[CR]Derny Paced One Hour Record Attempt

(Example: Events:BVVW)

Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 21:56:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Fred Rafael Rednor" <fred_rednor@yahoo.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <00bf01c5daac$6194f7f0$0200a8c0@D8XCLL51>
Subject: [CR]Derny Paced One Hour Record Attempt

> When my dad was racing in Germany in the "20's, > he told of how the local club where the race was > held got to ride in the front row(s) and they > covered the street and only when flats, spill, > or ability made a hole in the line could an > opposing club get to the front. I'm sure if > you tried to get by on the side you were helped > to a ringside seat in the bushes.

Funny you should mention this. In Europe, it seems like that's the way it's done in local races, big training rides and even on organized non-competative rides.

In 1983, my wife and I quit our jobs and toured Europe - plus Israel and Egypt - on our LeJeune tandem. (As you can imagine, there were a couple of boat crossings in there but that's another story.)

So when we were in Pisa, we participated in this big ride organized by the Touring Club Italiano. The local Pisan racing clubs rode at the front and once we got out of the city they picked up the pace - at least at the front. My wife and I started a bit late because all the casual cyclists wanted to chat with the crazy Americans on the tandem.

Once we got rolling I could see it was going to be way too slow unless we moved to the front. That was no problem, other than having to weave through about 4000 slow cyclists. Well, we were finally just behind the local racers and I decided to move into their little peloton and perhaps even take a pull at the front. But... no way! These guys are actually blocking us and forcing off to the side of the road where the pavement isn't too good.

Finally I realized that they were truly defending the honor of their club and neighborhoods. Naturally I had to respond by forcing my way to the front, defending MY honor and thereby proving I'm a real man. Of course, my wife who was in the stoker seat had no interest in proving her manhood, so I had the locals admonishing me in Italian and my wife cursing me in English.

Anyway, if Sergio or one of the other Pisanos were on the "Pisa, Su Due Ruote" ride in 1983 - and you remember the red LeJeune tandem with the 2 Americans - that was my wife and me. (And I hope we defended our honor without showing any disrespect towards the local racers who turned out to be a really nice group.)
      Cheers,
      Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)