Hello Listpersons,
I will again recount the events of one of our Classic Bike gatherings from the twisted perspective of a true retro-grouch. It cannot be overstated how wonderful it is to be able to put faces with names from the CR list. I think Wayne Bingham (official event photographer and all around nice guy) was the most affected by this. He'd seen Chuck and I and a few others back East; but many of the names and faces came together for the first time. I'm sure the first thing that came to Waynes' mind was " Holy crap, all of these Californians are just as ugly as Chuck and Brian!" Suck it up and get over it Wayne; that myth about all the "beautiful people" living in So. Cal. is rubbish! Wait until Sunday, a few more ugly mugs are comming into town then.
I will begin with my arrival home on Sunday nite. I'd been away from my "little universe" in La Mesa for four days. I had a fantastic time, rode my bikes, trikes, and tandem and had several fine meals with some of the worlds' nicest freeks........I mean bicycle enthusiests! But I was anxious to return home to my cats and dog (dalmations don't like being lonesome; and the house sitter just ain't "daddy"). I figured they would be glad to see me and were beginning to wonder if I was ever comming home again. As I approached my house and began to back into my driveway I realized my trike was still on the roof of my car so I had to stop and take it off to not risk damage. I walked the trike up near my door and I hear this noise like a loud radio comming from the interior and I smell smoke! I didn't see the house sitters car anywhere so I had figured she wasn't there. I back my car to the parking place and enter my house from my side door. I burst into the dining room and there's a poker game in progress, music is rattleing the windows, I'm gagging on heavy cigar smoke, beer bottles are everywhere! "What the hell is going on?!" I bellowed. Silence...........my cats and dog just sat there, as you would expect; afterall they can't talk. Apparently they didn't miss ME!
My day began Thurs. morning as I hit the road about 8:45am. I swung by Old Town in San Diego and picked up John Pergolizzi before getting on the highway towards Pasadena. I was armed with a full assorted dozen of Krispy Kreme donuts, including everything EXCEPT the chocolate covered Boston creme ones that John likes! DOH! Remarkably, he downed two or three in spite of my carelessness. The drive went well and we made it to Chucks' place where I ditched the tandem and the trike. I didn't want to drive around town all day looking like the circus had just rolled in.
We hooked up with Maurice and we went back to the hotel to change for a bike ride. We went out for the standard ride and had a good time as we normally do. John got to ride my Montelatici on it's maiden voyage; just like last year when he rode my Millinimum before I had ridden it. If a bike can handle a "shake down criuse" from Pergolozzi then it's likely it will last another 100 years. We went to dinner Thurs. evening by which time we had hooked up with Wayne and Alan Schaffer. We ate at Gordon Birsch. Their offerings for beer glasses was "interesting" in that there is small and "a size a little bigger". Wayne wisely wimped out, as I immeadiately realized when the other three glasses show up. Chuck, Maurice, and I got the little bit bigger ones. OUCH! I wasn't planning on taking a BATH it that thing; I just wanted a Brewski! I think Chuck and Maurice killed theirs but I was only capable of about 3/4. Had a Gelati after dinner and then we all headed for sleepsville.
Around 1:30am after awakening with a headache, I sweated and squirmed in bed with the "chills" until it was time to head for the john and produce a technicolor yawn for the procalin gods. I felt much better and finally dropped off to sleep. Whew! By Fri. morning I was ready for coffee and donuts; the breakfest of champions. I prepared for the Framebuilders Love Fest and the ride afterwards and we left for the park.
Fri. morning was awsome and by the time we got there people were starting to gather for the first official meeting of the Velo Rendezvous. I had the Marios' personal built Masi, there was Chucks' Wizard #16 there, there was a fresh homebuilt frame from a Paterek class, several early and modern Peter Johnson frames, a brand new Peter Weigle frame and a new Steve Rex frame both privided by Patrick Brady from Asphault Magazine. Just after we began the proceedings a Phantom Person appeared from the ethers. I had begun gabbing about bikes and whatnot and I looked behind me and suddenly a figure was standing there. He looked at me as if I knew him and in his hands were a set of lugs. When the light bulb went on I nearly gasped. If was Richard Moon! The look on my face must have been priceless. We looked at several bikes up close and personal and witnessed first hand some of the genius that is, and was even at age 18 or 19, Peter Johnson. We gazed upon early work from framebuilder Ed Litton, who I was meeting for the first time in person that morning. During most of this Richardo La Luna (as I call him) was quietly standing in the background holding some finished lugs. He presented them for us to examine which was a treat for all in attendance. The bike will eventually belong to listmember Tom Rawson. As we checked out the lugs a question or two came up and the Phantom had vaporized. Shortly afterwards as I was engaged in conversation with whomever and again as if some kind of wraith; La Luna appeared out of thin air with a complete bike he had built for himself. It featured custom made stainless steel lugs and quite a few other magnificent details that pretty much de-socked many persons there. Lucky for everyone the phrase isn't "blows your underwear off"! Overall we had a great time and checked out a multitude of snazzy bikes both modern and vintage. We disbanded and were set to reassemble for a ride shortly thereafter. I went to Chucks place to pick up the tandem so that Karen Shuckman and I could terrorize the ride on the "freight train". I like my Hetchins tandem and many commented on the nice blue color (exactly like Colnago "electric blue"), but it does have too much fork rake (3 1/4"!!) to be a really "dicey" bike. My other tandem steers much better and goes faster but this bike is good for fun rides and shows. We had a blast on the ride as usual and there were about 30 members present. You can always count on a fun time when Pergolizzi is on the road with you. He also has that special New York City way of communicating with motorists who are not paying attention to the road. Just imagine "The incredable Mr. Limppet" on a bicycle. It's priceless. And he's always there near the end to stir things up and spearhead the bolt for the finishline. I missed my chance to outsprint him on the trike on the Sat. ride by cutting through the parking lot, which I now regret.
I will begin with an accounting of Fri. nite dinner in part two. Food fights are hard to accurately describe with words; but I will do my best with my limited grasp of our language. It still amazes me after all of the dinner gatherings we've had during the events of the last few years that some people forget to bring a plastic poncho with them. Would you sit in the front row at a Gallager concert without one; I think not! People, get a clue!
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA Still have some cranberry sauce in my hair from Fri. nite!