our cause…

A charitable gift may entitle you to a deduction against your income tax if you itemize deductions. If the gifts are deductible, the actual cost of the donation is reduced by your tax savings. For example, if you are in the 33% tax bracket, the actual cost of a $100 donation is only $67 ($100 less the $33 tax savings). Read the rest of this entry »

Wow, just when I think I’ve seen it all. Wind resistance is bad enough for a cyclist, without someone coming up with a bright idea that maybe if they strap a PARACHUTE to their body it might help them become a better rider.

Well, all rants aside, they just might be right. The Nike Sparq Parachute comes in various sizes and colors, to accommodate riders of different body sizes. While not specifically called-out as a training device for cyclists, the application is obvious. For those of us who already slice the wind like a butter-knife (you know who you are, Paul), you may get littl

e gain from this device. But if you have a frame that is used to cutting through the wind like a Peterbilt Truck, this could help reduce those TT splits.

Here is an excerpt directly from the Nike SPARQ site regarding the SPARQ Parachute:

SPARQ Parachutes create the drag necessary to force athletes to push themselves harder to achieve speed. Often used for team training so it’s designed for greater durability. Maximum drag in pounds of force: Medium = 15 lbs of force, Large = 25 lbs of force, X-Large = 35 lbs of force. The easy step-in belt was added based on observation of athletes spending too much time messing with buckles and belt adjustment. Belt accommodates waist sizes 32” – 56”. Floating metal tri-ring reducing belt offers improved chute tracking. Improved heavy duty webbing lead. Improved 2X coated heavy duty veil fabric provides improved durability. Comes with carry bag. SPARQ has teamed with Nike to bring you the best in training equipment.

Photo Courtesy of Skip Hine Photography

Pretty big day for Wayfarer Bicycle of New London Connecticut.  This is the local bikeshop is Southeast Connecticut that sponsors and supports us on the Pan Mass Challenge.  Few people know this, but Tom Danielson grew up in Southeastern Connecticut, and now that he’s a Professional Cyclist racing internationally, he does not get as many chances to visit home.  But he did just that this month.  Tom came back on November 24th to visit the shop, and took nearly 100 riders for a group ride through the not-so-European back roads in New London, Waterford and East Lyme.  He finished the day with a presentation at Mitchell College in New London.

For more information, please visit Wayfarer Bicycle’s picture coverage, courtesy of Skip Hine.