In a message dated 1/9/2003 1:27:04 AM Eastern Standard Time, jvs@sonic.net writes:
<< Please enlighten me as to what cirque du cyclisme is. Sorry if y'all have been over this before, but it is new to me. >>
Hi Jay: Thanks for the excuse to tell everyone! The "Cirque" started a few years ago (5 - 6?) with a bicycle goods swap meet in the parking lot of my shop. I thought "Sellers are not so hard but how do I get buyers to come?" so I added a ride, a road ride, leaving in the AM and arriving back in time for the swap meet to be up full blast. Also I had become absorbed with vintage lightweight bike stuff so I thought, why not add a classic/vintage bike show as a further "draw?" The first year that we combined all the elements, ride, swap and show, was a success but that weekend there were hurricane warnings and heavy thunderstorms... so many folks, especially those from farther away, thought better than to risk the weather and did not attend. I was bummed as I had expended some effort and money to promote the event but the event did not break-even ut and I went "in the hole" on the affair. So the next step was to "weather-proof" the Cirque by going indoors.. that meant renting, in it's entirety, a community recreation center just a mile or two away. <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com/images/Events/Cirque/2002/Lewis_ctr_m.j
pg"> </A>L<A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com/images/Events/Cirque/2002/Lewis_ctr.jpg
">ewis Rec Center</A> It has a gym, 4 large rooms surrounding, restrooms with showers, patio space to expand outdoors, plenty of nearby parking and, a new benefit, a mountain bike trailhead just outside! Of course this expense made it necessary for me to "up the ante" in attracting folks to attend. You should spend a half hour looking at the pictures from the last years and the schedule for this year..... The real appeal is the people who attend and have a relaxing but busy weekend talking riding showing and looking at old bike stuff! And we have been privileged to have the top folk in this field be a part of the event.
Attendees have been a virtual who's who in this hobby from around the USA and even the world! (apologies to anyone left out, this list is off the top of my head!): Jim Cunningham, Brian Baylis (rumors abound that these two are brothers!) Richard Sachs, HIlary Stone, Ray Etherton, Chris Kvale, Mike Kone, Brad Wilmarth, Lou Deeter, Russ Fitzgerald, Alan Bernstein, Peter & Jan Johnson, Chuck Schmidt, Peter Paine, Larry Black, Wayne Bingham, Gilbert Anderson, Jill diMauro, John Barron, Ken Wallace, Matt Gorski, John Vande Velde, Karen Rawls, Alan Schaeffer, Peter Naimann, etc, etc!
The Cirque is even fortunate to have a West Coast spin-off "cousin" (brother?) in the <A HREF="http://www.velo-retro.com/"> </A>V<A HREF="http://www.velo-retro.com/vr.html">elo Rendezvous</A> as promoted by Chuck Schmidt.. similar and yet different (after all it's in California for goodness sake!)
So now go to the web pages and spend some time looking... <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Cirque.htm">The Cirque du Cyclisme</A> Hope to see you at the Cirque!
Dale
Dale Brown
Greensboro, North Carolina