Tour of Missouri Charity Ride

The following contribution is from my brother (and fellow cycling freak) Murphini, who's also afflicted with the so-called confused Murphy genome. What follows is an open invitation to join him in a KC TOM course ride this Sunday. As an added bonus, he's also provided a bio of each of the members of his cycling group joining him in the ride.

While this guest blogging is experimental at steel-cut, so were most of the '60s, which also happens to be the decade that was instrumental in Murphini's formative years. And just like that wacky decade, it's fly by the seat of your pants Friday here. So without much further ado, my hippie bro Murphini: --WSCG

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As many of you have come to know, our gentle Steel-Cut author Brady is witty and urbane, soulful and introspective, pompous and arrogant, righteous and incendiary, prolix and verbose. He’s can also turn out a paragraph or two. But what he can’t do is come to Kansas City this weekend to ride the course for the Tour of Missouri.

Brady is being a good brother to our other Brother Brendan & his fiancée Karen, traveling to Madison Wisconsin to watch them compete in a full Ironman Distance triathlon. I on the other hand am choosing to spend Sunday here in Kansas City riding with several hundred people on the course that the Tour of Missouri will be held on Monday. Oh yeah, there is a lot of free beer afterwards on the Plaza courtesy of Boulevard Brewing Company. Here’s an open invite/shout out to join me and my pals on the ride.

Reading Steel-Cut blog, I know how bike gangs are. My gang is almost as dysfunctional as you all seem to be. Our crew consists of:

KOC (Kevin)
An Omaha Boy who worked for UP as a gandy/dancer during his years going to UMO. He is talkative, inattentive, prone to wandering in corners, surges early on hills only to be caught 2/3rd s the way up, and has a wheel fetish….he loves to turn your bike over to do the Gauge R&R test on how long your wheels spin. (He thinks his hubs are filled with glue & gravel, the rest of ours spin like perpetual motion machines….) He does bring good humor and cold beers to all our rides.

BT (Brian T)
Another Omaha-esque/KC transplant. BT grew up in Council Bluffs, his 83 year old father still lives up there, saw Brady’s name in the paper for winning the Black Squirrel Triathlon. BT is an attorney with an early 1990’s lugged carbon Trek that has been upgraded to STI’s with Mountain DX derailleur. He’s sneaky fast, single, so we live vicariously through tales of his serial monogamy. I don’t, but the other guys make him talk so I OCCASIONALLY listen.

TL (Tim)
Another attorney, friends with BT from Law School, lives in Lawrence KS. TL is a recent father so his riding time has been down, but can still kick it in. He did several days of Ragbrai with BT, came back much stronger. BT was disappointed that TL didn’t party enough in Iowa. He wears a Greatful Dead jersey & has many hidden stories about BT and the next guy on the list that someday I want to hear all for blackmailing purposes. He does like his Old Milwaukee Light.

BP/Zoolander (Brian P)
BPZ is auguably our strongest rider, (or at least looks he is) and is a MTB racer for the SKC team, recognizes Munson’s name from past races. He is dabbling in Road and we’re both going to do SS Cyclocross this fall. We generally ride from his house on Wednesday evenings where he hands out the Hamm’s award for most aggressive rider, or the Old Milwaukee for the King of Mountain. Then we break into the good stuff. BPZ loves to get kitted out, spends much of his time striking Zoolander-esque poses, and can’t resist chasing you down when you make a sneak attack from behind. (From the bike that is)

MD (Matt)
MD is a Team360 roadie that would win the King of the Mountain each time, but luckily he has to get home to his 19 (or 4) kids. Since he is on a time crunch, he pushes (punishes) the pace before he turns and rides home. To him, he’s JRA…..(Just Riding Around). BPZ likes to sit on his wheel and pose while I struggle to keep up.

RB (Ryan)
RB has been on injured reserve with knee surgery much of the year. He is our beer connoisseur/Star Wars expert. Think Mario Pantini, (had he lived) but after a few years of pizza, procrastination and sloth. He’s heart is there, his fred-tastic enthusiasm is firey, but the injury has kept him off the bike. As his knee heals, he will also be sneaky fast. Until then, the next guy on the list keeps asking him if he’s going to sell his bike since it isn’t being ridden….

WB (Wade)
WB (missing this weekend) is another SKC mountain biker, rides road on his 1994 GT Fury with the weird frame—sort of like Ole yeller. WB is the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing, always lurking in the pack until the hills, where he air’s it out, modestly of course as he pulls away without looking back like Lance did to Jan Ulrich on the Alpe d’Huez. Ain’t never seen him breathe hard. I think he would be reincarnated as a well-behaved Border Collie.

If you are coming, respond with a comment and Brady can get you my phone number. I’ll be riding my Specialized Tarmac with the RacerX jersey. I look like Brady, just taller, heavier, balder, and more vindictively cunning.

Tour of Champions Charity Ride
benefiting WIN for KC and The Dream Factory
Sunday, September 7, 2008 @ 8:00 a.m.
Registration Fee: $30
Sign up by September 5 to receive a T-shirt!
FREE after party with breakfast burritos and beer provided by ReVerse Restaurant and Boulevard Brewery.

Route Options:
All beginning at ReVerse Restaurant on the Plaza (at the corner ofJefferson & Ward Parkway)
14 Miles (to Downtown)
36 Miles (to Parkville)
70 Miles (to Weston)

Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to ride the route of the Tour of Missouri champions! Rest stops will be available at each turnaround point to keep you fueled and hydrated!

Registration here