3-3-2010 Newsletter

Only 45 days until the 2010 MS150!

We had 168 riders at our 4th Annual Team Ride on Saturday-- a great turnout matched by great weather!  A special THANK YOU goes to our wonderful volunteers at Sun & Ski, the SAG Drivers, and the Ride Marshals who made it a fun and safe event for everyone.

Also, congratulations to our top carpoolers of the month, Kate Spry, Kate Helmore, and Stuart Dickson.  You guys ROCK!!!

This week's newsletter contains updates on:

1. Safety
2. Fundraising
3. Jersey, Packet & Bike Inspection
4. CP Training Ride
5. Other Training Rides

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1. Safety:

Well, if anyone has a good idea on how to motivate the remaining 21 riders to take the online safety quiz, please pass it on.  Our goal is 100% compliance and we will NOT shy away from it, even if it means reducing the team size.  If you are one of the 21 holdouts, you have until March 21 to complete it.  Here's the link and please remember to use your Last Name as your Rider ID:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2010bpms150safetyquiz_ts

For those still needing on-bike safety training, the last free training class offered by Team Shell will be on Sunday March 21, 2:00 - 5:00 PM. To sign-up, please visit: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB229ZT2QWCDH

Similar training classes are available through the MS Society on different dates but for a small fee.  For more details and to sign-up
for one of these classes, please visit the following site:
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/bp-ms-150/safety-information/safety-and-training/group-riding-skills/index.aspx

For any training by a non-Shell party, please remember to pick up a completion certificate and e-mail me a copy so I can update your records.

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2. Fundraising:

This week, we are down from 251 to 232 riders who are yet to start their fundraising.  As a team we are at $95,657.69 or 24% of our $400,000 goal.  Great job so far but we must pick up the pace!!!
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/TXHBikeEvents?team_id=177325&pg=team&fr_id=12962

Congratulations to the new-comers into the $1000+ Club.  We now have 20 riders at or above $1000. Collectively, they have raised nearly one third of the team's total.  Well done!

Peter Birckhead Herbert Yuan
Afif Halal Christopher Normyle
Charles Ward Rick Menniti
Chris Holan Jim Thompson
Ben Boldt Ferdi Mostert
Kate Spry Cathy Porter
Mario Menendez Linda Lara
Snehal Patel Alison Frey
Erin Lattin Mike Pitre
David Steele Kary Penney

I also see that David Early, Jennifer Welshons, Linda Lara, Ken Stoll, Barend Dronkers, and Allen Broyles are just a few dollars away from crossing this milestone - way to go folks!

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3. Reminders:

Jersey Pick Up:

- Sunday March 21, 5:00 PM, immediately after safety training at Shell Woodcreek.
- Thursday, March 25, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, at our private packet pick-up at One Shell Plaza.
- Friday April 16, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, by the team luggage truck at Shell Woodcreek.
- Saturday April 17, 5:30 - 6:30 AM, at the private team start at Shell Woodcreek.
- Anytime at my office, Shell Woodcreek room 6428, but by prior appointment.

Packet Pick UP:

Your MS150 Packet contains your bib number, luggage tags, MS150 weekends information, meal wrist-band, etc. and must, therefore, be picked up prior to the ride.

Team Shell has again been afforded a private PPU exclusively for our riders:
Date/Time: Thursday, March 25, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.
Location: One Shell Plaza Auditorium, downtown Houston, next to Murphy's Deli in the tunnel.

If you're not able to make our team PPU, the MS Society offers several public PPU dates/locations:

Tuesday, March 23 9:00 - 7:00 Austin - NMSS Office
Wednesday, March 24 4:00 - 7:00 Houston - Fred Haas Toyota World
Thursday, March 25 4:00 - 7:00 Houston - Don McGill Katy (I-10 in Katy)
Week of March 15 6:00 - 8:00 Houston - Club 300 - Location TBD
Monday, March 29 4:00 - 7:00 Houston - Fred Haas Country (Hwy 249 North)
Tuesday, March 30 4:00 - 7:00 Houston - Sterling McCall (Hwy.59 / Bltwy 8)
Thursday, April 1 4:00 - 7:00 Houston - Champion Toyota (I-45S @ Fuqua)
Monday, April 12 11:00 - 7:00 Houston - Memorial Park
Wednesday, April 14 4:00 - 7:00 Austin - Hula Hut
Friday, April 16 2:00 - 9:00 Houston - MS150 Expo (Omni Hotel Westside)

Note the following PPU Rules:

* Each rider must turn in a Signed Waiver Form (the form will be shared when available).
* Riders under the age of 18 must have a Waiver Form signed by a parent or guardian and NOTARIZED.
* No packets will be distributed on either day of the MS150 weekend.
* You may collect packets for other riders but you must have their signed Wavier Forms.

Bike Inspection:

MS150 bike inspection has begun on Monday, February 15.  Take your bike in for a FREE inspection at any of the MS150 Official Bike Stores and receive free labor for repairs during the MS150.  Bike inspections are free until April 9, after which there will be a $15 fee.

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4. CP Training Ride:

This week's CP training ride will be on Saturday, March 6, at Beason Park in Columbus.  The ride starts at 8 am and offers two route options, 47 and 57 miles.  You will be riding on mosty hilly terrain on beautiful country roads in small communities around Columbus.

Remember to carpool and give yourself enough time to park, sign-in, and get your bike/gear ready.  Refer to the team roster or visit the CP series carpool forum for carpooling options: http://bikebams.org/tinc?key=wFUJ1iR4&start=-1&reverse=1

As always, refer to the official CP Series website for up-to-date information and call the Hotline in case of bad weather, 281-293-2931: http://www.conocophillipsbikeclub.org/index.html

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5. Other Training Rides:

Here's a list of the MS-Recommended training rides through the end of March.  Visit our team website for more details
http://shellcyclingteam.com/MSrides.htm:

- Sat Mar 6: Gator Ride, 12/33/43/62 miles
- Sat Mar 6: Pedal Thru The Pines, 16/27/50/65 miles
- Sun Mar 7: Continental Airlines Cycling Classic, 25/45/67 miles
- Sat Mar 13: Brookwood's BP MS-150 Bike Rally
- Sun Mar 14: Great Escape, 14/44/52/70/86 miles
- Sat Mar 20  B-Geo Magnolia Miles, 23/41/71 miles
- Sat Mar 20: Spokes N Spurs, 6/14/28/44/63 miles        
- Sun Mar 21: Guaranty Bank Tour de Houston, 20/40/70 miles
- Sat Mar 27: Schlumberger Education Expedition, 35/45/63/73 miles
- Sat Mar 27: Rosedale Ride, 20/43/63 miles
- Sun Mar 28: Bluebonnet Express, 24/48/62/80 miles

Looking forward to seeing you on the road.

Afif  Halal
Team Captain, Shell
Office: 281-544-5656
Email: ShellCyclingTeam@Shell.com
Website: www.ShellCyclingTeam.com