A Pandemic Retrospective

 2022 is drawing to a close and so it seems is the daily drumbeat of negative health news. No matter what you believe about its origin, its seriousness, the effectiveness of vaccines, or public health policies here or abroad, Covid19 has brought change in the way we live out our lives. Fewer people are deathly ill with it now, although the disease itself is with us for the long haul. What changes has it brought for you? For me, my outside sales job went from frequent trips to knock on customer doors to more (home) office based email, telephone and internet contacts. It works, as 2022 is my biggest sales year so far, despite many challenges. 

Do you remember "two weeks to flatten the curve?" The New York Times first reported on  "Flattening The Coronavirus Curve" on 4/11/20. Parents off work for a couple of weeks were trying to entertain bored kids out of school for the same duration and bikes were a good way to do that. Many bikes needed service or repair, but the shops were all also closed.  I started to help people in bigger numbers fix their bikes around this time and a friend sent me a poster (as a joke I think) that said "Prattville Bike Shop." So crammed in among the boxes and cars in our garage, I worked on bikes when I could. For my birthday in 2021, we got rack shelves and a workbench and organized half our garage space into a real bike repair shop. Daughter-in-law Alisha sent a Prattville Bike Shop sign that I put on the door of the garage drink fridge and we hung bike theme stuff on the walls. The shop became a Galatians 6:10 ministry for me. "As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone...."  Really, my life needs to be that way, not just the shop. It operates in the afternoons when my workday is over, or in the early mornings, or on weekends. 6 - 10 people are helped on average every week. All kinds of bikes, from multi thousand dollar carbon Cervelo, Pinarello and Guru race machines, to Wal-Mart cheapie kid toys. We even made it to Google maps! We have never charged anyone for the work done at the shop or for parts that we have on hand. Sometimes, people who can and who want to offer to make a donation. We gratefully accept and appreciate them. They range from boxes of parts, tires and tubes to tools, and even cash. Earlier tonight, I placed a reorder for supplies on Amazon and donations make this easier for me. We continue to service bikes donated to the local club for re-homing and when we started doing that, the club reimbursed me for the parts and supplies I had to buy for the bikes. I am pleased that we are at a point with donations now that we have not had to get any money at all from the club this year. Recently, we met a woman at the club office to get her a re-homed Specialized Sirrus from the mid 90's for her husband, with a helmet and a safe cycling guide. A lot of (free!) work and parts went into it, but it's a solid bike and the new bike day smiles are always worth it.

 The Covid-caused home based work schedule has opened up early mornings for me to ride during the week. I absolutely LOVE my little peloton! They put up with me for starters. They're loyal, encouraging, and just nice people to know. The mix of who rides on any given day is changeable but the spirit of it is the same no matter what. I appreciate them all. I discovered recumbent bikes this year too. A relocating friend clearing out a garage led me to take a road trip to New Orleans to pick up a Bacchetta Corsa V60. After a 10 hr or so learning curve, which included some tip overs and silly looking Fred Flintstone action, it clicked and I was comfy on it. I ride further and faster on it than my upright bikes, although climbing hills is harder. There has been improvement through practice as well as a second recumbent that is better configured for hills and rough roads.

Riding more has helped my effort to get slimmer, which in turn makes riding easier. I've gotten as close as within a pound of the original goal, but my weight floats back up again a pound or two. I'm happy though.  I started the year heavier than I have been in decades and with poor test results for cholesterol and blood sugar. In April I got serious about eating better and exercising more. I dropped about 40 lbs by Thanksgiving. Now to keep it off. My total miles this year will be a personal best and so will the average pace. Climbing is down some, not uncommon in aging riders. Miles up and weight down is a winning combo.

What else in 2022? I was the moderator of our church presbytery this year. Kind of like a meeting chairman for about 50 churches in our part of the state. We had some additional special activity this year with some national and international church issues and it took time from my schedule. I feel blessed to have served though and to have met some fine leaders from other churches who attend the meetings. I also served as a "borrowed elder" for another local church to help train some men to assume leadership roles there. I am the chaplain in the Trail Life USA (a church based scouting style of group) troop that meets at our church, preparing and delivering a devotional message each week, and I teach Sunday school to adults. I've filled pulpits a couple of times for Baptists and Presbyterians this year too.  

 Being home more has given Sharon and me more time together. We enjoy just hanging out, doing errands together, anything really. We have become stay-at-homebodies for sure. Thanksgiving was our 46th anniversary and it gets better every year. Her thing is reading. She reads books like I ride bikes. Maybe more so. We each could probably do a little more of what the other does and gain from it. I still write a lot of letters. A number of new fountain pens have joined my collection this year and my interest in them has been re-kindled. I enjoy fitting vintage nibs in new pens to get the best of both. The hot rodded pens then see service in the writing of letters.

So life has shifted for me under Covid, but not all has been negative. Some changes are neutral, some have been positive. Sharon and I both got Covid around the same time in June. That was not fun. I will be pleased to not see Covid in our house again, ever. In fact, Covid could disappear and all the restrictions be lifted and that would be great! We can keep the lessons learned about remote working and efficient fast food drive through, but lose the arguing over booster effectiveness.

Thoughts for 2023? Do you make New Year resolutions? I don't. There are some things that I do think about for the year ahead though. Becoming more intentional in my prayers, especially for the welfare of others. Continuing to read through the Bible in a year as I have done for quite a while now.  Reading more of other books. Continuing to fit in the pants I have reduced down to. Riding more. (including some longer distance routes with Randonneurs USA. Working on a P-12 award). I passed along the baton of RBA (Regional Brevet Advisor) for RUSA to other, capable, hands this year and next year I rotate off the board of the local bike club and out of my 2 chairman roles. I will not be a church moderator or borrowed elder next year so there will be some time available to relax, reflect, or work on more bikes at the shop! I'll continue to work for a living while there is work to be done. In February, there will be a company wide meeting in Phoenix to hear about plans and strategy. 

However your 2022 has gone, I wish you a happy New Year and hope your 2023 is a great year. I pray that God extends his grace to you and blesses you. Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Things that change and things that stay the same

 We enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather today. It was perfect for a late winter bike ride (65F at the start, 80F at the end!) save for the 25 mph wind gusts that gave us a little problem. I picked the route to shield us from most of the wind. Another group in the bike club did a route with 20 miles dead into the wind before turning and getting a tailwind back home. We had a route that mostly went 90 degrees to the wind and had trees often to soften it when we had to head into it. It was behind us for much of the way home. I averaged 14.2 mph on the ride today (C pace is 13-15 so I was about in the center of the advertised range)  My avg speed for the over 63,000 miles ridden since I started as an adult in 2001 is also 14.2.  Which is to say, no matter what bike I ride, whether my weight is up or down, my riding pace is pretty predictable. I don't ride for speed anyway.  I ride because I really enjoy it. I enjoy the sound the bike makes as it's pedaled and the tires roll over the paving; as the chain moves around the gears and through the derailleurs. I like how my legs feel when they are working to move me where I want to go. I enjoy the company and conversation of other riders, the stories shared at store stops, the undulation of the highway, the signs of color in the fields and trees we pass, I could go on. When I enjoy a bike ride, I am enjoying God and the creation spread out before me. Eccl 9: 7,9 captures the essence of it. There is war in the world, there are troubles because we inhabit a broken, sinful place. yet there is joy too.

" 7Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do. 9 Enjoy life ...."

Today we met an African American couple at a store stop and I talked to them about getting bikes and joining us.  Since we were a bunch of white folks, they might have been skeptical.  I shared with them who Major Taylor was (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Taylor) and about our sponsored  race team the Red Tails (named for the nickname of the Tuskegee pilots in WW II https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_Airmen). I asked the gentleman how old he thought I was.  He missed by about 20 years too young.  "It's because I ride.  You should too!" I said. Told him about our free bikes at the club Outreach as well.

