Getting a Peak of Sunshine!

With morning birds chirping this Easter morning...could this be a second consecutive day of delight? Time will only tell.  However, based upon the Saturday (4/23/2011) ride update that is spinning above my finger tips, I can say that one "Day of Sunrise" is surely enough!


To walk the beach.  Hear the surf. Feel the breeze. See the sky lighten...
...all but dreams in NEO. Yet, on this "Day of Hope", all vision is possible! 


There are bike glove "red circles" the back of my hands.  Forearms of pinkness, from yesterday's "shine", are already turning to tan.  But, those helmet air vent openings, allowing a "singe" to the forehead and to the "top of my dome", will require the all day wearing of a ball cap this Holiday!

Regardless of these spots of "sun burns", what a great Saturday bike ride we had....

....

Saturday, April 23, 2011 - ABC Ride from 303 Bike & Hike to Bedford Reservation and Back

Yes...sunshine and "specs" of images on bikes, cropped above the sign posts,
are"Four Riders" in my "Cluster" who are feeling the burn!  

The above "photo opportunity" is a classic one on route from Summit County to the Cleveland Metro Park Bike Trail through the "Emerald Necklace" portion of Bedford Reservation.  After a "coffee house" stop in the village of Bedford, the return back home requires a memorable climb up the Brandywine!

No one seemed to protest my request for taking a few pictures as we turned right onto the final section of the B&H trail.   

Second Year ABCer Sue was the first to Stop!
We met last week at the "Think Spring"
Invitational...a tad bit wetter day.

Seasoned ABCer
Gary actually likes
"grinding the climb!"

"Newbie" Steve has been packing his backpack
until he "gears up" his new Trek ride with
with essentials like water bottle cages and seat post bag!




 

 

But Marilyn's face says it all:
"Sun rays" remains,
tinted with rosy cheeks of exertion,
crested with a "smile of accomplishment!"

There were nine of us who gathered at the Route 303 Bike & Ride Parking Lot in Hudson for what I will remember as the first real ABC "Spring Ride" of Spring 2011.

• The 4/9 ROMEO "Rumble Ride" to Kent's Anthony's does not cut it - Too CLOUDY!
• The 4/16 official ABC "Think Spring Invitational" - Too WET!
• As Goldi-Locks Marilyn would say, "This one was...            just RIGHT!"

Ride Recap - From the COW's perspective:

8:30 am - Blackberry phone alarm rings.  In a fog, I think to myself, "Wasn't it 5:30 am when I laid down for some quick shut eye?"

My second recalled thought is, "My night "sabbatical" consulting gig is a nice job... if one can rise above the fog of it all."

8:38 am - A critical check of "Local Weather on the 8's" reveals current temp of 54 degrees with the chance of light showers throughout the morning.  Right...light showers equals...chance for monsoons!

8:42 am - Taking a quick peak at "Stan's Wears" is like having have mommy tell me what to wear: short sleeve bike jersey, under jersey, arm warmers, biking shorts, leg warmers, ankle socks, bike shoes, finger-less gloves, and bike helmet. 

Although it is hard for me, I leave behind my heavier cool weather riding garb.  Being even more defiant, I am not even going to pack my windbreaker/rain jacket.

9:06 am - After a quick bite to eat, I roll out the drive way and head north through Cuyahoga Falls gridded neighborhoods seeking the most direct route I can navigate, on the "fly", to cover the 7.8 mile "commute" to the 303 trail head.

Knowing I am going to be cutting a bit close, I am thankful to have a "southerly" pushing from behind.  After a nice warm up pace on the back streets, I connected up with State Road just below the Portage Trail intersection.  Morning traffic is light.  My spin is fast...those mid twenties on the digital display feel good.

9:28 am - I hope it was that early!  Jim Bowker is just pulling into the parking lot with his "new yellow car", as I climb up to the trail head from the swing route I took to hit the B&H behind Tequila Pancho's off of State Road.

