Big Fix: The Movie!

Coming for Labor Day 2006, the complete story of the nation's toughest fundraising ride! Click here to see a preview. (Requires Quicktime or compatible viewer.)
Watch for details on purchasing your own copy.

Post-Ride Photos

The day after the Big Fix, and time for more photos, including a "proof of Boston" picture.

Mojo's Last Report, Day 28

News from Mojo on his last Big Fix daily call in:

• As usual for these last days, the ride ended up being longer (100 miles) and hillier (2,000 feet of additional climbing) than predicted.
  
• The venerable Sheldon Brown rode the last few miles with the boys, accompanied by a group of messenger cyclists from Boston. Sheldon's wife, Harriett, also attended. It was Sheldon's first fixed-gear ride in nine months.
• About 30 riders came out to usher the Big Fix into Boston.
• Final stopping point was Fenueil Hall in Boston.

Total mileage for the Big Fix: 3,480 miles, with 135,000 feet of vertical gain.

The riders are now off to Maggiora's restaurant in the theater district for a big post-ride celebration.

Day 28: They Did It!!

Our intrepid riders have done it. More then 3,000 miles of fixed gear cycling in 28 days, crossing deserts, mountains, plains, and hills. They arrived today in Boston, where Mojo's lifelong (well, almost lifelong) dream of meeting fixed gear guru Sheldon Brown was finally realized. Here are photos from the last day. More info soon.

Day 27: The Penultimate Ride

Just one day to ride, but the Catskills and Berkshires did their best to make the Big Fix riders miserable. Today's ride was about 140 miles, but also included about 6,000 feet of climbing--and most of that came in the form of steep (10% plus) hills, "straight up and straight down" in the words of Mojo. He says that, unlike other parts of the country, where roads follow the contours of the land, the early roadbuilders in the east apparently went straight no matter what topography got in the way.

The day started in Tannersville, where the Big Fix once again overwhelmed the staff at a local restaurant. Today's slow breakfast resulted in a late, 8 a.m. start.

A little later in the day, the boys hit their third road washout, forcing a detour that once again added some miles. Later in the day, the riders crossed the Hudson river.

By day's end, Ricky's bike computer told the group they had ridden 3,370 miles, with 84 to go tomorrow from Wilbraham to the final destination in Boston.

Day 27 Road Photos

Hard to believe, but there are just two days of riding left! Photos from the penultimate stage:

Friday Festitivies

Andrew Janjigian has invited other riders (espeically those on Rivendell bicycles, a Big Fix sponsor) to meet him on Friday in Kenmore Square to greet the Big Fix peloton and ride with them to the finish line. For details, email Wendy: webbernelson@alantos.com

Day 26 Road Photos

More interesting stuff from the road ...

Fixed Gears in the News

Maybe it's because of the Big Fix ... the Wall Street Journal has caught on the to fixed-gear phenomenon: Click here

Day 25 Road Photos

More camera-phone fun from Mojo:

Don't Forget ...

... photos and reports starting with Day One of the Big Fix are part of this blog. Click on the "Archives" links (on the right-hand side of your screen) to see earlier reports.

Big Fix on the Web

The Fixed Gear Gallery has posted some great photos from rider Peter Burnett. Check them out here

Day 24: "... And the Rains Came"

An exhausted Mojo called to report that the riders got a little wet on their trip to Lakewood, NY. First of all, it took the boys three hours to get out of Cleveland (the only big city on the entire trip). Shortly after leaving Cleveland, the rains began and kept up for about 60 miles. The skies cleared, then opened up again. Needless to say, everyone was soaked.
As the ride enters the East, the roads are also getting more topographically interesting. Translation: More hills. Rollers threw themselves at the riders all day, culminating in a mile-long, ten percent grade at the very end. The next few days call for more of the same ...
Mojo also reports that yesterday's Histiocytosis symposium was a success, with about 60 Histio families and half-dozen physicians in attendance. A ton of photos were taken--we'll post some as soon as we get them.

Big Fix in the News

From today's (July 10) Springfield, MA, Republican:
Bike ride puts focus on disease

Day 22: The Lost Boys

You would think that, with the Big Fix's longest (185 miles) day ahead of them, the group would pay pretty close attention to the route? Well, something went wrong today, reports Walt (aka Big Dog) in his voice mail ride report. The group went astray and ended up putting in about 225 miles.
We're a little behind on Hard As Nails reports, but Walt was handed the nail at the end of today's ride.
The good news is that tomorrow (Sunday) is a rest day in Cleveland for the Histiocytosis symposium. More than 60 Histio families are planning to attend; Ken will give a presentation. Mojo plans to sleep until noon.
More photos and news as they become available ...

Special Message to Mojo

Captain, when will you be back?

Day 22 Road Photos

A looong 185 miles today. Here are some photos from the road. Ken is clearly in Payne after his third crash!

