Well, the first half of my first century was pretty unpleasant. It was the inagural Northeast Ohio Century (NOEC), 1974 I believe. Organized by Arnie Nashbar, who was then still selling parts out of his garage, and the Outspokin Wheelmen of Youngstwon, OH, of which I was a member.
Cold and raining at the start just north of Youngstown and rained all the way to Ashtabula, on Lake Erie to the north, the half-way point. Everyone stayed thoroughly soaked for 50 miles. I was riding my recently acquired 1973 LeJeune F-70, with a Brooks Pro saddle. The saddle got broken in very well on that one ride. I think maybe I had the presence of mind to tighten the nose bolt a bit to keep it from sagging, then lossen later after the ride as it dried. If so, it was amazing, as I was still new to this stuff. In any case, although getting an instant conditioning, the saddle survived and kept its shape and I ride it to this day.
Wool kit was still the standard then, but as we all know, wool loses its charm when thoroughly wet, so we were all thoroughly miserable. Fortunately, the sun finally came out at the half-way lunch stop in Ashtabula. A few miles into the return, we passed a landromat. Everyone pulled in, stripped off everything we could without being arrested, and threw our wool kit in the dryers. The return to Youngstown was much more pleasant with clearing skies and try wool garments.
I rode that same ride exactly 25 years later on the same LeJeune, which had been restored by CyclArt in the meantime. Much better weather that time.
Enough classic references here, Dale?
Regards,
Jerry Moos Houston, TX
oroboyz@aol.com wrote: << What was your most unpleasant ride memory? >>
Tell us.. So long as it intrinsically involves a vintage bike topic and frequently makes that connection throughout the description! (Otherwise it's Off Topic!) Thanks Dale
Dale Brown Greensboro, NC USA http://www.classicrendezvous.com
-----Original Message----- From: Bianca Pratorius To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 19:48:59 -0400 Subject: [CR]Most unpleasant bike ride
Last friday was a really good bike riding day for me. I had been on the trainer once that week and I had done all my assistance exercises, and met early with my usual buds, who have long since making fun of my "old" bikes. Being older, taking a turn at the front at 27.5 mph on the flats seemed almost impossible even a few months ago, and add to this, that I don't have tons of time to train as some do. On this day, I took my turn at front, led out in sprints, and bridge climbs and felt that I was hitting a good stride for me. Not one day later, and I saw myself coming down with a horrible intestinal flu, I fell on my tailbone while attempting to mow the yard, and tore a large blister in my hand while stupidly working with a chisel without leather gloves. This week I didn't ride, but instead wasted away, moaned a lot and wondered if I would ever have the strength to ride again (it was one of those flues).
I was reminded of the most unpleasant rides I have ever taken, mostly because having the flu gives you lots of time to think. I remembered a cold season in San Francisco and the number of times I was caught riding home to Mt. Sutro in the rain. The one that stood out in my mind comes back to me as torrential rain and a 20 minute ride home cutting north through the park, and how it felt that nothing could ever be more unpleasant than to be soaking wet, cold and sick from repeated exposures like this, and cringing at the thought of how all this rain was hurting my brand new 1981 beautiful brown Fuji. Another ride recalled 1972, and my half hour trip on the unlit roads of Woodstock N.Y. to Bearsville, and me with only a dying army flashlight clipped to my bars, feeling that I was flying, with no visual of either the bushes to the side of me, nor the blacktop below. In a moonless night, I had only the rush of adrenaline and the keen senses of a teenager to accompany me.
What was your most unpleasant ride memory?
Garth Libre in Miami Fl.