The Lord Desireth Fine and Bountiful Sunshine Upon thy Pecker

It hath been decided that from this moment on we will only speaketh of good weather. There shall be no fretting about thunderstorms, no attachment of fenders, no internal debates about if thou should rideth the beater bike, no rationalizations about how thou could just cometh for the cookout, no rummaging around for rain jackets, and so on.  We shall still ride if it rains, of course, but we are not to think about it.

We will thinketh only positive thoughts about global warming, ozone holes, SPF 60, skin cancer, heat exposure, and 3rd degree sunburn.

If thou has not registered, thou mayest do so here. 

Hereby signed and decreed.
Mother Superior.

It's time for the 2023 PKR!

🌭 This is your official notice that the Peckerhead Invitational Bike Ride and Weenie Roast returns for it's 20th edition this summer on June 17, 2023! I mean, whoever ever thought this day would come, right? 

📆 Mark your calendars and get on your bikes, 'cause its gonna be a big one. You can help us out by registering right now. Still costs nothing, but helps us plan.

🌭 There's obviously a lot more to come as we get closer to the date, but we're excited to host y'all for the greatest one day, unsanctioned, not-a-race, Mansfield-based, bike ride & backyard cookout ever invented. 

Sign up for emails here!

You can find us on the socials on Instagram at @pkr4ever and on Facebook as well. 

PKR Management

Route Planning, or How to Get People Home Happy

Probably the most difficult thing about planning the Peckerhead Invitational is route selection.  The management debates many, many factors -- none of which exist in a vacuum.  Difficulty, beauty, humor, irony, rest, history, tradition... all are critical things we consider.  A route must be planned with the rider and the end in mind.  For the past several years, our desired end has been to have riders return happy, challenged, personally victorious, hungry, and ready to hang out for a while.  We stopped trying to kill people years ago.  Now, if you do stupid things and end up shattering yourself, well, your folly contributes to other intrinsic Peckerhead characteristics like suffering, ridicule, and humility, which of course are also extremely valuable.  But those are on you, friend.

Now back to the matter at hand.

"How do I want the rider to feel at this moment?", the management asks itself when we choose a road. Should you be challenged right here?  Should you be resting and recovering?  Where is the next water stop?  What type of rider will be on this road?  It all depends upon who you are, what came before and what road is yet to come.  Context. 

Choosing roads that are scenic and quiet is very important part of the overall context of a Peckerhead.  We want people to see the beauty of our area and have a chance to talk to one another.  We're hoping to show people roads they normally would never see, or funny stuff that we've found while out riding.  Later in the ride, while riders might be suffering, we try to mitigate that pain with beauty and well-placed resting spots.  When we do a good jobs, stuff connects up just right. Maps for the PKR.

Here are some quick shots of roads from this year's Peckerhead, and years past.  We think they're kinda pretty. 

What Can I Bring?

Fortunately, we are always answering this question.  We're lucky to have such a generous group of riders.  Here are the answers:

1.) You do not have to bring anything but your bike and a smile (shorts would be good, too.)

2.) If you want to contribute to the Peckerhead this year or in advance of next year, here's what we recommend:

SOMETHING TO SHARE
-Salads / appetizers are very popular.  Cool or room temp is best. 
-Beer or other recovery drinks are always appreciated.

DONATE TO COVER COSTS
If you can't cook or you just like to throw your money around, there's always the donation jar. Donations are optional.  We use them to help cover costs and put the remainder away for next year's edition.

-If none of these work, you can always do this.  I generally take a 58 cm.

If you have questions, call or email me.

Management

Weekend group rides -- could be a thing?

 A little peer pressure is what we're all about. If you think that a weekend group ride to get ready for the PKR sounds like a fantastic friggin' idea, fill out this form and let us know what works. We'll let you know how it shakes out. Mgt.