Riding Recon

First of all, I guess it's time to note that my son and I are registered to ride in the upcoming Autodrop Invitation -- half bike ride, half scavenger hunt, part goose chase and part goof off. It's like getting lost on the local bike parade only to realize you're now part of 'The Amazing Race' and they're taping CBS's Circus of the Stars. Kind of like that. Yeah, we're in over our heads.

Anyway, the Bear is up for it. We registered with the powers that be and offered a well-considered team name. We have had a running joke with my brother-in-law about 'The Colonel,' a Southern gent who is a slow speaking, carousing rascal. Well, the Bear remembered that ol' rascal and that was the inspiration for our name: The Colonel and Junior. Funny stuff, to be sure. That said, my son has a way of saying the team name so slow, like a molasses spill in December. We realized we needed a phonetically appropriate spelling of the team name to convey the proper tone. We decided on...

wait for it...

Tha Kuhnull & Joooonyuh

Just the way he says it. Cool, like a lazy wind over the Yadkin River...

And we decided we need a visual to run with, so we got it down to two, both of which tell the story...

Both sum it up pretty much the same. Matt likes both, so I guess they're interchangeable.

Registration paid and name determined, there was little left to do than consider the clues and get out and do some recon, so that's what we did. He'll ride the Univega, which I rode once before he took it over as his own.

...C'mon, Dad! Don't stop pedaling!

As you can see, we worked our way around town and have plan of attack. Can't give any of the trade secrets away, but I'll say now that my son proved a better climber than his ol' Dad.

Dad, do NOT give away any strategic secrets!

About midway through our ride, we texted the Big E, to tell him we're working our plan and we'll be Autodrop ready with our fitness timed to the very second of the starter's call.

We also made strategic adjustments to our original plan and have negotiated our game day performance so that we'll have a  2 - 3 hour ride -- making us a shoo-in for first team to arrive at the finish line. No sweat.

So, there you have it. We're hyped up and ready to roll. We'll, likely, do another ride soon to just make sure we can test our theories and make sure we're ripe to roll!