9:30 am - Randy, the "rumbler", Austin greets and passes out the cue sheets for the day.  I tuck his "leadership handy work" into my top tube snack pouch knowing that I would not need these instructions for a numbers of reasons:

• Randy is an awesome ride leader!  He gets it! He will lead the way...with that smile of his! (???)
• The route is more than familiar...Jim Bowker led the "near" identical ride on Wednesday 4/13...plus, I have made this trip "solo" a bunch of times.
• Today's group ride is my "mission ride for the week", so I don't think I am getting lost!  It's time to "Cluster Up"!  But, where is that cluster at?

9:35 am - After Randy gets each of us to sign in on the ABC ride registration for the day, he then calls us together to greet the group as a whole.  While everyone is straddling their rides, Randy asks us to introduce ourselves to the group (Dang...he is GOOD!).

All faces are familiar to me, but it is good to reinforce the names that go with those faces.  Randy then describes the general overview of the ride (Textbook Ride Leadership...bring it dude, bring it!)

9:36 am - Just when Randy is getting to say, "Lets roll", a not so bashful experienced rider peppers the group leader with a few "zingers":

• Is this a "no drop" ride?
• When and where are we going to "re-group"?
• What if someone gets tired, or is short of time, what is best place to abort and return back home?
• What if the natural "speed" versus "slower" riding clusters get separated, do we have cell phone numbers for leaders to communicate with each other? 

Holy COW!  This is great group riding stuff.  Thanks for bring the heat...
Wally the Wonderful One! (he already has two centuries in the book heading into TOSRV!) Collectively, Randy, Gary, and Jim provide the answers to Wally's questions...and we are now ready to roll.

9:40 am - We are rolling!  I hold off to the back and Jim and Mike lead the group out of the parking lot and down to the B&H trail under Randy's watchful eye.  Before proceeding, I let Randy know of my intentions to take up a rear flank position and will sweep as needed.  Gary says the same.

And then it happens.  A little voice tells me, "You know the fellow you are riding behind.  Do you remember that blue Cleveland Indians jacket? And, what about that heavy looking light beige backpack? How can you forget those light gray Duke gym pants? Wasn't it last fall, October 9, 2010, the day before you left for your Cincy tour?" 

"Yes", I reply.  That was the day Robin lead an ABC ride to Beckwith Apple Orchard.  The ride that I introduced my buddy Mike B. to group riding.

Where, on the return the leg, I "lent" a dollar bill to that "performance bike shop guy" who blew, with CO2 charges, two brand new tubes (including one of mine that I gave him from my tour trip reserve).  The folded dollar bill helped plug the slit in the side wall of his rear wheel...which has gone undetected on the prior failed attempts to set the "world speed record" for changing a flat...with six gawkies watching.  Yeah...I remember wried stuff.    

After making a few more current observations, and with my questions ordered in my mind, I was ready to engage my next..."positive" trail connection.

The Story of "Hong Kong Steve"

"Say Steve, how's it going? Do you remember we rode together last fall?"

His response...a blank look with a slight glimmer of recognition.

"Wow! Didn't you have an old up right mountain bike? (okay...it is sometimes hard for me to ride behind prodding "upright riders".  Their natural tendency to "sway" throws my roadie equilibrium off a bit).

"Yes. Today is the inaugural ride of a little Christmas present I bought myself! A new TREK." 

"I'll say.  That looks like one sweet present.  When did you get it?"

"Just three days ago...from the Bike Authority...in Broadveiw Heights".

He then explains that he had been looking at IT, in his house (not the garage, but the house), for the past three days like a teenage boy would be looking at a polished red 1974 Camero.

Ok..I made up the part about this red camero cuz...
Steve's new TREK is not red, but  BLUE and BLACK

However, I did not make up this next revelation that Steve shared.  His new bike cost about half as much as the first car he ever bought.  You do the math...the car cost $5 something.  Dang...that's an upgrade over the clunker he was riding last fall.

"Carbon?", I asked.  "You betcha." Steve replied.

Okay, so I am still trying to get over the shock of this transformation.  He still looks like the same guy I met on the trail last fall...so what gives?  What am I missing here?

