We had a great breakfast ride this morning near Cincinnati, Ohio - warm turning warmer, hazy turning cloudless, windy turning calm. Humidity was way up, and by the time we reached breakfast, we all looked like we'd been up Alpe d'Huez in July. But a good day, none-the-less.
This was our weekly ride, which occasionally includes an unofficial "vintage" group. I think there are about six of us with older-bike interests, including Mike, Ron, Scott (all at Cirque this year) and a few who think old bikes are cool, but do not yet have any in their own herds.
Today it was time to take-out the light green Girardengo from it's winter hiding place, wipe off the dust and cobwebs, and get her ready for her first ride of the season. Last year the Gira received candy-apple-red fenders, which match the pinstriping and red aluminium bottles, creating a very nice combination. This bike also currently plays host to the chrome Titan adjustble stem and chrome GB bars, taped with some custom-dyed olive green cloth tape and hemp twine. A pretty combination, that.
The ride went well, although the Gira struggled a bit on the first hills, until I remembered how to keep the heavy 27x1-1/4 blue-grey Vittorias rolling when the road rises and falls. They're difficult to get in motion, but once they're turning, physics rears it's lovely/ugly head. . . the bike has physical dynamics unlike any other.
It's kinda like sitting in the front car of a roller coaster, dangling over the crest of a hill, anticipation building as the tail-end slowly climbs behind you, then pushes you ahead all in one rush, still accelerating even as your car begin the next climb.
So climbing becomes a matter of timing, especially on rolling hills where you can build lotsa lovely momentum - the Gira has actually outclimbed some fancy Ti bikes, just by my maintaining a good pedal cadence after a preceeding descent. It's even more fun now that there are big touristy fenders involved.
Breakfast ride completed, the Gira began the trip home mounted on the roof rack. I stopped at a nearby wine store to pick up my favorite Scotch, and while I was in the store a guy drove by, stopped, turned around, pulled up beside my car, and spent the next half hour examining the Gira.
He's been a casual cyclist since the late 1970s. He and his wife still have matching Windsors from that era, and he was quite anxious to talk bikes. The light green color had caught his eye, but the red aluminum bottle mounted out front on the handlebars had brought his car to a screeching halt.
So we stood there talking for a long time, discussing childhood bikes and modern equipment, and the history of Campagnolo derailleurs and such.
I'd spent the morning enjoying the ride on this cheerful-looking bike, then spent part of the afternoon talking my favorite topic, with the Gira looking down at us from the roof rack.
Some bikes give you more than you expect. Good thing I brought the Girardengo today.
Aldo Ross
Monroe, Ohio