I called our son last night and we had a nice conversation. We shared about our jobs and both of us are blessed to have the jobs we do. For me, doing the same things week in and week out with customers, co workers, etc. helps insulate me from perceiving the passage of time. Retire? Why? I have a job I like, it pays better than being retired and comes with benefits. Some obvious, some less so. Another thing that stays the same.

People from my past cross my mind from time to time. That probably happens to a lot of people. Today I went digging to see if I could find my 1st ever friend, John White. He lived next door and was 9 months older than me.  Our moms were friends and we played together in diapers, and later overalls and jeans.  We lost track about age 10 when we moved to another town. I'd heard later he got into drugs, got straightened out and worked for an airplane manufacturer. I found his obituary today. He died suddenly in 2004. It is a reminder of the passage of time when people I knew (or still know) finish their time here and move on to what's next. So my long ago playmate  is on my mind tonight. But so is the joy of the ride today and the promise of another ride soon to come. Maybe even tomorrow.  Here's a picture of my 1st bike ride, with my dad (died in 1996). John is the one watching, back to the camera.

"I'm Singin' In The Rain"

I usually keep an eye on the weather in the run up to a ride. If it's going to rain, I don't go.  I've certainly ridden in rain, all day in fact, but nice weather is what I prefer. Rain is in the forecast all week and when 10:00 rolled around this morning, it was misting almost heavily enough to be called a drizzle. I posted the ride, but only 1 taker was interested and she decided to stay dry. After saying I too would skip, I hopped on the bike anyway and set out.

It was great.  For a sense of how it felt:



Riding solo lets me relax in way riding with others can't. I don't need to stay up with anyone, or wait for anyone. I can stop when I feel like it, and start again when ready. I hear the bike better, the chain, the pedals, the shifters, I feel them and I feel how my muscles are working without distraction. I play music in my head. A good cover band doing Roll With The Changes, an Italian acoustic trio doing a fantastic Sultans of Swing. I think about my Sunday School lesson, bike projects, all sorts of things.

Someone called out my name as I passed the public artesian fountain along Autauga Creek. I didn't know who it was, but they knew me from a past ride and wanted to "get back on the bike." Always a good thing, I agreed.

I thought about all the bikes I've fixed for people. (I don't charge. I did appreciate the smoked pork that someone gave me as a thank you though. Also a can of WD-40 from another.) It's a way to minister to people that blesses me as much as it helps them. It leads to some fruitful conversation as well.

The mist-drizzle-sweat all mixed to make me pretty wet. No issue for a wool kit though. I wiped my glasses with a finger when needed and I could see, enough. In the Summer (and for all intent and purpose, it is Summer here in the steamy south) rain on a ride is a cool refreshment. Ride refreshed my friends.

Nice Day For a Metric

Diana, one of the riders in our little back channel C pace group during the shutdown/slowdown times of Corona, has been wanting to push a bit longer in distance. We rode 50 miles last Saturday and today I posted a metric century (62 miles) which a total of 6 riders went on.  The forecast for overcast all day was 100% wrong. It was gorgeously sunny, but also warmed to a very summer-like 86 F before we were done. It was humid and I was conscious of the need to drink a LOT of fluid today. I left the house with (2) 22 oz bottles and a 50 oz Camelbak. I drank all that today and then some.

The ride itself was good.  No dogs anywhere, mostly decent pavement and mostly decent drivers. It was flats and rollers except for a long hill with 2 steeper sections and 2 shallower at the very end of the ride. Depending on whose GPS you want to believe, we climbed 1330', 1550', 1631', or 1825' (from memory, so +/-)  Still, not hard on the climbing. Our pace was decent throughout.  We slowed in a couple of neighborhoods that we went through, but were cruising on Northern Blvd at about 18, which is spiffy for me.

We had a great food stop at the Eastchase Shopping Center. Curbside only at Panera, but several had the app and ordered while we sat in the shade at their tables.  3 of us went 2 doors down to Zoe's.  I enjoyed the basil pesto hummus with pita.  We were 40 miles in at that point and a mite peckish. Other store stops along the way afforded brief rests and refills as needed of water bottles, or bathroom facilities.  I refilled my Camelbak with water at Zoe's.

Just as we approached our turn off Northern Blvd onto Coliseum Blvd/AL River Pkwy, I saw Theo standing next to his bike.  He had a flat. I stayed with him while he changed it. That involved a tire lever snapping on him, and some work to remove and replace his disk brake wheel. (No quick release with that).  He finished the repair and headed off and pfffffpppptttt, flat again. We had just turned the corner and found our group waiting. 2 had to go on, but 3 of us stayed with Theo.  Diana scanned the tire and found a wire sticking in the tread which she was able to extract. Then 3 people who have CO2 tire fill devices, but haven't used them much tried to re-inflate the tire. That was a hoot. CO2 was sprayed around the tire.  A blast of it exploded a tube. It partially filled the 3rd tube, but then all of it escaped as they tried to get it aired up all the way. By this time, Theo was ready to hand me the wheel, with the tire not on the rim quite right either. I took the opportunity to suggest to Brannon, Diana and Theo, that practicing with CO2 fillers in their own driveway with relaxing beverage of choice at hand was really a good idea. Trying to ken it out roadside while bent over and dripping sweat is tougher.  I pulled out the trusty frame pump and pumped up the tire. I did catch my pinkie in the pump while working it briskly and got a blood blister, which served me right for finding everything so amusing. It held air and we were off again.

Congrats to Theo on his first metric century! To Diana for a strong ride, and to Brannon for finishing well.  Rick and Mitch were done ahead of us, but they're B riders and we expected that. It still always nice to have them along on a ride.  I had a decent avg going into that last stupid hill, but dropped from 15+ to 14.6 on the climb. What was I thinking when I ended this route that way? Oh yeah, the challenge is good.

The Covidian Spring

Welcome back friends! It's been a delightful Spring so far, after a very rainy late Winter. Well, other than that life has changed significantly for many people due to the Corona Virus Novel 2019 and associated Covid19 disease. Politicians have had a field day with it, with some only paying attention to scientists when the observations seemed to lean their way. So far what we know is, 99.8% of people have NOT gotten ill from it yet (some had it and hardly knew it). That still means many people have been sick and a higher than usual (for colds, flu, the illnesses we mostly think of when a virus is mentioned) number of these have died. Unusually strong counter measures were enforced starting in March, and for many people, unemployment ensued, anxiety attacked and short tempers with disagreers on the best course of action flared.  But the aroma of tea olives and jasmine, wisteria and honeysuckle is still no less sweet. The birds sing and the weather has been great to ride a bicycle. Riding is an excellent way to burn adrenaline and order your thoughts away from the screaming headlines. Exercise is one of the ways you can protect yourself from illness we are told.

Our local club and my national randonneur outfit went on hiatus when the mandatory gathering restrictions came out.  The local club has just this week opened back up since our area saw an easing of restrictions effective 5/11. I've been riding pretty much my regular schedule all along, either solo, or with just a few friends I know are not sick and we keep a good distance apart. No handshakes, etc.  I'm right on my average for mileage and just a hair slower in pace for this point in the year. I'll be 67 this year and if 1 mph is all I have to concede in order to keep going 3,500/yr, I can live with that. It's up and down though.  Yesterday I rode a 50 mile loop I've done several times over the past 10 years. I was quicker by about 1/2 mph than the previous best.  Go figure. Brisk headwind for 10 open country miles coming in too. It was less help behind me in the shaded outbound portion than it was an obstacle coming back in, and that is always how wind works for me. There's been so much wind this year that I hardly care anymore. Just ride. Slow down when I have to, speed up when I can.  Manage the effort level and don't let myself get too winded  (haha, right?).

I've really enjoyed helping people with bike questions and user level repairs. Our garage has seen a steady stream of projects from bent wheels to  stuck shifters to rehabbing donations so they can be re-homed. Our club has been doing a weekly FaceBook live class for bike stuff during the shut down and it seems to be doing well. I certainly enjoy teaching them. They're aimed at mechanical beginners, not cycle gurus.