I then discover, or re-discover, that Wally the Wonderful One is some how related to "Hong Kong Steve".  It goes something like this...Wally is Steve's Ex-brother In Law...or something like that.

Evidently, Wally, the biking encourager, was Santa's little helper on the shopping trip to the Bike Authority shop when the new ride "hook up" was consummated.  But, I'm still not getting it.

Then it comes like a load of bricks. Back in 1974, Steve was not thinking about red cameros.  Well maybe in 1974 he was, but a year later, in 1975 he was thinking about a little bike trip called:

Raleigh Durham, NC to Dallas, TX in 10 Days...ON BIKE!!!

On a used 10 speed Schwinn with drop bars, a handful of (triple) AAA road maps that he coaxed from a friend, and the eventual realization that these maps were nearly worthless since they only displayed "high traffic" highways, Steve set out on his "dream journey".  An exploration endeavor which had been peculating since he was a little boy...when he first learned to ride a bike. 

I am wondering if he used that same beige backpack back in 1975, or maybe even when he first learned to ride his bike?  Though this "backpack" question remains a mystery, he did provide these Durham to Dallas trip highlights:

Day One Highlights:  Severely sunburned thighs.  Cramps. Yet 90 miles completed.

Day Two Highlights: Oozing butt blisters bigger than quarters (25 cents), covered with band aides.  Three flats tires...from riding over unavoidable broken glass and debris scattered on the road sides of those busy main highways.

Steve had never changed a flat tire before this trip.  Took an hour for the first flat repair. Made progress, in his pit stop times, on the next two fixes.

Day Three Highlights:  Going Commando!  Steve realized the creases in his "whitie tighties" were the cause of his butt blister problems.

I don't remember if we went any further into a day-by-day accounting of events.  BUTT, know...I've now got it!

Steve aborted his mission after only a few more days.  He did not do Dallas.  His trail ended in Nashville, Tennessee. 

However, I could see it in his eyes...the boyhood "dream" is still alive.

Checking Out the Gear....

As we rode north on the B&H trail, I would always fall back to the flank position when we were not riding side-by-side together.

Upon observing the brand new shine of his drive train components, I ask how he liked the brake lever shifters.  Steve's tentative response was, "They seem to work fine."

However, I could see it in his eyes...he was a little bit baffled on how things were working below.

Unlike his upright mountain bike, where gear positions were numerically displayed, he was shifting blind.

We started out with the rear derailleur.  I would call out what "rear gear" he was in. And, and he would flick the right shifter to see what results he could produce.  Since I am a "down tube vintage shifter", this session was like the blind leading the blind.

With two chain rings in front, there was less to discover about moving between the large and small chain rings.  However, when I tried to explain the importance of avoiding "cross chaining"...where the chain is on the large front ring (high) and the largest cog in the back (low)...I am not sure he fully understood.

Although it is more comparable to his "old mountain bike", here is a link from one of my favorite utube instructors...The  Bicycle Tutor on  Gear Shifting.  I hope this might help...to reflect on cross chain and general shifting concepts.

Beside the new bike, Steve was using "SPD" clips for the first time.

As we rolled up to road crossings, the most challenging and "safety alert" section of any bike trail, we tried to remember...shift to a comfortable low gear in advance (for better control and start up) and "clip out" as early as possible.

Steve seemed to clip out just fine (but the FALL will come!) since he had previous experience with toe clips.  Well, at least he had a dream about toe clips.. in a land far, far, away. 

On the FAR SIDE.....

After the aborted Durham-Dallas trip, Steve moved about and lived in a few different locations...safely State side.  But after a few years, Steve headed off to the Far East and spent twenty-three years in Hong Kong.

I usually try to be as perceptive as I can, but I am not reading the cover of this guy's book in the least bit. Not at all.

I asked if he ever biked in "Hong Kong".  He answered in the affirmative, but my imagination was still glossed over so I don't recall where and how much riding he might have done. 

