Re: [CR]What is your most challenging ride?

(Example: Framebuilding:Norris Lockley)

From: <Philcycles@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jul 2002 12:53:19 EDT
Subject: Re: [CR]What is your most challenging ride?
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


I grew up in San Francisco in the 50s. I got my first derailleur bike, an 8 speed Frejus, from American Cyclery, then owned by Oscar Juner, when I was about 8 or 9. We lived on the edge of the Presidio in Presidio Heights and it was a short ride through the Presido to the Golden Gate Bridge, a ride I'd done on my 3 speed many times. With the Frejus, though, my horizons broadened. I would ride across the bridge to Sausalito. The ride to The Bridge was easy. The Bridge was another story. In those days it was Illegal to ride a bike on the Bridge. So I thought I'd walk the bike until I was out of sight of The Toll Plaza around the curve and then ride across without being seen. It worked! I made it across! Did "they" know? Now I know they must have but 45 years ago I really got away with something. Now it was an easy coast down to Sausalito.

I had a sandwich on the Plaza and started back. The coast down was now a very tough climb back to the Bridge, made worse by the strong afternoon winds accelerated through to cuts that the road passed through. I was stopped dead a couple of times but I kept going. A little down hill where the Fort Cronkite road joined gave a rest and then it was back, climbing into the toughest head wind I'd ever felt. Eventually I made it to the view area at the north end of the Bridge and a rest. Now it was just another stealth ride across The Bridge, again without being seen. A milk shake at the coffe shop at The Toll Plaza, now a gift shop, and it was back through The Presidio, again mostly uphill but and home.

The feeling i had when I got home was amazing. It must have been because I still remember it many years later. The freedom was something I'd never felt. I could go somewhere, a long way from home, by myself, no parents or anybody else, under my oun power.

Later i did that ride mamy times, as a child and adult. It never got easy. But the first time, that was a challenge. Phil Brown In nostalgic NoHo, Ca