We've been doing church via Zoom and that has worked out okay for the most part.  I also teach Weds nights and do Sunday school that way.  We'll have our 1st in-person worship next Sunday with alternate pews only and families at least 6' apart. No passing the collection plate (on a table in the back instead) or communion while it's not safe to touch things and pass around. I'm hopeful that it comes together as we plan.

Work is little different for me. I worked from home before, so no change there. I can't just drop in on people, but I do go when requested to meet a customer. Again, distance, no touching.  I am sad for those furloughed or whose jobs have evaporated during the shutdown.

You'll be shocked and amazed that there have been no new paint jobs or bike re-builds. I am still happy with what I have. I continue to be the leading Alabama sales rep for Selle-Anatomica saddles, although they pay not a cent in commission. :)  2 friends ordered 3 saddles between them after trying mine and a 3rd friend borrowed my spare today to test out. Our Sunday Social ride was a rain out, but I met the saddle borrower and a friend needing crank arm puller assistance under a former bank drive through canopy and conducted bike business there instead.

You know, if the bike uptick continues after the covid all-clear sounds, I may be able to switch from selling pre-engineered metal buildings to doing bike fitting and repairs for cash money instead of just for fun. I'm not betting on it. There would be more likelihood if cycling infrastructure (bike lanes, bike racks, bike traffic signals) were in place.

I'll leave you with this funny story.  Yesterday on the ride, one of the other cyclists turned and asked me, "surely someone has suggested you check your saddle height, because your hips really rock a lot."  It made me laugh because I'm pretty well versed on bike fit :).  I actually know people who like to ride behind me because they get a laugh at how funny I look. (Dana A, I am thinking of you here).  What's really a treat is when my friend Frank and I ride together. We BOTH rock and often in opposite directions. Side by side we are highly entertaining I'm sure!  No, my legs are properly extended at the bottom of my pedal stroke and the saddle height is comfortable. I push hard on the pedals and the bike rocks side to side at times and my hips do too.  It's just an idiosyncrasy.  I'm such a goof on an old lugged steel bike, often in baggy MTB or touring shorts (unpadded as a rule), Keen sandals and wool, on a leather saddle. No electronic shifting (or brifters for that matter), carbon or Ti anywhere. yet somehow, I still love to ride and can't remember a ride I didn't feel glad to do (even if I was ready to be done somewhere before the end of it).  Some pictures from a Sunday Social ride.  My Rivendell Rambouillet behind Barbara's Rivdendell Clem L. I suggested that bike to her and was amazed she got it. She loves it as I do mine.  Then there's me at my most comfortable, in non spandex and just cruisin'.  With that, I'll cruise on out and wish you all tailwinds until next time.

Springtime Renewal

I don't know about you, but the melodies of songbirds in the morning does my heart good. Whether it's taking the dogs for a walk or pedaling a quiet road, I am thankful that we share this space with such pleasing creatures.

I've been a busy guy since the last post. Busy eating for one thing, so climbing hills is more of a chore. Busy teaching on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings at church and attending session and committee meetings I either chair or contribute to. Busy with a weekly bike club ride/news email. Busy planning and running 9 - 12 RUSA events in this region each year. Oh, I and still work full time too.  My cycling frequency and distance seemed to drop a little last year, but reviewing the stats, it turns out to have been pretty average.  This year, I'm an organizer for a supported ride that will actually be in Feb 2020 to mark 55 yrs since the famous Selma - Montgomery Voting Rights March. I'm also helping to put on a gravel ride event this October. And this despite the fact that I do not do gravel! Each week, like herding cats, I try to round up our club ride leaders and determine what we have on offer. It all takes time.

Somehow, in and around and through all that, I've managed to re-build 2 bikes recently. To say they turned out well is a severe understatement. Added to the bike built last July and the other one re-configured 2 years ago, there are now 4 great options to pedal hanging in our garage. You get more of a feel for what works for you when you set them up yourself,.  One is now an upright Sunday Social cruiser and local townie bike (although I did a supported ride on it recently and it was fine.) One is my hill trainer and night rider with lights on it. One is a wide range brevet bike and this latest one is a light responsive go-fast (as fast as I go anyway) bike. Gearing ranges from 26/36 (useful for climbing Cheaha or Lookout Mtns, both of which I have done) to 52/11 (useful only when going down a steep hill.) Most of the time, I like to spin at 82 - 84 rpm on flats with about 60 gear inches.  Tires are all 38 mm.

Re-building these 2 last bikes after both were repainted has stoked the desire to spend more time on my bikes. Yesterday, I rode to the start of a ride for the first time in a while, because I wanted more miles.  I've ridden every day this month so far. Some days, just laps in the neighborhood or a pedal to Burger King or Panda Express and the vet to get dog meds. But something. Another rider I've known for years and who I've ridden with on occasion is also feeling the bug and we've buddied up to be the caboose on the serious hill training rides held twice a week nearby.

Another rider & I presented cycling safety and basics to some American Heritage Girls on Saturday. We then led different groups on rides for their merit badges.  Along the way, we would stop frequently to re-group as abilities were widely spaced. while chatting with a mom who was in our group (I tried to recruit them ALL for our club rides) I lamented waiting to around age 50 to start cycling (about 16 yrs ago). She replied, "50? can I ask how old you are now?" So I told her and she was very surprised.  "It's because I ride," I answered.  So that was pretty encouraging too.

Here are the bikes.  The rain is moving through so I plan to get some lunchtime laps in today.

On top of the Mountain!

That's how I felt Friday when I came home from my week on the road. There were several items of mail on my desk including a box from  Richard who used to live a few blocks from me and who pedaled some with us while he was stationed in town. This package came from Germany. First, I was thrilled that he thought of me, as our time together was brief and I have learned that part of the psychological survival technique of military people is to be friendly with those currently around them, but be ready to move on when the next assignment comes. Then, I opened the box and this is inside:

It's the real deal. A Tour de France jersey in the polka dot pattern worn by the champion hill climber. Richard got it when he went to watch a stage of the race in person at Dusseldorf. A TdF jersey from the real TdF! Of course, it's a perfect juxtaposition. I am a snail going up hills and he knows this having ridden with me. I may have the lowest gear ratio known that can be used and still remain upright on a bicycle. But I have the jersey for the fastest climber! I LOVE IT. Richard asked (and I can see him doing this with a straight face, although I was reading the letter he enclosed) if I could possibly work around the fact that this item is wicking synthetic and not wool.  Oh, the delightful irony! Well, I wore it on Saturday! With wool shorts and socks. (That's me on the 1984 Trek 660 made from Reynolds 531c tubes)

And here's the scary part.  I rode 2 mph over my typical pace. People were saying, "you're riding faster these days!"  No, just that one ride. But I'm keeping this jersey for when I need some extra speed. :)  Richard, you so made my day!  Thanks a ton. Look for a letter mailed today. 

In other news, this Saturday will be my 1st experiment in renting out bikes. A club member noted a website started up to connect ride needers with ride owners, called Spinlister. 2 riders from Iowa are coming to town to do our club century and they are renting Ferrous Bueller and Louise (2 steel framed lugged bikes). We'll see how that goes. I've also been on a wheel building craze. I've replaced some worn out hubs and put road hubs in place of MTB so the wheels will fit my bikes. When you build several in series, the lacing and tightening kind of becomes a groove and it's quite enjoyable. I think (pretty sure) that I have a good feel for the tension. I check of course for roundness and dish, but I get it pretty close just by the feel when I do it.  Maybe my next career will be a wheel builder?

I wrote back in August about helping a relative build a bike.  It came out well, but she had some initial flats caused I think by the too thin Origin8 brand rim tape. Switching to Velox seems to have cured that. I'm looking forward to bringing a bike of mine out that way in a few weeks and pedaling together with cousin Becky. Here's a picture of her new bike that I took while on a test ride before I delivered it to her.