I do know that he made the observation about "a bazillion Chinese bike riders", who all were riding on flat pedals, without straps and toe clips.  This inspired, in Steve, a lofty "business opportunity" plan.  Convert the entire Chinese population to "clip ins".

After thinking about it, Steve realized that the "clip in scheme" would never work.  Those crafty Chinese would catch on and his dreams of cashing in on millions would result in a stock pile of US manufactured toe clips...being held in inventory for life.

Since he spent 23 year there, I imagine that he had other "visions" that served him better.

Finding the Right Riding Group

As we rode side by side, when we could, I began sharing some of my cycling stories and in particular the impact that a group of experienced riders had upon me...the ROMEOs.

Since Steve currently "works from home", maintaining his Hong Kong business enterprise through a different time zone, his schedule is most conducive to day riding.  I think Steve and the ROMEO's might be a good match.

There are a lot of successful "cycling dreamers" in the ROMEOs...who will relate well to Steve and his long term dream.

I hope it is not in bad form, fellow ROMEOs, but by the time we got to our snack stop, I had already discussed top secret team topics including: the "tooth pick"; the "dollar bill"; and, the "inner tube parking ring".

Since Steve was traveling without any accessories (what the heck did he have in that "backpack" anyway?), I offered to chain up his "new ride" with my "old clunker" outside the coffee shop.

And, I gifted him one of my "inner tube parking rings".  (Just being like...Firehouse Neil here)

12:15 pm -  We arrived, intact as a group, at the "coffee house" in Bedford, which everyone seems to continue to call "Aribica" even though it is now run under an independent name (thank you google) "Di Julius Cafe".  Their web page here indicates that they are closed on Sundays...and I like their philosophic explanation for doing so.


Tastes GREAT!
(Sue, Mike, Gary, Wally)

  

Less FILLING!
(Marilyn, Randy)
(MIA: Jim, Steve..boys room?)
(COW behind camera)





                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Our group's snack discussions at Di Julius Cafe was quite lively.  In "unison", all attending shouted out the meaning behind ROMEO's, as I was explaining it to Steve

...Real Old Men Eating Out!!! 

Randy then yelled out, "Rumble!"

Being a PEACE KEEPER, I quieted him down...with a hymn:  "All is calm, all is bright!"

12:50 pm - We get ready to head back home...everyone is all smiles:

Nurse Practitioner Sue is glad I no longer call her, "Lisa".
She was impressed with my MI and Triple Bypass Rehab story.
Found out, on the way back, she is a "top under cover agent"
 watching out for her two teenage daughters (ages 15 and 17).
Bad Boys Beware! Don't mess with the Mama Bear!

Well...Gary is not exactly smiling, but I am "all smiles" since I have my
first "photo" piece of my Chuck Harris mirror portfolio!

Speaking of the CH Collection..check out this beauty that
Marilyn snatched up...solid 14 carrot gold (okay...that's Easter Bunny Carrots)
Silly Rabbit...trix are for kids! 
Oh...you should see Marilyn's granddaughter posing with Johnny Depp...that's a good trick!

1:30 pm...ish - On the return trip, where we were simply reversing our route direction, the combined group rallied together for one last time.  Here is the photo of the whole group...excluding Cuyahoga Falls Chiropractor "Dr. Dan" who came pedaling up to rendezvous with our two rabbits...Mike and Jim. 

Steve, Wally, Marilyn, Gary, COW, Mike, Randy, Sue
Picture was taken by Jim Bowker...cuz his phone camera is so complicated to use!

News Flash!!! Never give your fancy camera phone to the "COW" to snap a group picture with hopes of including you in it. Bizarre things could happen.....


 That is exactly what Jim Bowker tried with me...and the results were "Shockingly Shreky!"

Honestly, out of no where, Shrek just appeared on the camera screen. 

Just over Shrek's left shoulder...you will find the red-white helmet "Dome of Jimbo"...while the remaining riders are trying to muster up their own best Shrek facial imitation!

I am not much of a gadget guy, but I have since figured out what happened.  Shrek is actually Dr. Dan in costume.  Here is how I know....

Dan usually wears dark glasses...I am guessing cuz he likes disguises.

