Welcome to My Blog

Hi, my name is Bruce and I like lugged steel bikes. I bring up the rear on most organized rides. It seems that no amount of training has any appreciable effect on my average pace. To be more accurate, I suppose I should say that it has no effect on my comfortable average speed. A closely guarded secret is that I can actually go fast when I really need to. But I ride because I love to ride, not because I love to go fast. I began cycling in 2001, when I came back from a week long mountain back pack trip, feeling like I was going to die. The skinny school runner and wrestler had yielded to a portly little desk jockey. My knees and back did not support running any more, so I tried a bike and LOVED it.

A cavalcade of various machines have spent a short stay in my garage as I tried out various designs and sizes. Generally, they sold for at least as much as I paid for them. So now I know that I am happiest on a road sport layout, and with a 26" wheel set (It fits my 5' - 6" stature better than 700 mm does). The bike most often ridden is a Rivendell Rambouillet. "Always williing, ever able" is the headbadge motto, and that describes the bike. Stable mates include a Rivendell Saluki and a KHS 800. The Saluki is a touring bike, currently with soft 38 mm Col De Vies mounted for an upcoming trip on dirt and crushed rock along the C & O towpath. The KHS is a go fast bike that is the winter trainer machine as well as an occasional road ride, when I feel nostalgic for the fast old days. The Ram came new, the Saluki is a higher end build bought used, and the KHS was my own build from a NOS Reynolds 853 frame bought as a left over.

I ride with the Montgomery Al Bike Club. A great group of people, where I have made good friends. Or at least people who don't run from the room when I arrive. What I lack in ride speed, I try to supplant with writing wit, and so have become a regular poster of club ride reports. Some club members indicate that they enjoy these and so as Carl's suggestion (make that threats of bodily harm) and help, here is my launch of the MBC ride report blog.

A few older posts were put in, as much for practice in blog posts as anything else, but I have more if you want them. Just email me if you want some forwarded to you, or you can look at the club's Yahoo Group Website. A few pictures are in my photobucket album. I'l add more this year as we go.

http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg8/Fullylugged/

My current read is Paul Fournel's "Need For The Bike." That's me, I have a need for the bike. Do you? I'm not a fast or slow rider, a trend setter or a retrogrouch. I am a cyclist. You should be too. It's a great life.

Tailwinds