479 days to Beijing. Prices should be up today on the Cosport website.

Sometimes the link works and sometimes it doesn't. A geek would know why that is. But I'm a nerd.

Here is the website address again...maybe it will link or maybe you will have to get there through your internet provider: www.cosport.com

In the event guys like OZ, Stu, Greg Hill and a few others do make it to the Olympic Games.

NBC Sports should know about it. There might be some opportunities.

I have already spoke to Stu about this and did a little research but I need some better contact information!!

**Anyone out there good at doing some research or has some contact information, help me out***

I want to see my friends on TV!!!!!!

OZ,
You think Senior Citizens like Vera and I would be allowed to make the trip? It sure sounds interesting. We are giving it a thought. Gary thanks for the email. God Bless.

Jim & Vera Melton

ABSOLUTELY!!!

Jim, we are all pretty mucgh senior citizens. Some of us a little less, some a little more.

It's getting interesting!

Gary. I have a contact in the industry. Working on getting some coverage.

Reilley1

You are the Man!!

Please keep me informed.

Gary

Gary wrote:

In the event guys like OZ, Stu, Greg Hill and a few others do make it to the Olympic Games.

Gary, Im there now sitting next to Oz eating pop corn and taking it all in whooooo!

GH

Wow, the thought of going to China to watch bmx racing is really exciting to me. Count me in. Lots of questions from me since I have never been out of the country before.

1. Dates?
2. Best Airlines to fly, or are we going as a group fom LA?
3. Tickets to the Olympics?

I quit BMX/The Mongoose Team about 60 days before they decided to go to Japan. I've always wanted to travel to that part of the world. Wow, BMX Racing can make your best dreams come true!

Nice! Cash is in the house, excellent! I am beginning to feel a 14 hour party coming on as we fly accross the world to watch a lil BMX Action!

Whooooooooooo

Oh god, not another long flight with Greg. Save us all. More restrictive on the airline flights. Greg we will not be able to do the thing we did in the past on some flights. But we will have a blast no less.LOL ooooooooooohw

Stubob...Nice, Im very happy your going. Hey I have reinvented my methods over the years and yes there is much fun to be had. It's going to be a blast, I know it's a long time off but it sure goes by fast..

Who's next? Please step up to the pre sign table and ad your name to the list..

MINI MIKE IS IN OOOOOOH HELL YEA...

Right on Mike!

Tickets for the BMX events went on sale yesterday through http://cosport.com and are very reasonable.

http://www.cosport.net/b2008/us/Request_Ti...iduals_2008.asp

The dates for BMX are Aug 20 -21.

Aug 20
S 09:00 E 11:40
CB01 Cycling - BMX M & W Seeding; M 1/4 Finals
Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) Venue
$9.00

Aug 21
S 09:00 E 11:50
CB02 Cycling - BMX M 1/4 Finals; W Semis; M Semis; W Finals; M Finals
Laoshan Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) Venue
$17.00

By comparison, the opening ceremony tickets are in threee levels anda bit pricey but its a prestigious event.

Opening Ceremonies Olympic Green National Stadium
A $773.00 Yes

B $488.00 Yes

C $256.00

The tour packaages are also available with a wide range of prices excluding airfare.

http://www.cosport.net/b2008/us/AT_PackagesOverview.asp

The lowest Accommodations Packages (sporting events not included) that will fit the time frame of the BMX events is

Jianguo Hotel - Accommodations Package - Cycle 5 Aug. 19 - 22, 2008
4 days/3 nights
$2,085.00 (per person/double occupancy)
http://www.cosport.net/b2008/us/AT_Package.asp?ID=CSAOHDPKA5

Hospitality packages start at $3,943.00 (per person/double occupancy)

http://www.cosport.net/b2008/us/AT_Package.asp?ID=CSFLJGPKA4

[ April 18, 2007, 07:50 AM: Message edited by: Bill Curtin ]

I would love to go..that is a piece on BMX history many years in the making...

Sorry, I thought they said the Olympics was going to be in Chino. Vera tells me it is in China! Sorry I guys we won't be able to make it. Our heart and prayers will be there. I have dreamed of BMX being in th olympics for a long time. I guess it don't hurt to dream some more. We will have a good seat by the TV. God bless you all.

Jim & Vera

Man, this is complicated!

Here's what I am going to do (anybody who wants to help here, jump in. Also, anybody who knows more about this than I do, likewise, jump in): I'm going to start trying to figure out how best to do this trip...meaning best events at some kind of reasonable cost.

Then, as I learn something, I will post it here. In other words, this is going to come to you in bits and pieces.