It rides well and looks pretty. It should last her a long time too.

Next year's RUSA schedule is approved with 11 events. Including 3 at once. (a 100, 200 and 300 all on the same course). Hopefully, my new friend Andy in the GA RUSA group will get on the stick and organize the joint ride we have been talking about. With some good eats along the way. There are some nice folks over there. A Tennessee rider who can slow down to keep me company has agreed to ride our Mountain Music 200K next Spring (assuming she can get the time off from work to drive down) I'll have to wear the dots!

I mentioned that there were a few mail items waiting for me.  One was a pen made by 11 year old Ramsay Short. I read about him in a newspaper article. Great young entrepreneur who bought a wood lathe and makes pens to sell. He donates a portion from his proceeds to 2 local charities. It's a ballpoint, but I was happy to support him.  Finally, a more professional pen, made by Bexley, came as well. It is a special edition fountain pen to mark the 10K member of a pen group, and it  writes great. Talk about hitting for the cycle, that's 4 great things to talk about tonight. And I'm talking about the cycle because the team from where I was born (NYY) is back in the playoffs. At least for the moment. Their opponent (Cleveland) is very tough. And I like to cycle. SO I can cycle the bases or cycle the bikes. It's all good.

See you on a hill somewhere.  Look for the polka dots.

Tailwinds.

Hot Fun In The Summertime

Yes, as Sly and The Family Stone sang it way back when, when it's Summer, the heat is up and the fun is too. Despite sales trips out of town and rainy days that have dampened my mileage for the year, I'm still close to 2,000 miles for the year and that's fine. When not riding in or being the admin for a RUSA ride on Saturdays, I still post the club C pace (13 - 15 mph avg. 40 - 50 miles long) outings. There don't seem to be too many riders in that group anymore. Some have moved up to B or A group and others don't ride these days. I feel like a school teacher as I graduate a new class each year from C to B and look for the next batch of riders taking up serious cycling. None on the horizon right now though.  It may not be long that I'll be just posting a note; "Going for a ride, company welcome." and pedal solo or with a few others. If the distance is short, I can go faster. I can't hold the pace though for 50 or 60 miles.

Today, we rode a pretty loop between a suburb of Prattville (Booth) and a small community in south Chilton County known as Enterprise. Jennifer suggested this ride some time back and so it is known as "Jenn's Enterprise". It was warmer and more humid than forecast, sunnier and the wind was opposite the prediction of the night before. Other than that the weather app was right on target. I didn't wear sunglasses due to the forecast and I should have. I'm glad I put on sun block anyway, or I would have burned.  6 of us set out and were soon met by the B group which started earlier on a metric century and planned to catch us on the way. They had 10 speedy spandex whippets but it was still good to exchange greetings as our groups merged for a hundred yards or so. Plenty of fluids today and rest stops as needed to manage sweating and core temp. The air was drier by 11:00 AM but it got very hot.

Some of our riders are on their way back from one thing or another. Jenn is still not fully back from a bout with C. Difficile that required 2 separate hospitalizations and had her "scratching" (to use her term) on death's door. Dawn has a cartilage-less knee which was giving her problems today. She really had to ease up over the hills. Stan has been off the bike tending to ill family members so he is still working on getting back to 100%.  I have no reasons to explain being slow like others do. I'm just slow :) Sarah and Tim were riding just fine. I'm proud of them all.  Still other friends not present today are mending from one thing or another. Stafford broke a bone in a crash with a dog in late June. Holly is getting back into shape after her bike was rear ended by a car. Tony was with family today, but had recent foot surgery. Jeff who wiped out on the last turn of Sunday's social ride and left some skin on the road was out looking good with the B riders today.  It all serves as a reminder to me to appreciate what we have including opportunities to enjoy our rides.

The first stop was the store at Posey's Crossroads. They have not let cyclists use their bathroom for one excuse or another since new ownership has come in. For years prior to that, we did and bought fluid and food refills there.  Today it was a "flooding" issue. That didn't stop a store employee from using it though. Now that Dollar General is open across the street, we'll have to move. Anyway, Sarah needed to GO, so Jenn tells her about a spot behind the office building just down the street. People are IN the office! Sarah is obviously experienced at this because she click clacks in her cleats in and out of the secret spot in back in just a moment or two. Two questions form in my mind. How does Jenn know where this spot is and how is Sarah so adept at utilizing it?  This is reinforced later at another location where Jenn points to a secluded spot for Sarah again.  At least guys use trees, in the woods,  you know? Or plumbing at the Enterprise Store Stop where they were more welcoming.

We ended up with a moving average in the C range and everyone said they really enjoyed the ride. Especially Sarah. ;)

My wife's cousin Becky who lives in LA asked me a little while back for some help in finding the right bike. She previously had a TREK race bike but doesn't want to go that way again. After some back and forth, I thought the perfect bike for her would be a Rivendell Betty Foy or Cheviot, but they are quite spendy. I hunted around and remembered a small boutique company out on the west coast that has bikes made in the same factory as many other brands, including Rivendell, but at a much lower price. Becky agreed and so I am working with Trey at Cycle Therapy in Rome GA (where I ride every other week) on building this bike. Trey also sells custom steel framed bikes (they make them locally) and rides steel often himself. He "gets" what I'm after here for Becky. I posted the picture on FaceBook and it got a lot of likes. In case you missed it:

It should be ready in a couple of weeks. It's a French style bike. The goal is that it feels just right and she never even knows the thinking that went into matching the parts together, I'm very excited to be part of the project. It should come in at about 1/3 the cost of the Rivendell. Or what you might have bought a Riv for back in 2000 or so. I have 2 Rivs and love the ride, the handling and the dependability. I am really looking forward to a pedal with Becky after she gets the bike.

I mentioned RUSA earlier. We have an intro ride, called a "populaire" coming up on 8/19 down on the coast at Orange Beach. It's 100KM (62 miles) and you get the BEACH after the ride. I can't believe more people haven't signed up, but so far it's me and about 4 others. In Sept, there is a more challenging 400K ride from Florala through the FL panhandle and back.  This is our first year at Alabama Randonneurs with rides in the south part of the state. If no riders from the area want in, we'll drop that idea next year. Most of our routes are in the Mid and north areas. As the admin (called an RBA) I hope to have routes all over the state. There is a tedious process to get them certified, and I have a local 200K to work on now that we will run next year.

I've committed to ride a century (100+ miles) with friends in Tallassee next month and in October I'll ride our club century (workers ride - I work the event itself), and I'm doing the rest of the RUSA events this year either pedaling or supporting. Plenty on my calendar bike-wise.

Tailwinds!

We're Back On Our Saddles Again!

To paraphrase the country music classic. Yesterday, the regional cycling season kicked off with the Restoration Ride in Alpine AL. It's a fundraiser for a grist mill historical exhibit and in the 3rd year of existence drew its largest crowd to date. As always, it was wonderful to shout "Hi!" to those riders one only sees at these types of events, since they don't live near me. Our River Region was well represented and a number of us rode together. Club nabobs Bonnie and Robert had the new jerseys with them which they passed out. I put mine on over the wool I wore to the event and it served well as a windscreen on a damp, cool and overcast day. It sprinkled some too. Here's a picture taken just before the sun went behind the clouds for good.

 

It was a pleasant outing and I enjoyed the rideshare conversation up and back (90 mins each way +/-) as well as chitchat with a variety of local and out of town cyclists who I fell in with at different points along the way. I met a couple of new people including a fellow Rivendell rider from the Auburn area. My pace was a bit slower than usual, and I finished refreshed and ready for more. I reminded myself to do this more often :)  The post ride food was very good and I was delighted to see a table with a "Vegan" sign on it! There were other plant based eaters present too so it was a very nice touch.

