Only 4 more weeks to the 2010 City To Shore ride - get in shape and order your jersey!

Come and join us for our 8am weekend rides!
The Saturday ride in Malvern is a hilly course, 40-50 miles at about 16 mph.
The Sunday ride is truly recreational: all levels, all ages, various pace groups, we hope you make it to Manayunk for breakfast but groups decide when to turn around.

How to order Team Jerseys:
Please contact frank.kochendoerfer@sap.com to order your jersey today. First come first served. Check this chart for sizes. The jersey is $40 each.

Latest Team updates

We've had a great team ride last Sunday with Breakfast at Le Bus in Manayunk.
Thanks to Alex for joining and picking up the check!

News from the Jersey front: Frank is working with the Jersey vendor and our Sponsors IDS Scheer and Echelon Solutions Group to ensure we have new team jerseys in time for the City To Shore ride.

Please register for the Livestrong Challenge and the City to Shore ride under Team SAP. We'll contact all team members regarding jersey sizes. All others who are interested, please comment to this post with your email address and jersey size.

Come join our weekend group rides - Now it's time to have some fun and get in shape!

Fundraising Tips, Matching Gift Programs

Does your employer have a 'Matching Gift' program?
Are you looking for the easiest and most efficient way to have your contributions be made directly at the Matching Gift website?

As an SAP employee for example you can make your employee contributions directly at the Matching Gift website (www.easymatch.com/SAP) and the match can be confirmed automatically in one step . Matches and employee gifts go out monthly.

If you would rather the contribution go to the organization directly, you will still have to go to the site and request the match and the MS Foundation will have to confirm the gift was made. This is certainly a slower process and could be up to three months, assuming the organization confirms the gifts.

For SAP employees, contributions over $50 are eligible for a corporate match through the SAP Matching Gift Program. To double your difference, please log onto www.easymatch.com/sap and select Dollars for Dollars -> Submit a New Request -> Cash/Check/Credit Card -> Select 'National Multiple Sclerosis Society' as the Organization.

When you submit your request, please insert EVENT NAME, EVENT DATE, EMPLOYEE PARTICIPANT ID in the Purpose Line.

Good luck fundraising!

Time to register for some charity rides...

Livestrong Challenge Philly - 8/22. Enjoy a great bike ride and help to fight cancer! Rumors have it that Lance himself will be there again this year.
http://www.livestrong.org/Take-Action/Team-LIVESTRONG-Events/LIVESTRONG-Challenge-Series/LIVESTRONG-Challenge-Philly

Bike MS City To Shore – 9/25 (and 26), less than 7 weeks away! Join ~8,000 riders for the 30th anniversary. Start to Stop MS! http://bikepae.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/PAEBikeEvents?fr_id=13251&pg=teamlist

Encourage coworkers, neighbors, family and friends to register for Team SAP!
Not in shape yet? Come join our weekend group rides. We’ve recently added the more leisurely Sunday group ride on the Schuylkill trail. We have rides for all ages, distances and paces.

Team SAP prepares for 2010 MS City to Shore

Dear cycling enthusiasts,
The 30th anniversary of the MS City to Shore is approaching fast.
You and your friends have until August 17 to register online - remember to join 'Team SAP' (you don't have to be a SAP employee!).
You are required to turn in your Bike MS waiver/safety pledge and minimum $300 by August 20 to receive your rider number in the mail.
Learn more here.
What are you waiting for?

If you think you or your bike are not in shape, join us for a Schuylkill River trail ride on Sunday 8/8:
8.00am Betzwood parking lot (Corporate Parking Lot, S Trooper Rd, east of Rt 422)
8.30am SEPTA parking lot in Conshohocken

We'll provide lube, tools, pumps and professional advice to take care of your bicycle in Betzwood/Valley Forge. We'll roll at 8am towards the city, by various pace groups and preferred distances. You can also join us also in Conshohocken around 8.30am.
How about breakfast in Manayunk?

Team jerseys: We are planning to order new team jerseys - please comment on this blog post if you'd like to order one and provide: Name, email address, phone number, jersey size.

See you and your friends on Sunday!
And don't forget to register for the 2010 MS ride under 'Team SAP'!

Team News

Since our two year agreement with supporters (Thanks to IDS Scheer, RWD, IBIS, Workflow One, Avaya and T-Mobile!) is running out, we are currently consolidating activities with the SAP cycling community in Palo Alto to coordinate charity events on a national basis and to use one SAP branded jersey for all SAP cycling enthusiasts.

We are trying to secure funding from SAP and other supporters for new jerseys.
So far we have a verbal commitment from two corporate supporters. If you have any contacts, suggestions for funding, please comment to this post!

We are also looking for a new Team Captain – any volunteers, please comment to this post!

Over the next two weeks we'll consolidate registrations to make sure we have only ONE Team SAP for the 2010 City to Shore ride.

Let's drive team membership in August for all the fall charity rides, and target to sign up 150 team SAP members!

See you at one of our next group rides - 'Upcoming Events' section on the left.

Team update

100 degree weather - the summer is here.
Bill made that official when he inhaled a bug during one of our recent weekend rides.
Given the high temperatures, Team SAP has started to accomodate some much needed 'rehydration stops'. The usual places are Four Dogs Tavern, Main Street Manayunk or just Uli's house where you are invited to watch the Tour de France after our rides.
Endurance is strong: especially our frequent riders like Frank, Juan, Bill are getting in better shape by the week. John is mostly winning the sprints as usual. Rumor has it that he has switched to the favorite cream cheese brand of Mark Cavendish...
Also worth mentioning are the track events in nearby Trexlertown. Check out schedules here. It's really fun to watch!

We always look for more riders, so come join us.

Let's watch the Pro's climbing the Manayunk Wall!

Come out and join us for a leisurely group ride starting at 9:30am on Sunday from Betzwood to see the Pro's suffering in Philly.
Betzwood parking lot (Corporate Parking Lot, S Trooper Rd, east of Rt 422)
Bring your Fuji bike and try to crash the Fuji party on top of the wall.

Team Spring rides in full swing, new routes, new tools

Dear cycling enthusiasts,
Our little core group is getting some nice rides in. Feel free to join us on weekends when we ride through scenic and hilly Chester and Delaware counties or on Thursdays when some of us represent Team SAP Cycling at the Malvern training race.

On Saturday 5/29 we'll meet at Frank's house in Exton to have him lead a ride. We'll meet at: 301 Horizon Ct., Exton, PA 19341
http://maps.yahoo.com/?ard=1&mvt%3Dm%26lat%3D40.038359%26lon%3D-75.618137%26zoom%3D14%26q1%3D301%20Horizon%20Ct.%2C%20Exton%2CPA%2C19341

And here a tip from Tom Mueller: An easy to use Bike Map Tool. Cooler by a mile. Even better if you have a GPS unit. Replay a ride with speed, cadence, HR, and altitude. Check it out!
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/34803

Update and Upcoming rides

Last week Bill and I completed the 50 mile SCU Quad County Ride. After the first several miles in the rain everything came together we completed the ride without incident. Always a great event.

Anyone up for the training race today in Malvern?

Does anyone have the European Style Gran Fondo Philadelphia on their list of things to do this summer? If so, let me know I would like to do the 100 mile event. http://granfondophiladelphia.com/

I am looking to borrow/rent a tandem this Memorial Day weekend. My 13 year old son and I are doing a benefit ride from the Art Museum to Avalon and we would like to hang on the fast group. Please email me if you know of anyone with a tandem that might be interested.

Is there a ride this Saturday and/or Sunday? Uli, aren't you running the show now that Fast Fran has left the nest???