One thing I see immediately is that the Cosport package deals, while offering definite advantages, are extremely expensive. Even just a hotel room through Cosport is like $2,000 (per person!!!) for three days. Add some events and transportation and the price can soar to around $8,000 (per person) for (I think) five days. One of the advantages of the more expensive package deals is that tickets to the events you request are guaranteed. I'll come back to event tickets in just a moment.

First, relative to the above notes about hotels, Susan is right now contacting a few hotels in the center of Beijing (near most of the venues) to see if they are going to jack their prices during the Olympics. If someone were to make a reservation at a five-star hotel in the center of Beijing today, it would cost about $100 per night.

Now, relative to event tickets, the prices are quite inexpensive. The BMX events (there are two days of BMX racing...meaning a one-day BMX event might last two or three hours) cost about $10 per event. The most expensive competitive event I found was around $60. However, the opening and closing ceremonies are around $700 and $500 respectively.

Another thing about event tickets: If you contact Cosport (which I understand is the only way U.S. citizens can purchase Olympic tickets) and request tickets to the two BMX events, you don't actually get the tickets until much later this year. But you will almost certainly receive both tickets because BMX will not be as popular as say swimming or gymnastics. However, If you request swimming or gymnastic tickets now, those events being extremely popular, what will happen later in the year, when Cosport actually has the tickets and can allocate them, is that a drawing will be held to see who gets the tickets. In other words, BMX tickets are pretty much a slam-dunk but getting tickets to the most popular sports is a luck thing. I called Cosports and asked about percent possibilities and the guy had absolutely no idea.

So here is what I am thinking right now...and this is really rough. I hope Susan finds that the hotels of Beijing are NOT going to jack their prices during the Olympics, or at least not go absolutely crazy. If so, Susan and I will be reserving a room SOON.

Second, I'm going to try to figure out some events in addition to BMX that Susan and I would like to see (like boxing, for instance) and post them here to see if anybody else is interested in them. Because of the drawing system at Cosport for event tickets, I don't see an immediate rush for this. Then I am going to see what other people would like to see, and MAYBE a pattern will emerge where a number of us are going to the same events on the same days.

Somewhere in here I hope the core group that is definitely going will agree on a certain number of days that we all hang together.

Then I'm going to suggest to your friend and mine, Gregory Alan Hill, who knows people in Beijing, if he can arrange for a small bus with a driver who speaks English to haul X number of people around Beijing to the various events for Y number of days, and maybe to places of local interest, and maybe even to a few meals together.

Remember I said this was ROUGH. Remember that I'm looking for a lot of input. Maybe we can shape a cool thing here and maybe it just is not possible. Another thing to keep in mind here is that I am not trying to be your Grandmother or your tour guide...I'm just trying to figure out how to make this work best. Any help that comes along will be most appreciated.

Here's what I want to accomplish most: I want to sit with Greg and Stuart and watch the first BMX races ever to be included in the Olympic Games. I can picture that very clearly.

[ April 18, 2007, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: Oz ]

Here's a thing that just occurred to me that might make things easier and more flixible: I'm sure Beijing will have tons of cabs running during the Olympics, and probably Olympic shuttle busses, and probably other forms of transportation (rickshaws, probably).

Which would mean that we don't have to all agree on the same events or where we want to go to dinner or whatever. We probably do not need a private bus. We can each do our own thing or share a cab or go to dinner together whenever we wanted. Or take a bus out to the great wall. Or have rickshaw races in downtown Beijing. Or not.

We need a Bejing expert co comment on this.

P.S. I get the Rickshaw that Stuart is pulling!!! $100 bucks anyone?

Sounds good Oz, it's moving in the right direction. I will continue my e mails to people I know in China and within a week or so I will have info..I think reserving a room if you can do that this early is the best deal, I also think rickshaw is the man and I will jump in a taxi for dinner with you guy's anytime. I learned one thing while there that is quite fun..Hopefully we have enough people to fill 3 or 4 taxi's and then we can slip our driver 20 bucks to beat the other taxi's this is unreal..LOL I remember this guy driving backwards for about 300 yards spinning a 180 and gassing it man that was intense..Anyway..It's going to be fun, it is possible and it will happen and the reason is because we are making it happen right now. I see it, I feel it and it will be! By the way, I spoke with Greg Esser today and he is interested in going, I will guilt him until he says yes..Were gonna have a lot of fun..

I just checked my e mail and my friend wrote back to me...I will cut and paste it below...

Greg,

As i know the people who wants to buy the tickets need to sign a paper at first.There are three part of time you could buy a ticket,first part is from 15th April to 20th June, the computer will choose people who could have the tickets. The second part of time is from October to December, at that period of time the people contact first will get ticket firstly.The third part of time is from April next year till end of this games, and people could buy tickets on time.The general information is 75% tickets will sale in China and 25% will saled out of China.
There is a web site for tickets:http//:tickets.beijing2008.com.
I will go this week end, then i will check what i can help.OK?
Wish you good luck.