Day 21: Two Crashes and a Barbeque

Report from the road: Today's ride started with a crossing of the Wabash River amid a thick, tule fog with temps in the 50s. A rather uneventful day ... well, except for two crashes:

• Crash #1: Those awful rumble strips claimed another victim. The group was riding to the right of the rumble strip when Mojo saw a pile of gravel coming up in their path. He went left, but Ken hit the gravel and went down (that's his knee in today's earlier post). This was Ken's third crash of the trip.
• Crash #2: A fist-sized rock thrown up by a rumble strip went under Ike's wheel, causing him to crash.

Both Ken and Ike are OK--Ike was contesting sprints later in the day.

Today's ride was 107 miles with minimal climbing (and a little shorter than the route sheet estimated). The host for tonight in Fort Wayne, IN, is Joe Endres; a barbeque is planned for dinner.

As of today, only three of riders on the road are EFI: Greg, Ricky, and Mojo. (What is EFI? We'll tell you ... soon.)

Tomorrow, however, is 185 miles ... then the riders get to take a day off and spend two nights in a sumptuous hotel in Cleveland, where Ken will head up a day-long symposium on Histiocytosis. More than 60 Histio families are expected to attend.

Day 21 Road Photos

Posted almost live ... We are checking into whose knee that is.

Day 20: Indiana

We missed Mojo's phone call today, but we can offer these photos from the road. Ken, it seems, has found his true home.
The riders entered Indiana today, ending in W. Lafayette, IN, after a 160-mile stage from Springfield, Illinois.

Day 19: Across the Mississippi

Today's news from rider Greg Ngo:
Day 19 saw the riders across yet another major landmark--the Mississippi River, at Hannibal, MO. The 7-rider Big Fix peloton enjoyed a police escort to the river, and about half the population of Palmyra turned out for the event. Two TV stations turned out--here is a link to KHQA-7's coverage
While in Hannibal, the riders stopped at the Mark Twain museum.
On the east side of the Mississippi, the riders entered Illinois, the seventh state so far for the Big Fix. Once there, they rode past 125 unbroken miles of tobacco and corn--an amazing sight. Today's lunch stop was marked by a simultaneous nap--the riders spent 45 minutes dozing, won en masse, and started riding again.
In Jacksonville, the Big Fix picked up three guest riders from the local bike club. All went well until two of the riders crashed--Mojo then ran over them. One of the local riders suffered a severely cut finger and was taken to the hospital. No Big Fix riders were seriously injured, although some old road rash was freshened up by the latest contact with the pavement.
Perfect weather today--78 degrees and no rain.
The end of today's stage was Springfield, IL, where the riders are now safely dozing in the local YMCA.
Today's photos include a Frank Lloyd Wright house that the riders passed by, and a section of washed-out road (see our earlier reports).

Day 19 Road Photos

More photos from the camera of Mojo. Looks like Ricky is following in Bo's footsteps ...

Day 18: Palmyra, Missouri

Today's route took the riders 160 miles over rolling terrain to Palmyra, MO, home of BF crew worker Kim. (Actually, the ride stopped a little short of Palmyra and the riders took a shuttle--the shuttled miles will be added back tomorrow.)

The riders are staying in Palymra's Sesquicentennial Building tonight. Not much sleep is anticipated, due to the nearby Fourth of July festivities.

Today was the first day the riders got really rained on--at one point, the road was washed out, and they had to trek across a 100-yard-long gully.

Ken crashed today (just some road rash), but recovered and put in a Tour de France-like performance on the road.

7 riders are on the road. Tomorrow, they will ride south to Hannibal, MO, for a stop at the Mark Twain memorail. TV coverage is planned--we will link to it if we can.

Fourth of July Fix

Photos from today's ride to Palmyra, MO, home of one of our support crew workers, Kim.
As shown in the photos, the crickets from Nevada seem to have grown quite large, and are following the riders across the country :-)

Day 17: Missouri!

Today's ride report from Mojo:
The Big Fix today left the flat cornfields and entered the green and lush Flint Hills. The riders also said farewell to Kansas and hello to Missouri (a resurgent Greg won the stateline sprint). Among the highlights from today's 161 miles:

• The riders found a bicycle museum, which was unfortunately closed when they rolled by
  
• The route today turned onto Old Hwy 50, a road that included a three-mile-long gravel section
• Three guest riders joined the ride for a short stint in the paceline: Bill Burns, Bill's friend "D-1," and Mary James, who flew out from Davis, CA, to join the ride. Mary was riding a fixie owned by Sandy B, who rode out with the Big Fix on Day One.
• Lunch was in Louisburg, MO. Mary bought Mexican food for everyone.
• Almost everyone in the peloton is now riding on Brooks saddles--Sandy's bike was cannibalized for its Brooks today, which found its way onto Ricky's bike. Another new Brooks was also provided by Bill Burns for Greg
• Two new support workers joined the ride today: former worker Christie's mom and aunt. Support workers now almost outnumber the riders!
• New Big Fix rider JT has let us know that in addition to being a graduate student in linguistics, he is also a burlesque dancer. No dancing in the paceline has been reported yet ...
  

Tomorrow, the ride travels to Palymra, MO, the hometown of ride support worker Kim. The Big Fix will celebrate the Fourth of July there.