He also wears ear plugs to listen to his i-pod while riding on the Bike and Hike Trail.  Yeah...his i-pod ear plugs look just like the pair Shrek has...but, Shrek can hear what's going on around him with his plugs.

How about you Dan?  What can you hear with your plugs in?

Just saying...Ride Safe!

Before we part ways...the three musketeers...proclaim with a courtesy and nodding bow, "All for one and one for all".

To protect the aristocrats...
Here is Dr. Dan, Jim, and Mike

This gleeful party was headed out to do some serious hill climbing at the base of Bedford Reservation ...climbing from the valley up the steeps to the "Emerald Necklace" to the reservation plateau.

As they prepared for their TdF challenges, they shouted one more proclamation in French so that we might not comprehende,

A plus tard doux petit amas tortue verte!



With the help of Google Translator...we got the drift of their French salute:

See you later sweet little green turtle cluster!

Here is our response back:

Collez dans votre oreille trois mousquetaires! 

The more reserved ones followed the cue sheet from "that point"....

Let's see, that is 10.3 miles due south on the Bike & Hike.  Not too hard to follow, except for the natural rise of heading "back up" to Summit County and facing that once friendly, now in your face, tail wind from the south.  At least it was sunny.

2:00 pm - ish  Ride Captain Randy exited the trail early to complete his commute back to Hudson.  His GE assignment in Twinsburg has been keeping him busy.  Despite working 70 hours this week, on a new "fancy product roll out", Randy was still committed to leading this Saturday morning group ride. Thanks for the great ride Randy...you are an awesome ride leader!

2:15 pm - ish  Back at the Trail Head:

Gary shares a few more gems from the back of his trunk...next to Jimbo's yellow bumper.

It is alway nice to travel with "spare" helmet mirrors...
especially when they are "Chuck Harris Classics"
Thanks for sharing your treasures with me Gary!  These are sweet!!!

As a second year ABCer "newbie", this was the first ride I remember sharing with Gary and Marilyn.  They are certainly a "gem" of a couple... that I sense the club truly treasures.


As Steve loaded up his "New TREK", we committed to our plans to attempt a week day ROMEO ride this coming Thursday.  When I told him that they will be heading to Panera's in Hudson, he complained about not liking their coffee.  I guess I will have to shuttle over to McDonalds to get him his favorite java...for the "Customer is always RIGHT!"

Thanks "Cluster Gang" for making this a great riding day.

Wally?  Wally?  Where the heck are you?

Out bike shopping?  Or, getting another Century in?

PS - We did have one altercation on the Bike & Hike trail.  As we were trying to regroup and hydrate so our cluster could cruise back to the trail head, this guy, with a fancy Italian shirt, tried to buzz us!

In reality, we were blocking the trail crossing,

 so I did call out a friendly "Hello Italian Bike Dude!"

"Sorry about the blockage."

By the time I got back home, after stopping by at Wheel & Wrench on my return commute, I received an email from the offended Italian rider...ABC's Bill Sere. 

It seems that Bill recognized the COW blocking the trail crossing. 

I emailed back, and he protested further. 

Thus, I now have no choice but to encourage him to contact "Chuck Harris" to see if he could rig up a "COW Prodder" for his future "Italian road rally trips" on the B&H Trail. 

Being an old rail bed...such a device ought to feel right at home

...clearing COWs from crossings. 

"Hello Italian Bike Dude!"

Of course, this "bike gadget" might be unpractical.

So, I would suggest a friendly... "Moooo Over" next time instead. 

  

COW Prodding Progress:

Bike and Hike Trail....32 miles

Commuting................15 miles

Cluster Circling............3 miles            

Total Ride Distance.....50.4 miles

Average Speed...12.9 mph

Best stat of the day:  83.5 degrees and sunny.

A Happy Belated Easter to All! 

Sorry about the length...I'm going to try to get "short".

COW

PSS - Posts in the hopper:

• Peeps and Biker Culture
• The final chapter of the EPIC post
• ABC's Think Spring Reflections