Tracy

I will keep working with her to get info..

GH

[ April 18, 2007, 10:02 PM: Message edited by: Greg Hill ]

well thats a start greg - lets all keep positive// Has anybody checked on packages round trip flights and hotel..mini mike

Mike, read my long, rambling post on the previous page.

Greg, that is not good! Only 25 percent of the event tickets sold to the rest of the world (other than China). On the other hand, the webswite which I keep referring to has already blocked out tickets for U.S. sales. Hopefully they have reserved an adequate amount. We'll see.

It already looks like getting tickets to the most popular events (swimming, gymnastics, probably track and field, and especially finals in these events) will depend a lot on the luck of the draw.

After thinking this over a little more, here's what I am leaning towards right now:

Reserve a hotel soon. Not through Cosports, they are WAY too expensive.

Rely on taxi cabs and other means of transportation, including walking and maybe Stuart pulling a rickshaw.

Pick a number of events that Susan and I want to see, which first and foremost includes BMX, and request these tickets through Cosport. When the draw comes, I'm sure there will be some events we do not get. On those days Susan and I will go visit The Forbidden City or The Great Wall or something.

It is possible that we can get tickets together if we can coordinate the purchase. But I think the most tickets one person can buy is eight. Maybe there is a way around this. I will call and ask Cosport tomorrow.

Basically, that is my plan at this point. Any suggestions? Any comments? Any questions?

Susan is on the phone to China right now, talking to a hotel, and it is starting to sound like reservations can be made now at close to regular prices, i.e. somewhere in the general vicinity of 100 to 120 U.S. dollars per day for a 4-star hotel in the city center (includes breakfast, may be plus 15% tax, may be included). Not a hundred percent sure of this yet, but it is sounding good.

Tomorrow we will post one or two hotel names, ratings (4-star, 5-star), locations, phone numbers, and costs. These will be hotels that are taking reservations now for the Olympics.

Greg, that E-mail from Tracy? Do you think we might be able to buy event tickets through someone in China?

For some really great tips on China/Beijing, read the "Question for Ben Or and go-away" thread.

Oz..

Im waiting for her to get back to me, I am going to ask her on my next e mail so we'll get it figured out. I am wanting to reserve a room now for sure so when you have those hotels if you could pass on the info that would be great. Im down for the thrill of taxi and public transportation it's part of the adventure I think, and way cheaper.

Greg, I got that racing taxi-cabs thing. I get this picture of all of us in Tinamen Square, standing by our cabs with our arms over our heads, surrounded by the entire Chinese army...a million automatic weapons pointed at us, tanks, helicopters...and you laughing your (beep!) off.

We too are ready to reserve a hotel. Susan is following go-away's advice ("Question for Ben Or and go-away" thread) and checking which hotels in the center of Beijing have international affiliations. Did you know there is a 4-star Best Western in Beijing?

Anyway, we're on it and should have the hotel part of this trip figured out soon and will definitely let you know.

Oz

P.S. Don't order the monkey brains.

Yeah, my thought. With the bicycle contacts. Can't you get someone to buy tickets to BMX over there? If there is a limit, Dad, Uncle, Sister. Maybe Mikey?Seems like that would be an easy fix. It's not like the UOC monitors this thread...lol

[ April 19, 2007, 06:41 PM: Message edited by: John Piant ]

Mr Piant did you say you going, that is great now please work on the Esser Bro's and were moving...It gets better every day..

I've been to China a couple of times but only a couple of hours in from Hong Kong where I had sewing shops that I used. I never considered going until I spent too much time on here today. Has everyone ordered tickets or are you trying to put something together. Put me plus one wife on the list if there's a for sure way of getting venue tickets.

So is Piant going to China or is he just blowing smoke??? What do you say, Mr. Piant???

Randy S. Keep watching here because we're getting this thing narrowed down. Susan may tell me a good hotel in just a few minutes. Both Greg and I are narrowing down how to deal with the complexities of buying tickets to the different events. That will be coming soon. Transportation in Beijing is already solved. Cabs and rickshaws and walking.

We're going to China!!! Yahoo! Just don't order monkey brains. And bring a fork.

Oz, you can count me in on that list of people going. I don't care if I have to pitch a tent in someones yard when I get there, I'm going....hey 5 billion people, 5 billion yards to choose from.

(Too bad I can't afford the $10,000 USD for the press pass to go for BMX World)

-Greg Leasure

[ April 19, 2007, 11:10 PM: Message edited by: HA Y N ]

Nuts!

