CMWC Registration and Sponsorship

I have begun the stages of registering for the event. I'm waiting on a reply email from the event coordinators to complete my registration. If you go to the Registration portion of the sight and scroll down to the list you can see me as rider number 280. It's grayed out because I'm not completed yet. As of right now there are over 300 registrants. I signed up for all of the events with the exception of the 'Backwards Circles' and 'Skid' because I can't do either of them. But I figured I'd give a go for the 'Trackstand' competition and see how miserably I fail at that one, since I can only track stand for about 5 seconds.

Aside from the registration and pending plane ticket purchase (some time next week it should be finalized) I have exciting news from the sponsorship end of this race. I work part time as a mechanic at Wheel and Sprocket, which has a subdivision known as 8th Inch

What is really cool is that they are letting me select the components for the bike, so I will get to set it up to my liking based upon the parts available to me that will help to promote the 8th Inch brand. What this means is that I can set up a swank color coordination with the bike. As I figure out some of the components I'm getting pretty excited to see the completed bike. I have to wait a while though as the brand new model of their frame, The Scrambler V2, won't be shipped out from the manufacturer for a few more weeks. I'm thinking white with red accents.

So now that I am apparently corporately sponsored for the 2009 CMWC in Tokyo I will start paying homage to them in a more noticeable manor. that caters to the urban fixed gear rider. I shot them an email seeing if they would be interested in helping out with some small sponsorship while I was out there, hoping on possibly getting a set of the cool deep dish wheels they just came out with. To my surprise they offered to set me up with a complete bike as well as appropriate merchandise to take out there with me and spread the love with. So while I am slightly sad that my trusty Leader will not be taking the trip with me, I am very excited for this opportunity and the support from 8th Inch.

2009 CMWC Tokyo Update

Thank again to everyone who has helped so far. After the weekend the total is no $1085.00!! I am very close to the initial goal I set.

I have begun planning when and where I will stay in Tokyo during the event. Thankfully a number of low cost youth hostels have opened in central Tokyo in the last few years offering rooms for as low as $30.00 a night.

I have found from reading more on the CMWC website that the events will be help in the portion of Tokyo called Odaiba. This is cool because its a portion of the city I have never had the opportunity to visit. Yet it's uncool in some respects because there appears to be only one way to access the island via bike. In order to board the train/subway with my bike I would have to use a bag called a rinko which seems like a pain in the butt for how few times I would probably be using it. But, I have found a few in Japan for under $50.00 so I might get one anyways and it would be a neat souvenier.

I'm looking to upgrade the wheels on my Leader soon to with these cool deep dish wheels. Since this is a Wheel and Sprocket company, I can get them pretty cheap, but I'm also trying to work some sponsorship opportunities with them to in relation to the races in Japan, as well as for this company. So hopefully I can get some coopporation and really work the marketing angle and have more reason to kick some ass in Odaiba. I'm also working on getting more stickers for the bike I'm taking with...unfortunatly below is not a recent photo that shows all the ones I have accumulated so far.

Also, during my time in Japan I will be posting daily on here with updates, info and photos so everyone can see what kind of craziness I'm up to leading up to the events. I foresee a week hanging out with Tokyo's messengers being dangerous to my well being and highly memorable.

Tokyo CMWC Fundraising

Thanks to all who have donated so far, I have been able to raise a whopping $800.00 towards to cost of the trip!!

There has been requests to provide a PayPal form of donation. If you would like to use PayPal to donate towards helping me participate in the 2009 Tokyo CMWC this September you can do so to my account sbilek@journalsentinel.com

Again I have to say thank you very much to everyone so far, I have recieved a lot of support as well for this adventure.

Keep checking back as I will keep updating the progress and any and all information for the event.

As a treat (I guess) here is a video of some of the things I can expect from the race. Although I don't trick I just race, so you won't be seeing me popping wheelie bar spins.

Tokyo CMWC

After begging my wife for permission she has allowed me to aspire to go race in the 2009 Cycle Messenger World Championship event in Tokyo, Japan this year between September 19th and 23rd. But I need every ones help to get there, because she won't let me do it unless I can get donations to cover the cost. So I am doing some more begging to all of you. Please help me get to the Tokyo CMWC. Drop me an email at sbilek@wi.rr.com or contact me through other ways that you know of to get a hold of me.

Yes, I am able to enter into the events even though I am not a bike messenger. I not going to kid myself about winning any of the events, but I have been doing well against messengers and can go into Tokyo to at least place well.

Even though it will be a hard race for me to gain anything out of monetarily I am still driven to participate in this event which is being held in my favorite city in the whole world. Help me represent Milwaukee and I promise not to disappoint.

I am looking to try and collect $1200.00 to cover the cost of air fair, lodging and food. Any other expenditures will come out of my own pocket. I will keep a tally posted on this site for how the fund raising is proceeding.

I am setting a deadline of July 25th (for no reason other then it's about a month off) to get the funds together. If I am unable to get close to that goal by the deadline it will either be extended for a brief period or canceled all together and the money refunded 100%...and the death of a dream with it.

So thank you in advance for your help and support, this will be a truly memorable event.

For those that are interested here is the url for the Tokyo CMWC http://www.cmwc2009.com/en/index.html you can see what kind of events I will be participating in.