I printed out the LA Times article and read it while eating dinner this evening. As I am reading the article, I mentioned to my wife that I know this guy, this guy and that guy and remarked how much fun I had at the Gorski MOY ride while pulling a west coast business trip in January 04. A touch of jealousy set in as I read further about the ride's details. I then look outside the window and watch the snow fall at a nasty pace...when is it going to end.
Well Mr. Schmidt, my excuse for not making your ride Chuck is that it was too damn far or I would have been there with you guys enjoying the day.
See ya in Greensboro
Mike "the other" Schmidt
Stirling, NJ - on the right coast
> Peter Kohler wrote:
> >
> > Original Message:
> > -----------------
> > From: Gregory Townsend gtownsend3590@yahoo.com
> > Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 12:55:02 -0800 (PST)
> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> > Subject: Re: [CR]LA Times article about the Pasadena ride
> >
> >
> > "I was emabarrassed about not knowing the age of my bike made so public
on
> > my first ride with the group but it was still great fun. By the way
those
> > were my Airlites!
> >
> > Gregory Townsend
> > Monrovia Ca"
> >
> > Ah so, then my apologies to you and to Chuck.
> >
> > One of the reasons a lot of guys with classic bikes not using them is
peer
> > pressure.. most seem to be cycling in groups and I guess they feel out
of
> > place if not carbon-framed and spandex-clad. But when they see a
classic,
> > they come out of the closet. I had three different guys waxing nostalgic
> > about their Raleigh Internationals and Professionals when they saw my
> > Raleigh Competition... I asked they why the heck they weren't RIDING
them!
> > Two said it might be time to dust them off. The other said he wanted
> > something "more competitive" (!).. I guess I disproved that notion when
I
> > passed his Litespeed with my 25-year-old Comp GS! Hint: you'll never be
> > bothered with the creaks, rattles and buzzing of new bikes if you pass
them
> > at a nice clip on your lugged steel machine.
> >
> > Peter Kohler
> > Washington DC USA
>
>
> My '59 Mercian Vigorelli road/track has BH hubs (British Hub Ltd) that
> are threaded on one side for a track cog and lock ring, and threaded on
> the other for a single cog freewheel. They are stamped "FRANCE", then
> "Super-Leger", then "B. H.", and are equipped with G.B. alloy wingnuts
> and amazingly, the solid axles have four flutes milled the length of the
> section between the bearing cones! Super-light indeed!
>
> As to guys with classic bikes not using them? It is my observation,
> after having a monthly vintage bike ride for approximately the past four
> years now... and I'm talking about the LA area where there are literally
> thousands of period lightweight bikes... that there is consistently
> between 4 (at the least) and 20 or so (at the most) riders that show up.
> Plenty of people are fully aware that there is a monthly vintage bike
> ride at the Rose Bowl, but for many reasons they won't attend.
>
> In other words the reasons for _not_ coming to the ride out number the
> reasons _to_ come to the ride. ("I'm not that good a rider, it's too
> far, my bike is not that neat, you'll laugh at my clothing, you'll drop
> me, it would disrupt my traning, I'm too fast a rider for you geezers to
> stay with, I'm washing my hair," etc.)
>
> It's a guy thing (actually an insecurity thing) in my opinion.
>
> Chuck "will ride at the drop of a hat" Schmidt
> South Pasadena, Southern California
>
> .