The nicest thing, and the one that I am still somewhat emotional about, came while a group of us were sitting around eating after the ride. Somehow the topic of how one of our riders got started in cycling came up. One of those at the table said that it was because of me. Then one after another repeated that. I said that I just love bikes and riding and it's a joy to share that with others. But to know that people are getting good out of it and are now themselves sharing it with others is very satisfying to me. I told Sharon about it when I got home and got a little teary. And I'm not usually like that. 

Leaving the parking lot to go home, we soon came upon a rider with a large backpack, heading the same way we were. Brian Toone of course! His training ride for the day included a pedal from Birmingham, the Restoration Ride, and a return pedal to Birmingham. Brian is training for this year's RAAM. He placed in the top 10 on his last outing and looks to improve this year. Nice guy too. I rolled the window down and called out to him and he said hi back but I'm sure he had no idea who it was. 

RUSA season in Alabama starts next weekend with the Homestead Hollow 100K. I'm looking forward to it.

Tailwinds!

At the Close of Another Year

While there are yet a few weeks left in 2016, a space of a few hours opened up today because Sharon is not  back from a visit to her mother and the weather is not inviting for a Sunday Social pedal. As is true for many people, I often write based on how I feel. Our feelings inform our faith, politics, and relationships. The problem is, our feelings, mine included, are often wrong. In the worst case, we ignore facts and proceed as we feel. Sometimes, we acknowledge facts but try to shoehorn them into our feelings, instead of adjusting our perspective to the facts. Surely, my very few readers have seen examples of this from many sides during the recent political season. It happens in cycling too.
Despite being sure I was slower than ever, unable to climb a hill without an eBike assist and feeling like I *NEVER* ride anymore, the 2016 ride data says otherwise.

I rode at a FASTER average pace than anytime since 2011. The most climbing and most miles since 2012. More 100Ks than ever. And of course, I have pictures showing me smiling with a large variety of friends on rides all over 5 states. Here is my favorite:

 So, not so bad right? Aside from the fact that the extended cardio probably keeps my genetically sketchy (heart and circulatory issues run on both sides of my family) ticker working beyond its original service life, it elevates my mood, burns off untold bags of potato chips and allows me to enjoy the company of people I really like.

In my first year as the Regional Brevet Administrator for Alabama (that's with Randonneurs USA) our region put on 6 rides and attendance was good. 9 more are planned for 2017, including rides of 300KM and 400KM. I plan to ride all our 100KMs, one of our 200KMs and the 300KM. Depending on how I fare on the 300KM, I'll decide if I should try the 400KM (which is mostly in FL).  I also plan to ride several of the Alabama Backroads Century Series (ABCS) and other charity rides. I'll volunteer at the Montgomery Bike Club "Glassner Autumn Challenge" and ride the Tour Autauga in Prattville, the Restoration Ride in Alpine, the Cycling For Sight in Montgomery, Tri-States 100 in Dothan and the Children's Home ride in Talladega. I'll also pack my bike when I travel (after DST returns) and get in mid week miles mostly with the "Rome Rides A Bike" crowd. Other goals for 2017 include making cycling more widespread and more inclusive locally. We are pleased to have had more minority participation this year, but it's still a very caucasian recreation. Cycling is a unifier. We all look just as silly to outsiders in spandex no matter our politics, religion, accent, or skin color. Cyclists of all types stop to stand around and kibbitz while someone changes a flat tube. (Am I right?) Let's keep taking down barriers while we ride and then leave them down when off the bike. I'll be teaching a basic cycling course for the City of Prattville in the Spring. Hopefully, we'll get some kids and parents off to a safe start and on their bikes. The more people we have pedaling, the better it is for all people who pedal in terms of advocacy and popular mindset.

Although I've never worked as a school teacher, I think I have the same feelings at year end that they do when students advance to the next grade, as another group of C riders moves up to B or faster. I am glad to graduate my "students" but sad to lose their regular company on rides. We still connect from time to time of course when more than one pace group is on the same ride. That is, I miss them until the first of the next crop shows up at a ride! Frankly, the thing I love best about riding is introducing cycling (hopefully SAFE cycling) to new riders each year. Comfort bikes are traded in or sold as people upgrade to clip in pedals, faster rigs with battery powered shifters, lots of carbon, and generally support the cycling business. I still ride the same lugged steel bikes with old school drivetrains and somehow get to where I want to go. "I may not be fast but I am comfortable" is still my tag line. I am pleased to think that after my pedaling days have ended, (hopefully not in the NEAR future!) there will be riders who remember a short old guy in wool who rode in unpadded shorts on leather saddles and was still able to help them adjust the cleats on their clip-ins or get a larger cog cassette to work on the shifter they already had instead of buying new.

Cycling remains a great opportunity to spend quality one to one time with people as we pedal. I hear personal stories and we share ideas as we share the experience. In many cases, it has been a ministry opportunity as well. Speaking of one to one, I smile to think of the couples who have either met on our Sunday social ride or for who the rides have played a role in their relationship. An engagement was just announced last week. There has already been a wedding and a number of current dating pairs. I won't name names, but you all know who you are and you make me happy to be included in your circle of cycling friendship. There are others who I ride with that I just love like sisters and brothers.

I hope to see some of you on a ride soon.

Merry Christmas, and a safe and happy 2017

tailwinds always.

Life changing

That's what I've described the modification of my blood pressure medication to friends as. About a year ago, I started on a blood pressure medicine to combat my hereditary hyper-tension. It helped somewhat, but didn't get the numbers to where my doctor wanted them to be. My  weight is only about 10 lbs over goal and I both eat a healthy (mostly) diet and get exercise. Instead of upping the dosage again on the drug, he added a second element that works as a blood vessel dilator. To be honest, I don't think it's helped with my blood pressure, BUT, it has helped in several important ways. For one, my habitually cold hands and feet are now warm to normal human temperature. For another, blood flow to my heart is better and my athletic performance is notably better. For the third, I have a much greater sense of well being. Instead of going through the motions of exercise and riding my bike, I wake up looking forward to it each time. I'm really, really happy about it. I may not live any longer, but I am sure enjoying the life I live more. And, my BP is lower than it was. So that may help with more years to enjoy the company of loved ones and friends too.

Speaking of cycling, I've been busy. As the new RBA for Alabama in Randonneurs USA, I've organized a 100K and a 200K and have a 300K ride to administer coming in 2 weeks. I've also ridden several permanent populaires, as I work on a P-12 award with 2 cycling buddies from Auburn. This will be my first RUSA award. I even bought the jersey. My 1st non wool purchase in many years!

The old 1980 Nashbar Mark III (UJB, by Maruishi for Arnie Nashbar) got fresh paint from an excellent nearby source and was rebuilt as a Riv-ish tourer. Gone are the mustache bars and ancient 105 double drive train. The cockpit and drive train from the Saluki frame set only sold last year to Kellie (who has done a lovely job in re configuring that bike) went on this bike, along with a neat decal "Old Man Peterson's Ferrous Velocipedes". The old head tube ornamentation was just a decal which was stripped off in the paint  process. Jeff's  pewter "Madonna del Ghisallo" head badge takes its place. No Roman Catholic here, but the image of Mary and Jesus inside a chain ring is cool.  Here's a picture of the bike, now dubbed "Ferrous Bueller."

I think it really came out well and I've ridden it on two brevets since the rebuild. It's very comfortable. I ride less with the local club these days. Out of town most weeks, and schedule competition with rando events cut into club ride time. It's still nice to get out with the gang when I can though. This week, I worked in the Montgomery/Selma/Birmingham area so I was able to get to the Tuesday and Thursday evening rides. They were very enjoyable and well attended. Yesterday was a 41 mile club ride and my first on a tandem. I stoked for Max and we are going to carry that forward to next weekend's Dothan Tri-States century ride. It was a good workout, and we went faster than I would have solo. Tomorrow is the annual Memorial Day Metric. Ferrous gets the nod as steed of the day. I'm hoping for nice weather and a pleasant pedal. Kathy has threatened to keep me company in the rear of the pack too so i won't ALWAYS be straining for a glimpse of taillights in the distance. My average pace is up a little, but this ride is hilly and it will get hot so I don't expect a fast ride. The next two weeks should give faster times due to the layout of the routes.

