Eric Werner and Jackie Young pull items off the shelf at Whole Foods Market.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Nothing about Rex Roof’s grocery list was too out of the ordinary - spaghetti, rice, soap, peanut butter, razors and a dozen or so more items he could easily find at the Busch’s Market on South Main Street, where he stood Sunday afternoon.

But he wasn’t just shopping at Busch’s - he was mapping out a roughly 20-mile route in which he could hit Plum Market, the People’s Food Co-op and other grocers.

And not by car, but by bike.

Roof was one of roughly 30 riders partaking in this year’s Cranksgiving, a two-hour bike ride in which bicyclists zipped between grocery stores to buy as many items as possible to donate to Food Gatherers.

“I like the idea of helping out Food Gatherers, and I like an excuse to get on a bike in this weather - it takes a lot to get motivated to do that,” Roof said on the sunny but windy day with temps around 40 degrees.

The riding team of Jackie Young, Kenneth Tsang and Eric Werner pack up their bikes with groceries outside Whole Foods Market.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

Ypsilanti resident Thomas Kula, who organized the event along with friend Tom Lennon, said the riders collected roughly 800 pounds of food. The afternoon’s receipts totaled well over $1,000.

“I think it was definitely a success,” Kula said. “There was a giant pile of food sitting next to the (registration) table.”

It went especially well considering this year’s ride almost didn’t happen. Cranksgiving started on the streets of New York City more than 10 years ago and quickly caught on in other major cities.

In 2007, the first ride through Ann Arbor was a success. Kula helped out, but its main organizer couldn’t find the time this year, so a week before Thanksgiving - when the ride usually happens - Kula and Lennon jumped into action.

“It’s something that people really like and start to ask about around this time of year, so when the guy who normally did it couldn’t, Tom Lennon and I said ‘Yeah, let’s make this happen,’” Kula said.

Almost immediately riders were signing up, including Eric Werner, who traveled from Auburn Hills to go on this year’s race.

Ella Hall, 5, and Miles Hall, 2, wait to start their Cranksgiving ride while their parents, Noah and Jennifer Hall, register.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

“”It’s a great chance to mix charity and fun,” Werner said of making the hour-long drive to ride through the cold for two hours.

Sponsors also signed on and donated a wide-range of prizes for the winners.

Roof won last year’s race with the best weight-to-time ratio. This year, because of what Kula descried as the “large cache” of prizes donated by sponsors, several prize categories were developed.

One participant hauled in an afternoon high of 78 pounds, and in the "budget shopper" contest - which measured the best pounds to dollars spent ratio - one thrifty rider spent about $1.25 per pound.

Prizes were also awarded to shoppers who bought a secret item - baby formula - that costs a lot but weighs little. And a “people’s choice” award went to one rider who shopped on a less expensive mountain bike not necessarily designed for long distance races through the city.

“This was for a person who just did something extra cool,” Kula said. “It went to a guy who was riding on a bike that was a little iffy.”

Kula and Lennon are also organizing a Cranksgiving in June.

“The folks with Food Gatherers get a lot of donations during the end of the year, but their need is great throughout the year,” Kula said.

For more information, email Kula at info@ypsivelo.org.

Tom Perkins is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.