Susan just spent about an hour on the phone to China talking to different hotels. She's getting it narrowed down, but doesn't have the best one just yet. Maybe tomorrow night.

But, I think the 'best one' will turn out to be in the city center of Bejing, walking distance to many interesting things like The Forbidden City, restaurants, etc., easy cab ride to all the Olympic events, and should cost about $100 to $120 dollars per night (U.S. dollars) and have a 4-star rating and good reviews.

P.S. Anybody know what a 'hutong' is?

$10,000 for a press pass!!! Holy cow!

It is great that you are going, Greg. I really believe we are going to have an absolutely classic experience.

If I start digging right now, I might be able to meet you guys there. I'll be the dirty guy with the straight spade and goofy Nortakoda accent.

Hutong?

Hutong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutong

Nice Travis..Thanks..

Travis W...thanks for the hutong thing. I read a review of Beijing written by a tourist who visits there often. He said that his favorite thing is the hutongs.

Nortakota? Is that next to the greatest state in the Union, Montana?

Cool that you are coming, neighbor.

P.S. Susan is back researching Beijing hotels. Maybe this evening she will have one selected. If so, we will post it here.

P.P.S. For those who are going to the Olympics, how long are you thinking of being in Beijing? I think Greg said ten days. Anybody else have this worked out yet? And why?

In truth I doubt I will be able to go!

My wife has ok'ed the idea of me getting back involved in the Cycling Industry. Something I have very much missed. With the real estate market cooling in AZ we will be watching funds.

Gary

Okay, here is a big step forward on selecting a hotel:

Susan and I want a nice hotel in central Beijing, walking distance to Tinamen Square, the Forbidden City, restaurants, hutongs, etc. We're thinking 4-star or 5-star and we do not want to spend a stupid amount of money on it. Basically, these are our parameters.

So far we have two hotels tentatively selected: The Wangfujing Grand and the Scitech Hotel.

The Wangfujing is a 5-star hotel. It costs $149 U.S. during the Olympics for a standard room for two people, and is walking distance to Tinamen Square, etc. It has very received good reviews.

The Sitech Hotel is even closer to Tinamen Square (which is in the very center of Beijing). It is a 4-star hotel and costs $121 for a standard room for two people during the Olympics. It has received maybe even better reviews than the Wangfujing.

Anybody who is interested in selecting a hotel, here is a good comparative website to go to: www.asiarooms.com/china/beijing.html
click on 4-star or 5-star (or whatever star rating you want) and you can compare Beijing hotels by price, by rating, by location, etc. If you find a good one, post it here.

We need to do a little more research in this website, then go to Travelocity to see if we can improve on the price.

Oz said:
"Nortakota? Is that next to the greatest state in the Union, Montana?"

Yup! To be honest, I just had to make a bad "digging to China" joke because nobody had yet. I'll be lucky if I make it to Bozeman to do some skiing in 2008.

BTW--thanks for making magazines that I still get a kick out of reading 20+ years later.

[ April 20, 2007, 02:37 PM: Message edited by: TravisW ]

I just went back to the Scitech Hotel reviews to show Susan and found that there were only two reviews. I like to see a lot more reviews than that when I'm making comparisons. I'm not sure what I did wrong the first time I checked this hotel, but I am now a little less sure of it.

The Sitech Hotel in Beijing is back on my list, actually at the top right now. We found a lot more reviews on another website and they were all highly complementary.

Unfortunatly, I will have to decline on the trip....
Some of us still have jobs, and can't take two week vacations at will. Don't get me wrong...I'm just jealous....lol I was just stating that, It seems like with bicycle connections. That you could get tickets from someone over there. Mikey could get a block or something....?

What about Adventure Travel with Gary Ellis Sr? Surely he is going to put packages together.

Another hotel we have found that sounds excellent is the Xixi Friendship Hotel. It is a little farther from the Forbidden City (maybe five minutes more walking, maybe ten) than the Sitech and Wangfujing, but it is less expensive than the other two, has LARGE rooms, and includes breakfast. It is a 4-star hotel.

The price per day for two people for a standard room (all the rooms seem to be the same) is $107 U.S. and this includes all taxes and service charges.

However, we can only get two reviews, both of which highly recommend the hotel, but we need more reviews.

It is time for somebody else to jump in here and comment on these or other hotels.

Susan and I are getting ready to pick the events we wish to see, decide how much time we wish to spend in Beijing, and then make hotel reservations.

C'mon dudes and dudettes. Say something.

Oz Im liking that hotel option, Im good for 10 days for sure. I am working on a few things that will be interesting but to complicated to list here..If we could talk that would be great..Can you PM me your number?

My PM thing is shut off so I can't PM you. But you've got an E-mail with my number.