Hi,
Just got back to "friggin cold" NJ this morning after a week in Sunny CA. Sure miss that weather, the scenery and all that too. It was a pleasant day riding with you guys. See youse guys next trip out there. Will try for early February biz trip.
Regards,
Mike " on a Colnago Master Equal-Lateral" Schmidt
Stirling, NJ
> I have to append one brief note to Brian's story.
>
> On the way back, north of Huntington Beach, at
> Huntington Cliffs, I slowed down, and the group
> took off into the blue distance.
>
> I generally like riding in the group for these things..
> everyone is wearing fine vintage jerseys and riding ultra-cool
> bikes, and it's great fun to take it all in, especially in
> all the beautiful golden California sun we've had lately--we've
> had an extraordinarily beautiful winter, brief, intense storms
> followed by week, after week, of flawless, cool, crisp, perfectly
> sunny days. Not even much smog, and none along the coast.
>
> Now that I've managed to get the eastern CR group gnashing
> their teeth (I lived in NE Ohio for 12 years, I *know*)... you'll
> understand why I slowed down. I spent plenty of time in my
> racing days looking down at someone else's wheel at high speed.
>
> Sunday, I just wanted to enjoy the surfers, who were lucky to
> have a fine big north swell rolling in...the sun glinting on the water,
> the perfect clear sky, the light sea breeze. The bright colors of sea
> and sky and vegetation.
>
> Just as I was hitting Bolsa Chica State Park (home of some quite
> lovely wetlands), who should come up behind me but Scott Smith
> on his spectacular new Saronni-era, candy-red, Colnago Super,
> Alan Schmidt (If I got your name wrong, Alan, my apologies), on
> what I can't remember, and Dennis Stover on his pretty mid-70s
> tomato-red Masi.
>
> We decided to practice our slow-motion sprint for the rest of the
> ride, and we thoroughly enjoyed the road, the bikes, and
> the surroundings, until we rolled into the dwelling of
host-extraordinaire,
> Jay van de Veldt.
>
> If anyone is out this way, and we're doing one of these rides, come with
us!
> If you don't have a bike with you, no problem, we'll find you one!
> Great group, great bikes, and the best weather in the world, I'm convinced
> (other than maybe somewhere on the coast of Chile, or Portugal. Africa
> may have some weather like this on their west coast, but I imagine the
> roads aren't too great, not to mention the dearth of pasta joints)
>
> And, most important, not all of us hammer. Some of us enjoy the
> scenery..
>
> Charles "from SoCal and proud of it" Andrews
> SoCal