We love the holidays, and we love our families, but we’re still cyclists. We have an appetite for pedaling bikes, along with our turkey and pie. So what do you do when you’re itching to ride, but you’re trapped indoors over Thanksgiving? We asked our own employees to divulge the secret techniques they use to sneak in a ride. Some are simple, some are wholesome, and some are a bit more devious. Here are the 5 ways to get a ride in on Thanksgiving.
1. Cook and prep the night(s) before
A morning ride is miles better than the mad scramble to get things ready before dinner. Get plenty of Tupperware and fridge space ready, and master the art of food storage. Our shop's pro racer and cooking master Ricky, can't miss training days, so he preps early to get as much time on the bike as he can every morning. He says, if you plan right, food prepared the night or week before can be indiscernible from freshly cooked grub. Set the table far in advance. Do everything you can in the nights before. Not only does this relieve some stress on the big day, but frees you up the use your morning for some two-wheeled escapes.
2. Take on more responsibility
Sometimes, your family might not like the idea of you abandoning them while everyone else is working hard to get things ready. Our customer service rep, Charlie, likes to mitigate this by taking on more responsibility leading up to the big day. Volunteer to handle all the drinks or desserts, be the chauffeur for the family, and in general do more in exchange for a couple of ride hours. Sometimes Charlie likes to get cheeky and be the one in charge of getting more cranberry sauce or booze when it runs out. He’ll just take his bike to the store. Maybe he’ll forget a few things and have to go back. By the end of the day, he'll clock in 30 miles of grocery commute time.
3. Ride in exchange for harmony
Our shipping manager, Steve, has a lot on his mind. For him, it’s pedals or politics. His family has come to understand that without a ride beforehand, he and Uncle Tony are going to get into it about healthcare and immigration reform. Sometimes it’s better to just sweat it all out on the trail beforehand, and have some peace and quiet at the table. Our director of business development, Justin, has a similar, but slightly different approach. He’s developed a reputation for being such a disaster in the kitchen, that his family practically kicks him out to go ride, just to make sure things go off without a hitch.
4. Start a holiday riding tradition
Merchandising associate, Phil, does a yearly thanksgiving ride, which has essentially become his version of a turkey trot. It happens super early in the morning, on a local trail aptly named “Wild Turkey,” which has plenty of actual wild turkeys roaming around. It’s become a regular event, attracting plenty of our co-workers and friends. Since it’s now become a tradition at the shop, families get used to the idea. Riding out to do some bird watching is just all part of the holiday spirit!
5. Ride to be more charitable
Our photographer, Caroline, is one of the most generous people you’ll ever meet. Her riding strategy leading up to Thanksgiving involves volunteering. She picks soup kitchens and shelters across town so she can plan routes that get her out of the house for some solid rides. Then she gets a nice euphoric feeling from getting in a workout and helping the needy. She’s also her friends' emergency contact for Strava Beacon. If her friends are out riding and they get into some “trouble” then she’ll selflessly ride out to rescue them and gets a ride in for the day!
Bonus: Ride as a family!
This is the preferred method of Nick, our founder and CEO. Get your partner, children, siblings, parents, and as many people in your family as you can out on bikes and addicted to cycling. It may take a while but if you share your passion enough then maybe you won’t have to convince your family because they’ll be out riding with you. A dream come true.