It's nice to find satisfaction in riding again. Nice to pedal new roads and find new friends. Nice to enjoy time with old friends on well worn routes too. It's just good. :)

Tailwinds

Sportease Cycling lights Review

Last year, Stephen Dionne of Sportease World (Ontario Canada) contacted me (as ride chair of the local bike club) about some tail lights his company had made but couldn't sell for some reason. We never did connect on that, but I heard from him again a week ago regarding some new products. I was offered a good discount to buy and try their new headlight and they tossed in a free tail light to seal the deal. I bit on the bait and the items were promptly delivered to my door. My review of each follows. Sportease is a small company founded by Stephen and his wife. He describes himself as an avid cyclist who wrecked on a ride and broke ribs and collarbone because he couldn't see a pothole at night and who wanted a better light for less $ than what he found in the current marketplace. Both items reviewed below have a definite quality feel to them.

1.) The Mini Beacon Headlight. This small unit is impressive. It attaches via a rubber O-ring. The box should contain 4 of different sizes of them (mine had none, but I found one to use in my excess bike parts bin. They are mailing me the ones missing) to fit various sizes of tubing. The unit has a solid strong feel to it. It is made of machined aluminum. It comes in a durable zippered box that fits a plug in recharger, a USB recharger and a helmet mount. The supplied rechargeable battery is a lithium model. It comes in a fabric case that has velcro so you mount it on the bike by wrapping the case around the bike tube of choice and then securing with the velcro. This is okay, but the case cannot be tightly attached this way and the battery slides down towards a bottle cage when put on the seat tube. The battery holder needs a shaped piece of rubber so it can grip the tube, IMO. I took the battery out of the fabric case and tested it bare, securing it with a Dinotte (another brand of bike lite) battery velcro strap.  That was much better. The battery comes with a long cable. This allows you to place it anywhere you want and still reach the headlight mounted on a handlebar or you can wear the battery on your belt and mount the light to your helmet. I had mine on the seat tube and wound the cable around my top tube a few turns which worked perfectly. It did not get in the way of my usual frame pump under the top tube also.
    The light has 4 modes. High (1000 lumens), Medium (600 lumens) and low (300 Lumens) steady beams plus a flash mode (1000 lumens). Battery life is 6 hrs on high and longer on each of the other options. The power button illuminates blue for easy location at night and to tell you that you have enough battery. It turns red when your charge gets low (30% of charge) which is your warning that you have only 30 minutes left of charge. In fact you can do a battery test to see how much you have.  Simple button pushes cycle you through all the choices. On a day light ride yesterday, my faster buddies got way out ahead me. They said that looking back, they couldn't see me, but they sure could see the light flashing. At night, on a dark street, the medium setting lights up a full lane width of road, while high lights up the entire road ahead. Really lights it up. Low would only be useful for urban riding with good street lighting or if riding in a group where many lights provide plenty of illumination.
     The light unit stayed in place on the handlebars despite bumps in the road. The battery pack slid down and stopped at the water bottle cage, but did not get in the way of pedaling at any time. On balance, this is a seriously good light at a reasonable price. The lithium battery keeps the weight low too. The storage box is better than expected. One nit pick; The very skimpy instruction sheet has tiny print if your eyes are old like mine. Overall, a recommended buy. Info here:

http://sporteaseworld.com/product/mini-beacon-headlamp/  (buy it on Amazon)

2.) The Flare Tail light. This ingenious little light is not bright enough for daytime use but is fine for hours of darkness. It has a spring loaded gripper and you squeeze the two legs to open the gripper which then grabs your seat post or other tube when you let go. It has an internal USB charged lithium battery and comes with a charging cable, although it works with the cables that come with many phones and other devices. The two legs each have multiple LEDs and there are two settings of steady light and a flash mode. I show only a handful of seatpost and that is filled by an underseat saddle bag, so I attached mine to the seat tube. Because seat tubes are angled, the light faces slightly down. This did not diminish the night time visibility much. Also, there seemed little difference at a distance in how bright the two settings appear, so I use the low setting for longer battery life. The gripper is rubber lined and will not mar the bike tube. This light has no reflector area, so you still need a red rear reflector to be legal on the roadway at night. Some tailights have both a light and a reflector (which  has to meet state requirements. In Alabama: "red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the department which shall be visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle. A lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear may be used in addition to the red reflector."  Code 32-5A-265)  This light is visible for 1/4 mile or more behind the bike. When your battery gets low, the unit blinks rapidly to tell you that you are at 20% of charge.
Package Data:
Weight is 50 grams
60 lumens on High steady.
30 lumens on Mid steady.
60 lumens of flash.
6+ hours in High steady
19+ hours in Mid steady
12 hours in Flash

 The best feature of this light is how easy it is to remove it and put on another bike. It would be better with an angled construction that puts the light directly back, but it is still quite visible. 19 hr is a great run time on a usable brightness. Overall, I think this light would be a great buy at a lower price, and is an okay buy at the current price. Something to jump on if on sale or with a coupon. As an aside, with the mini beacon on the bike, this light fits in the beacon's storage case along with the accessories when not in use.

Info Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Sport-ease-World-LED-Flare-Rechargeable/dp/B016FS0OVK

Let me know any questions. I will be using my pair of lights on my week night rides all Summer.

    

Sometimes...

I was telling Kathy R at the ride this morning, "When I picked this route out and posted it on Tuesday night, it seemed like such a good idea. TODAY, I got up and asked myself why I chose a route with HILLS?" No matter, it was a good ride. With cooler air, overcast skies, a breeze, and the threat of hills, I was not going to be surprised if I was the only one to show up and ride today. On the way over, I was already psyching myself up. "You know you need the miles, and the hills will be good," I said to my self. No need, when I got to the start at the high school, there were already 4 other riders and they kept on coming. We ended up, I think, with 15 all told. Great showing. Sometimes the opposite of what you think is what happens, and it's really good. Like the ride. It was a great ride. I stayed within what I could do today, enjoyed it all and didn't finish with tired legs.

Yes, I was too smug in layers of wool that kept me warm/cool enough as the day went on. Nothing needed to be peeled off as I saw lesser kits of synthetics doing all around me when the temps rose. Then put some back on when the clouds and breeze made it too cool. One rider agreed to TRY some wool if I would loan it! ;) Temps in the 50s really are no issue to deal with, right?

It was great to pedal with folks I see seldom these days.  Max, Mike, and John all ended with avg speeds 3 - 5 mph above mine. Tony kept me company (and good company it was too) for a long stretch, but I spent some miles with John R, his wife Kathy, and Wes from Troy too. Others were touched base with at the regroups and rest stops. It all worked out fine.

No dog troubles today, but we did have wayward riders. Our three lawyers all managed to miss the turn off onto CR 85 and pedaled on in to Deatsville. Wonder why only the lawyers got lost. And the number one occupation of  members of Congress is, wait for it, lawyer. Hmmm..

Tony needed fluids at our 2nd store stop and I was going to share a 32 oz bottle with him. It turned out that they had no Powerade Zero, Gatorade G2, or other non sugary stuff in that size. I ended up with a 32 oz regular Powerade for Tony and a small Propel for me.  The line was long at the register, Too long. I looked out the window and saw another line, this one of cyclists, taking off down the road and leaving me behind. One rider stayed back. Tony. After all, I had his Powerade! What is that verse? "No greater love is there than a man stands in line for his friend?" Well no, not really, but it was odd, watching them all pull away.  The cashier noticed too. I assured her that I was the one who knew the route, so they were on their own. Words that came true for the aforementioned attorney types. Speaking of Tony, I did not realize that it was only lately that he saw my October post and the picture of us together in Sellers AL. One of my favorite pictures, two old cycling buddies having a GREAT ride. Tony, on the other hand, thought that it made him look fat. As in, "Honey, does this dress make me look fat?" Well, sorry Big T, the picture stays. It's got a dear friend and me doing something I dearly love and no one who does not ride thinks we look anything but ridiculous in bike clothes, no matter how fat we are or are not. So there.

