Go Finn, Nathan & Nick! Go CHQ Cycling!

This week, I will be working on the next edition of the Gazette remotely across four states and seven hundred miles worth of coffee shops, squatting with my laptop and watchful eye on Life 360.

Why’s that, you say?

Well, please indulge me in a very proud mama moment. I have been appointed to serve as “Follow Car” for my son and his friends’ fundraising journey from Buffalo, New York to Bethel, Maine. They will be biking across the Empire State Trail and up into the mountains of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine all the while bringing attention and resources to three great causes. My son, Nick, will be raising money for Type I Diabetes, an autoimmune disease that his brothers, Ben and Zach, battle every day of their lives. His fellow Bemus Point native, Finn Erlandson, is not only an exceptional Maple Grove track and cross-country star, but he’s also a brave, childhood cancer survivor and will be giving back to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Meanwhile, another great athlete and Nick’s Gould Academy classmate, Nathan Romboldi, will be biking for a cure for cancer to benefit the American Cancer Society. I am beyond proud of these boys and so honored to play a small supportive role in their quest.

Please read Nick’s special cover story and follow their fundraising links on the cover page if you would like to support them.

In this unique “biking” edition, we take the opportunity to also shout-out local cyclists and all things Chautauqua County biking.

Fun fact #1: We only have FOUR bike shops in our entire community: Upstate Cycle (Lakewood); Loud Performance (Bemus Point); Fredonia Cycling (Fredonia); and Jamestown Cycle Shop (Jamestown). They are each hyper-local and relatively small, but extremely mighty operations in every end of our county. They are exceedingly supportive of our biking communities and are extremely skilled at everything from biking repairs to cyclist advisory in general. This is one of those industries where we can most confidently say: don’t even think of big-boxing it. Your safety, biking aspirations and pocketbook depend upon these fantastic four.

Fun fact #2: We only have ONE major biking tour in our county this year and it is certainly MAJOR. With a 43-year history, we are excited to utilize this themed “Biking Edition” to help promote their upcoming Sept 12 ride. Register soon. Kudos to the Village of Westfield for its longtime commitment to community wellness. We hope the Chautauqua Gran Fondo, the annual August biking event canceled this year due to organizer illness, will also resume again next year.

Fun fact #3: As they say, “the apples don’t fall far from the tree,” although in my son Nick’s case his apple took off flying and left this mom’s jaw dropping. But nevertheless, every year on my September birthday, I attempt to ride around Chautauqua Lake, myself a bike-loving rider too, albeit now with middle-aged aches and pains. While my son battles 700 miles, I’ve set my goal at a much more reasonable 50 to honor my upcoming dreaded birthday of the same number. Ugh. I share this now so you can please hold me to it.