I included an old friend of mine ( not a C. R. member - yet ) in some of the discussion on travel cases . Here's what he sent me , on the subject of a weekend ride to Laredo , Texas ( I told him I was posting it to the list ) .
The following happened in approximately 1979 . The whole bunch of us were just college students having fun with bicycles .
You need to understand that bicycling from Kingsville , Texas , to Laredo , Texas , is slightly uphill all the way , slightly like crossing the Sinai Dessert , and slightly nuts . Also , it was probably slightly more than 130 miles total . And this was all long-long before they invented Camelbak hydration packs .
Was this on the black Schwinn P13 Deluxe Road Racing Paramount ? Or was this later , on the robin's egg blue Ron Cooper ?
If I remember correctly , Bruce wanted to start on Saturday , and be back in Kingsville , in class at Texas A & I University , on Monday morning . Bruce was probably managing the Kingsville Bicycle clinic at that time . Bicycle boxes were available . But he found himself needing to ship an empty bicycle box . His concern was that it would get totally flattened in transit , and lose all of its strength . So he used a little custom carpentry , and a lot of self reliance .
Cheers
Raoul Delmare
Kingsville Texas
> This reminds me of when I wanted to ride to Laredo, to visit my sister
> Betty and knew I wouldn't have time to get back for Monday class.
> I reinforced a bike box with wood. I shipped it on Greyhound,
> to my attention.
>
> When it was time to return Monday morning. I rode my bike to the bus
> station, claimed the box, and packed the box in the bus terminal.
>
> The two of us (bike & myself) rode the bus to Kingsville. I claimed the
> boxed bike, reassembled, and rode to class.
>
> Very proud of myself for that bit of self reliance.