[CR]Cirque Report, Saturday (Gotta Ramble On)

(Example: Framebuilders:Alberto Masi)

From: "Thomas R. Adams, Jr." <kctommy@msn.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Date: Mon, 05 May 2003 23:50:11 +0000
Subject: [CR]Cirque Report, Saturday (Gotta Ramble On)

Saturday starts early in Cirque land. That is, it starts early if your treacherous back stabbing vehicle got a flat last night 580 miles from home, and you have visions of having to buy an entire new vehicle to get home. In this circumstance you're up at 0600 to be first in line at Parts Plus to get a new tire when they open at 0700. Dale considerately didn't schedule anything until 0900 when there's a see the city tour leaving from CDO.

Fortunately, Greensboro auto parts dealers are honest, as mine patched the flat tire and had me back on the road by 0730 with only a $5 charge for the materials, whereas he probably could have sold me six new tires. Huzzah! Back to the Battleground by 0800 without even having to break out the emergency bike from the back of the van.

At 0800, the Battleground parking lot is starting to stir. Karen Rawls is there with a nifty Bruce Gordon, Roy Drinkwater is warming up on his canary yellow Cinelli fixie, Harvey Sachs breaks out a Sears Ted Williams model with some Campy bits and 2 miles of fork rake and Wayne Bingham trots out a Ryffranck with drilled fork steerer spacers. Take that, weight watchers! Your correspondent was riding his '79 Trek 510, all in basic black. Not because it was the fanciest, best looking or fastest bike I had, but because she's a special favorite and I needed to show her she was appreciated by the occasional "public appearance". Bikes are temperamental, and they need occasional reassurance that you find them attractive. Otherwise they pout, break spokes and get flats. Of course I don't know what they think of me, but I suspect it's "one of you has to get off.".

At the CDO parking lot at 0900, we divide into two groups, fitness and tea party (thank God!) Overcoming my aversion to tea, I extend my pinkie and we're off. Dale has recruited a couple of local riders to lead the way, we we wind our way through scenic downtown Greensboro and into some lovely tree roofed streets, trails and parks. Lovely, just lovely. Larry Osborne on his one owner Eisentraut Limited rode with me much of the way. We both were riding sentimental favorites, it's just that Larry's had his since it was new, whereas I'd recently acquired "the bike I wanted when I was a kid". Past the Lewis Rec Center, site of the afternoon seminars and Sunday's doings, we near CDO when the ride leader announces it's time to sprint. I get close to the front, but Roy Drinkwater has the bit between his teeth and I won't catch his Cinelli. I take a strategic shortcut through a parking lot, but am foiled when I have to gear down to get up the hill (they make steep parking lot entrys in Greensboro). Ann Price on her early 80's Trek 715 takes advantage of my strategic gaffe to slingshot by me into second place. I guess that proves that Treks made from Reynolds 531 are faster than Treks made from Ishwata 022.

The ride runs about 100 minutes, getting us back to CDO and the Battleground in time for a quick shower and then off to the seminar site. I fight the urge to skip and take a nap, and I'm darn glad I did, as Dale had lined up some great speakers. I'll give you what I remember, but I'm sure I'm leaving some stuff out. There was a great presentation on six day racing. This is important research material, because the last of the racers are passing away every day now. Two Drysdale Track bikes are used as illustrations.

Then, Brett Horton (sorry for name goof ups in earlier posts) brought some of the jewels of his Bike Racing Memorabilia collection to show. So what, you say? How special can that be? How about an authentic Merckx Maillot Jaune? Freddy Maerten's Rainbow Jersey? A Godefroot Belgian National Champions jersey? A Giro Maglia Rosa? (Can't recall the rider, but it had a collar, buttons and front pockets). The 2003 Paris Roubaix winners jersey from Peter Van Petegem, complete with cobblestone dirt on it? The flag used to start the first 30 or so TDFs? When Brett ended his talk and invited us up to the table for a closer look, there was a stampede.

Next was Peter Johnson, to discuss his evolution as a bike nut/frame builder over the last 30 years or so. How often does someone qualify for the Olympic trials, and then run out to the garage and build himself a track bike to use? And he HAD that bike there for us to look at! Then, although he hasn't built a bike in several years, Pete announced that he had taken a deposit to build a frame, his re-emergence promoting a bunch of cheers.

Chris Kvale spoke, clearing up misconceptions on frame geometry and why more trail and drop is good, but too much is bad, and how everything has to be just right, which is often completely different from production frame design. Grant Peterson got up and gave us his philosophy on bikes, practicality, Rivendell history and the future of lugs. And all of a sudden it was 5:00 pm, we were an hour over our time in the hall and we had to dash out. Where did the time go? I believe Dale was taping the presentations, and I hope copies of them are available soon. I know I'll get at least two.

We charged down to that night's restaurant, an Italian place with lots of cozy ambiance. Luckily CR folks aren't prone to claustrophobia, as we all sat close indeed. The food was good, and the conversation was fine, a great time.

Back to the hotel now, and the obligatory last minute chores before Sunday's big ride. Retape the white handlebars, add sealer to the new Tufo tubulars, lay out the kit, look again for the spare tire, start packing up a bit to facilitate a fast get away in the morning, all of a sudden you look up and it's 9:30 at night, and you have to ride, swap and drive 10 hours tomorrow. But you can't really go to sleep too early. Pergolizzi has the fourth floor lobby festooned with bikes as he tries to get his sales stock organized for the swap, there are several bottles of Masi wine being drunk, and everyone is happier than the kids in a Disney movie. But before long, I slip off to bed, closing another great day.

Coming soon: Cirque finis (wah!)

Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ

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