>From the iBOB archives:
======================================================================= Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2003 16:15:28 -0700 From: "Ken Robb" <kenrobb@WILLISALLEN.com> Subject: [BOB] Joe Bell's 49th birthday ride
about 12 riders met in Balboa Park 9:30ish yesterday. Neat collection of lugged steel: several Colnagos, an Alan lugged aluminum, custom tricycle, my Rambouillet, and a Litespeed Siena compact which looked like an F-15 in the Battle of Britain. We rode downtown, along Harbor Drive, along the east side of the bay to Imperial Beach near the Mexican Border. We saw JB's elementary school and high school on the way to visit Ma Bell and Joe's brother Dick. Nice folks! They provided ice cream. Then we rode up The Silver Strand between SD Bay and the ocean. Along here the pace got mighty jerky. I asked someone why the fools up front couldn't hold a steady pace and was informed I was witnessing "breakaways". All I can say is that if Brian Bayless knew how marginal my bike handling skills are he would have had second thoughts about bursting up the middle of our double line. Anyway we all made it to the pier where the ferry departs for San Diego and had enough time for wicked good gyros and draft ale before boarding. I needed 2 beers to make the slight climb from downtown to Balboa Park. With Brian and JB there it would have been a great place to get a bid on a paint job! I guess most of these guys meet for a "classic ride" the third Sunday each month and it's a great bunch John Pergolizzi eat your heart out!! Most of the classic bikes sported Campy downtube shifter gruppos but there was at least one with ergo shifters. It's good to be open-minded. I plan to ride with them again. Ken Robb =======================================================================
Chuck Schmidt
LA, CA