Speaking of whiners, and you know who you are, we missed you today. No dirt or gravel anywhere to get dust on that pretty bike. So come on out. At least you have a wool jersey going for you, so you have that part right. :)

Thanksgiving is coming up this week, and weather permitting, 4 days in a row of rides! Who's in?

Hello there Blog! Thought I forgot about you, right?

The truth is, I've been too tired when not too busy to write. I've got two vacation days though, while Sharon is up north visiting our grandson (and his parents too) for his birthday. He's an adorable 9 year old today. Anyway, I have a few SLOW minutes and realized, "Hey, I can type out an entry today!"

It's been a good riding year, all things considered. The Alabama Backroads Series has really generated more interest in the various previously unconnected local rides around the state. Ridership is up across the board. Thanks so much to Pixie Hicks for being the dynamo behind this idea. I only rode one of the 13 centuries this year, but pedal partner Candace and I have agreed to do at least 4 in 2016 and earn the coveted Backroads Series Patch. If we get carried away, we may do more. In addition to the one I actually rode, I volunteered at 3 more rides (Selma, Marion, and Montgomery) and rode 2 events not in the series, at Kymulga and the local Lions Club charity for sight outing. I'm more of a cross country rambler anyway, which is why I tossed my name in the hat to take over the AL Regional Brevet Administrator (RBA) job. A great guy and inspirational cyclist, "Fixed Gear Steve" Phillips was our RBA before passing away this year. Solo, self supported riding is in its infancy here and maybe I can pitch in to help it grow. I doubt my stamina for the long hauls, but I can do the shorter ones and facilitate the rides of others on the ones beyond my strength. You'd think that the national agency (RUSA.org) would be happy to have volunteers, but they're actually very picky and they seek to preserve high standards, so I may not get the nod. Regardless, my OTHER pedal partner Angela wants to do a P-12 (a series of a dozen rides of 100 - 200 KM) so I'm already committed to turn the cranks in 2016. 2015 has been an improvement in mileage over 2014 already with a couple of months left to go.

To do that stuff, as well as work on my public cycling safety initiative, I'm stepping down as the chair of the local bike club ride committee. They will be better served by someone who is local more than I am, and who appreciates carbon and clips more than I do. I'll still come out and ride whenever I can, but I won't HAVE to be there, if you know what I mean. In the overall spirit of re-working my cycling, I culled some jerseys and other items I don't wear from the hoard and put them up for sale. It's turned out better than a garage sale! The $ comes in handy and it feels good to have less clutter. There is more out there to clean up though. Does anyone really need a half dozen front deraillers PLUS the ones already on their bikes? And so on.

The cities of Prattville and Millbrook have responded positively to my requests to present public cycling safety instruction through their Parks & Recreation departments. Looks like that will kick off in February. Maybe Wetumpka and Montgomery will get on the bandwagon too. The impetus was seeing a car right hook a casual rider, who was at fault, a few weeks ago.

Cycling continues to be an avenue to reach out to and connect with people. I've had some heartwarming interactions with people recently that still make tremble with awe and appreciation. How do we continue to show the care we exhibit to those stranded road side when we are off our bikes? That's the next challenge. I'm thankful for some of the friends made in my other hobby (pen collecting) too. One in particular really touched me recently. It is a real blessing to have friends. I am thankful for all of them. Here are just two.

It's also still a blessing every time I get on my bike and pedal. I was reminded this weekend that there are those whose circumstances keep them from doing something like this and who would trade places with me gladly. There is a verse in scripture that tells us to learn contentment in our circumstance, whatever it is. It's easy to be content when you have a great family, good friends, and opportunities to spend enjoyable time with both. I pray that I am able to be as content when the deck is not so stacked in my favor.

My 1st Century Ride in 2 years

Saturday was another appearance for me at the Tri-States 100 in Dothan, AL. I consider the ride director to be a friend, and have ridden in the event many (but not all) times since it started up 13 years ago. (http://www.tristates100.com/). I've mostly done the metric century, but have ridden the full 100 miles too, although before there were Backroads Series medals for it.(http://www.alabama-backroads-cycling.com/) The backroads series is a cool concept and has greatly helped promote these events in a state chock full of great places to pedal. (Don't tell too many people that. With AL ranked the 50th most friendly state for cycling, no one thinks we can ride down here)

I knew it was going to be a rushed affair for me. I work in GA most weeks (I've been in NC and SC this week as it happens, but will head back to my GA office before going home) and the long drive home gets me to Prattville at 7 PM. Our usual Friday night dinner date custom has become "meet me at Panera" so we grab some You Pick Twos there and enjoy some social time before arriving to the mad barking of two whacko dogs (73 and 92 lbs each) who are exploding with joy at seeing us. How high can a 92 lb dog jump? You'd be surprised.  Anyway, it was after 8:00 when I put the bike rack on my car, filled water bottles, pulled out the clothes I would ride in, found the garmin, the road ID, made sure I had my gloves and helmet and sun block spray. Took the bike down and checked the air, brakes and chain (ABC quick check, anyone?). Then unpacked from the week, and sat for a few minutes in the recliner before heading to bed because

At 2:30 AM, the alarm was set to go off. I HATE that alarm so I always get up before it sounds. I woke up at 2:21 and started my coffee, and grabbed a bowl of cereal as I flashed through the rest of the get up and go routine. There was even time to read my daily Bible portion (I like and use the M'Chyne system.   No commentary, just readings organized in an interesting way. (http://www.esvbible.org/devotions/one-year-tract/) before heading off to meet Candace at 3:25 by Academy Sports.  We threw her bike on the rack and hit the road for the 2 1/4 hr ride to Dothan.

The ride down was fine and we arrived at the start just 15 minutes after they opened for sign in. Plenty of time meet and greet in the parking lot. Super turn out (28?) of Montgomery area riders in all. I got to meet Alton, who was wearing the same Selma50 jersey that I was, as well as say hi to long time buddies I don't often ride with anymore like Joe. (Because I am so slow). There was plenty of time for a group picture but some confusion as to where to take it. In the end we got many but not all in the picture.

We all look excited and fresh here. It doesn't last :)

I was looking forward to doing this ride. The fact that it has been two years since I've done this distance didn't matter to me. I felt good, had dropped a few pounds and had a confirmed buddy for the trip (Candace). I was surprised throughout the day how awake and energized I felt, other then a few times late in the day when the heat and the wind and climbs and the loss of salt and fluids make me just a tad knocked silly. But brief rests and some drinking fixed that.

The check in went smoothly and the ride start was mishap free. My only gripe is that the picture that I'm in of the start shows me looking down at the pedal strap I was aiming for with my left foot.

 I always want that heroic master of the road look, and never get it. If I'm looking up then all that really stands out is the spare tire I'm carrying around my middle.  Not bandoleer style like the good old days, Michelin man style. Maybe if I lose 10 more lbs!  Btw, I'm down about the weight of a steel framed bike these days and only 1.88 mph faster on average. So there is NO reason to spring for big bucks to buy a carbon frame bike only to save what, 4 lbs maybe? Another .4 of a mph? Not really.

