I just got back from a few days in Pennsylvania following the T-Town swap. A fanastic loooooong weekend!!!
I got to T-Town on Friday afternoon with my wife, Kris. We got off to a slow start that morning due to a still undertermined car problem that vanished as mysteriously as it appeared. Even so, we were only about 1/2 hour off schedule, to meet Billy Rounds and Eddie Albert for some riding on the track. Despite being involved with bikes and riding for over 30 years, I'm ashamed to say this was the first time I had ever been on a velodrome. It was a strange mix of terror and exhileration, for sure. I wish I hadn't put so high a gear on, though. (I would have been better off with the 46 X 19 I used on the road, than with the 46 X 15 I had installed at 2 a.m.) I think my '48 Paramount was quite happy to be back where it belonged! It was a blast riding with two CR friends, and we had the place virtually to ourselves. Of course, our camera batteries went dead, and I was having too much fun to dismount and help Kris with locating the charged ones. Billy had me laughing as I rode, and I want to thank him and Eddie for the pointers they gave this novice. It wasn't long before I felt comfortable and I can't wait to go down there in the spring!! (I hope Eddie didn't sell that Paramount....he looked like he was enjoying it too much.)
The swap was great, as has been echoed by the folks in previous postings. Billy Rounds sent a Zeus alloy 17T track cog over to my booth, so I should be able to spin better next time. Thanks amundo, Billy!!!!! It was great chatting with everyone. Thanks for the spare wristband, Tom Hayes!!! My friend Walter enjoyed. Matthew Bowne, that was me you got the rims from. Glad they found a good home. All in all, and fantastic time. I'm still drooling over that Higgins, Ken. Good thing I didn't have a buying frame of mind in place...Eddie mentioned he had something my size....
I left T-Town for Millvile, just north of Bloomberg, to visit my friend Walter and his wife who came to the swap. Walter is in his 70's, and had been an active rider until last year when he got his knees replaced. I was re-equiping his J.P. Weigle with a triple crankset and a Nitto "Hi-Rise" stem. It was great to see his smile as he tried out his revised ride. And we had two of the most beautiful fall days I can remember, enjoying some nice roads through Pennsylvania farmland.
Photos in T-Town album:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/
Mark Hoffman,
Back in New Britain, CT