Chatter

Check out “Bike The Border” – another North Dakota bike tour.  This one is held in June.  $75 for three days of riding includes camping, sag support, t-shirt and rest stops every 10 to 15 miles.  It’s promoted as a casual ride (no drafting) and it’s 60 to 80 miles a day.  It is a bit of a hike from here – starts in Westhope, ND which is approx due South from Melita, just over the border.  Although not much longer of a drive than Park Rapids.  Maybe we launch our season in Westhope and end our season in Park Rapids?

…is another mans treasure,  or so the saying goes.  My heart skipped a beat when I saw this old gal.  At first I thought she was an old Eatons Hiawatha, like I once rode all over Fort Rouge  - Riverview when delivering newspapers in the early 70’s.  Churchill Drive, Arnold, Morley, Bartlett, Hay, Mabel, Baltimore, the old King George Hospital, the Park Theatre (still a hap’nen place), tons of memories.  Many a loaded lush had their heart irrationally softened by the pencil necked kid with the home made flannel shirts, bleached blond hair & big brown eyes who showed up Friday nights on his Mom’s humongous old bike to collect for the Winnipeg Tribune and score an unheard of $0.50 tip for just two weeks of deliveries!  Sadly, turns out the old gal is a CCM.  But I didn’t have it in me to leave the old lady at the Steinbach landfill where she lay abandoned after 4 decades of faithful service to someone.  She’s in pretty good shape and even came with a funky ’74 plate from Kenora.  I think I’ll enjoy tinkering on the bike over the winter and then get double pleasure from giving her to someone when she’s road ready.  Maybe my neighbour, who makes incredible bread which she occasionally drops off at my place….

Here it is January and many are cranking away on rollers and spinners indoors or cross country skiing.  We had some great rides in 2009 here are some numbers.

Duh!

When I started on my rollers in December I could maintain an average of around 30km/h fairly well, but as time passed it seemed to get harder and harder. Was my fitness slipping that badly? Was my age beginning to show? Am I that unmotivated? I could hardly keep my average at 26 – 27km/h! I could barely force myself to ride!

So this morning, before my torturous ride on the rollers I decided to check my tire pressure. 40psi!!!! After pumping it up, I hopped on and veritably flew along at well over 30km/h!

What a dimwit!

Hey roadies,

For the endless posting by yours truly, I should be cut-off by the website admin by now.  Anywho, Jac’s recent poem post had a link to the Bike Forum’s website which I had never been too.  One thing led to another and I’ve now registered and started a thread on Bike Forum entitled “The One Thing” – How has cycling changed your life? .  There are some really great stories being posted to the thread.  Real courageous stories about recovery from dire health & other circumstances.  If you’re cycling passion is waning in these dreary winter months, I would encourage you to read at least a few of these inspiring posts.

MIT Elections 2010

Santa forgot I was a roadie this Christmas – no schwag.  Ah well, those Laurentian Chiefs are so cozy, maybe with a steel insole and a drill bit….

T’was the nite before Christmas and all through the pace line
The MIT riders were all thinking, “I can’t hold it this time”
With “Curtis” out leading the MIT crew, his legs turning fast
I knew in my heart, at this pace I won’t last

When up at the front it started to turn, causing a commotion
It seemed riders couldn’t pull thru and it happened in slowmotion
Jimmy slowed down to take a look, and we almost crashed
When we saw the hug pile-a great big old stash

New bikes where scattered Cannondales, Rockies and Quintana-Roo
What was the problem? What do we need to do?
And that’s when we saw him; he looked slightly pale
He looked like he’d bonked but we saw that his reindeer had failed

Delivery might not be made on this night
His deer had all bailed, MIT scared them off in fright
So now he looked to us asking what to do
With a sled full of toys, and new bike stuff too

A wheelset for “Rocketman”, new shoes for Ed
New pedals for the Big Jac, and for “Sprocketman” a big sled
New bike for “Scareface”, and for “Jimmy” too-
And for all of MIT new spandex, Pat even for you!

So as we were looking at the sled full of bike gear
We said in a single voice-hey we have an idea’r
If we hookup our bikes to the front of the sled
We can get this delivered and then go home to bed

He looked up at us and he started to smile
He knew we would try it-at least for one mile
So we tied on the harnesses lined up in pairs
And bundled up warmly-we looked like polar bears

And as we were mounting our faithful steeds
We heard in his voice, of many great deeds
On Scareface, on BigJac, on RJ and Bob
On Merle, on Jimmy, Shorty and Rob

As we sped through the streets the load became lighter
And as we moved forward we dreamed of hot cider
And into the night it seemed like forever
But we kept up the pace; we couldn’t say never

And just when we thought that we couldn’t go on
He gave us some shammy jell, and that made us strong
We finished his route and delivered it all
And when we were finished, snow started to fall

I looked at the MIT riders, my friends on the bikes
We all looked excited, like real little tykes
I looked up and saw faces all covered with glee
They couldn’t believe it-“it didn’t happen to me”

And when I awoke, I thought to myself
It couldn’t have been a fat red suited elf
But I heard a voice, and it wasn’t from fright,
Say “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!”

Photo taken at the headwaters of the mighty Mississippi, September, 2009.   Savour the memory as you ride your rollers (L – R are Paul, Hans, Merle, Ron, Mark, Jac, Curt, Jim, Alex).