The ride started off with a gentle downhill and police controlled intersections which was lovely. About 2 1/2 miles out though, my trusty OLD Zefal XP4 pump dislodged from the seat tube and got wedged sideways between the seat tube and the rear wheel as well as in the chain and jammed into the big chainring. INSTANT stop. fortunately, I did not wreck and pulled off to see about it. Candace and Sarah stopped with me as did a nice local guy who I do not know. After spending a few minutes bending over it, and trying to disengage the pump while not breaking anything on the bike (so I could continue to ride) I decided to let the air out of the tire, hoping the pump would re fill it. The air did the trick and we got the pump out, but it was damaged and no longer able to work, Candace offered a CO2 unit she had. I asked how it works and she replied by shrugging her shoulders. Yeah, when you're cute like she is, plenty of help around to pump your tires for you, I'm sure. After fiddling with it, she figured it out and we sprayed some into the morning air by accident, and put the rest in my tire. This was a 33 mm 650B tire so I ended up with 20 lbs of pressure. I like to run my tires light, but not quite that light. 50 - 60 is more like it. I hoped a floor pump might be available at the rest stop ahead. We did run up on a SAG truck helping some folks, and they had a pump, so we didn't have to wait for the rest stop. It turned out fine. The tire held pressure and no other flats happened.

When we got to the rest stop, we were way behind all the metric and century riders due to about 20 minutes of mechanical fix and tire pump time. Instead of the rest stop being picked clean though, it was totally well stocked! It turns out that they had a little mix up and were late setting up so most of the riders had gone by and either waited for rest stop 2 or hit a store along the way as needed.  We caught up with 3 other century riders at the rest stop, and passed them when we departed.  Further on, we overtook several more. I told Candace that this would happen as some who jumped out fast started to lose steam. We (and by this I mean me, and Candace who graciously remained in hailing range) lost some steam too on the later hills, but were still able to pull in the 16 - 18 range on flats even at the end. We only slowed to the 14 is range on flats in the face of headwinds. Our overall average at the end was right at 14 too, which is dead center of the target range we had set.

We met up with and rode for a while with the Pecan City Pedalers. Richard and Sharon said to say hi to Prattville riders John and Kathy. I rode with them years ago on this event and they invited me to do their century, over in Albany GA. It's a good one. I've only ridden it the one time though. Maybe two. I forget. We also made some new friends at the rest stops including "PK" a British exchange student officer at Maxwell AFB. We ran into old friends too as we gained ground (remember we had almost a half hour penalty to start) and at least saw them leave rest stops as we got there. We rode with Chris for a while, or rather played leapfrog with him. We'd pass one another and then rest and then vice versa.

Finally, we made it in, and had our "happy to be off this saddle!" photo.

We thought the rest stop volunteers were very nice, and the Gorp, PB&J and pickle juice all went down well. So did the post ride pizza. The new route is generally good. The roads heading north from FL in west GA are very rough and hammered us, especially since that was into the headwind. In parts of GA, that's what you get, so next time, I'll run my 38mm tires instead and get real cush. Or man up and stop being such a wuss. One of the two.  I loved the conversation driving down and driving back. You know, solving the world's problems and getting to know a friend better. Not a bit of sleepiness crept in. Much more energy than 2 years ago, once I had cooled off and re fluidized.

Good ride, GREAT company, and fine performance by a 31 year old bike. It's a 1984 TREK 660, 650B conversion. Campy Victory headset, brake levers (awesome levers) and front der. Campy Veloce compact double on the drive side (the original Victory 1/2 step requires more power than I have. I kept the original Victory non drive side crank arm.) and Shimano Ultegra rear der. Wheels are old Suntour hubs with Dura Ace freewheel 12- 28. Velocity Aerohead 28s wheels (rare). Dura ace bar ends. Front tire is a Rivendell Speedblend (original version) and the rear is a Grand Bois Cypres Here it is: "The Flash"with the original crank, and a Brooks B5N that I switched to a black Selle Anatomica.

#Selma50ride

Life is back to normal today. 364 cyclists and 84 volunteers collaborated on Saturday 2/21/15 to ride from Selma to Montgomery AL, commemorating the 1965 Voters Rights March, led by John Lewis and M.L. King. From the seed of an idea mentioned in passing on a bike ride by buddy Max Britton to working out the actual route, test riding it last Summer, and then getting momentum from Montgomery Bicycle Club President Jeff Feet (who believed we HAD to go ahead with this idea) and attracting other hard working and talented volunteers, it became a consuming beast of a thing. Our Transportation guru, Jeff Periatt, likened us to ducks; serene above the water but feet paddling madly below the surface. He was spot on. All the while, the regular weekly schedule of club rides continued and did I mention that we have day jobs too?

There were idle discussions, planning meetings at Panera Bread and flurries of emails back and forth. We recruited or drafted help where and when we could and finally put the word out in December that we were going to do this ride in February. We intended to have riders park in Montgomery, be transported with bikes to Selma and pedal back. Simple, right? Who would want to go on a 50 mile ride in February? We thought MAYBE 20 people would take the bait and do it. We agreed with Jeff Feet that we SHOULD do the ride regardless. The events we were remembering were worth it. Getting cycling noticed in the community was worth it. Attracting a more diverse ridership was worth it. It just took doing it. The ride became possible in practical terms when Robert and Bonnie Traphan threw in with us. They are the club Treasurer and Secretary and they put on the annual supported club century ride in the Fall, our Glassner Autumn Challenge. (check it out! http://www.mgmbikeclub.org/autumnchallenge.html ). They knew the nuts and bolts of doing a ride. Jeff Periatt, a marketing professor, enlisted his classes to do marketing items for the ride as practical real world applications of what they were studying. Jeff also was sucked into the whirlpool of trying to arrange the right amount of transportation resources for a moving target number of riders.

In the end, we had over 350 cyclists pedaling and 85+ volunteers and others providing support. That the course was made tough by headwinds and the riders had to work hard seemed to heighten the sense of following in the footsteps of marchers who did not have it cushy either.Other than the wind, the weather was cooperative for the one day it needed to be. There were some glitches and behind the scenes rough spots, which are action points for any future endeavors of this sort. Overall though, the riders felt satisfaction with the ride, the history, the event and what we were doing there. Coastal Progressives might not understand how things are done in "Flyover Country" but the riders sure did. This ride was put on by a small group of white people who felt like they should do something to bridge a racial divide in a way that they could. To that extent, it was successful. Already, we have had black volunteers who want to help to do this again. That alone will improve our perspective greatly. We found that cycling IS more than just going for a pedal. It can be a basis for broader relationship. Before we were insulated on highways in our cars, everyone rode a bike. In fact, the first roads paved were done so for bikes, not for cars, which hadn't come along in any great numbers yet. Insulation is the enemy of camaraderie.

We had a white mayor and a black mayor both welcome the group and invite them to see their fair cities. None of the other elected officials we invited came. Only one, Congresswoman Roby, replied to the invite. Well, her staff did with a "thanks but the schedule is full." We heard that the governor was out of town, nothing about any others.  Cycling has a way to go before it shows up on the radar as a "thing" to most people. The potential is there though. Can you see it?

This was a great thing for me personally to be a part of. Goes back to some events of my own childhood that I had forgotten about until they came bubbling up, unbidden. Our team worked long and hard and we still made some mistakes. But we can't let that stop us from moving ahead. We wondered at first  how much of the club's money we might lose if no one showed up for this ride. It turned out to be a sell out and we will present a sizable check to the event beneficiary, The Dexter-King Parsonage Museum. we also will make smaller donations to five other causes, including the BRAG (youth cycling) Dream Team.  The club made no money on the ride, but we did not lose any either.

We present a report on the event to the Montgomery City Council soon. Our riders made an economic impact to the area. If the city will have a more cycling friendly place, more cyclists will come here and that is good for business. The more drivers expect to see cyclists, the safer it is for cyclists. Think space for cycling in transportation planning, bike racks near points of interest, and so on.

The first ever state wide bike conference is in Montgomery next month. Another sign of progress.

Rather than post pictures and stories here, I'll point the reader to our hashtag (my first one ever!) #selma50ride. You can find articles in at least 4 newspapers, Bicyling.com,  Facebook, etc.

I'm looking forward to riding this weekend. Are you?