Eric and CR Members; I've been breathing bicycle dust for a few days with cleaning of the bikes and prep work for Larz etc, but Maurice, the Museum of Transportation and I would just like to thank everyone for their great show of support this year. Special thank you to Mr. Dale Brown for kind promoting words and support of Larz, putting up with my Ramblings about Larz, and letting us use the CR to promote the show. Hopefully Dale will make it up to Boston next year. Thank you also to Jack Demerest for leading an early Vintage Ride through Boston and Brookline's gorgious Emerald Necklace.
Both Maurice and Elln Hagney at the MOT put in a great deal of time and effort to put on the show this year, which resulted in a amazing display of very high quality machines, and a wonderful gathering with freinds. A special thank you for Steve Maasland for such a fine job on the judging, with help from a number of others in attendance. Another special thanks to both Ken Denny, and Maurice for bringing so many of their great collections over, and to Ken for holding court with his bikes for four hours. As I went artound the Concour taking shots and talking to freinds, every time I looked over their was a constant swarm of admirers around Ken and his amazing gathering of bikes, as Ken explained in detail the history of each cycle.
I personally want to thank freinds Jerry Moos, wife Liz and Tom Rawson for coming into Boston for Larz as it made the weekend a very special one for me. I'll let other review the show, as I spent the entire day shooting the breeze with old freinds, Dan Borden, Eric Elman, Ken Denny, Maurice, Ken thompson and too many others to mention.
Plans for next year are already underway, and a date for next years show will be announced soon. Next years show date will be set to accomodate a swap on Saturday which is solely promoted by Linda Price, and most likely held at the same location in Watertown, and the Show with Concour on Sunday. Although these two events are not officially linked, hopefully they will be run in conjunction with each other yearly so that out of town folks can come to Boston for a fun cycling weekend.
Maurice, Elln, and I will be constantly looking for ways to improve and grow the event in future years, and look forward to seeing everyone again next year.
Next on to Velo in California and Cirque in the Spring.
As most know, my wife and I are moving to Milwaukee in a few short weeks. Once settled, I will be looking for a venue to promote a new show in the Midwest and I'll be looking for other CR Members to help put a new event together. I'm considering Milwaukee, Madison and possibly Ann Arbor as possible sites.
Sincerely, Peter Naiman Hetchinspete Boston, MA
>
> From: "Eric Elman" <tr4play@cox.net>
> Date: 2004/08/09 Mon PM 09:46:17 EDT
> To: "Classic Rendezvous" <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Subject: [CR]My Report on Larz Anderson National Bike Show
>
> Not much more to report on but I enjoyed the show quite a bit so will add a
> few comments to the previous reports....
>
> Well, I've been to three Larz shows, attending every other year - the show
> is definitely going through an evolutionary process. Four years ago it was
> a show and swap. Both the show & swap were well organized with a large
> turnout. Two years ago it was also a show and swap and my experience was
> that it was a bit disorganized and was on the decline. This year it was
> much smaller in scope with no swap but a very nice turnout of very fine
> bicycles. Clearly a different and narrower focus and definitely on the
> upswing. Vintage lightweights owned by CR members were clearly the
> overriding (pun intended) show participants. This smaller scale event with
> such high quality bikes was a relaxing treat and I encourage more to attend
> next year.
>
> Besides the fine bicycles mentioned by Dan and Steve, there was a large
> turnout of bicycle nuts pretty much like those of us on this list along with
> a healthy dose of people just getting into bike collecting looking for
> advice, admiring our machines, asking questions, etc. I wish there were
> name tags because I am only now realizing that there were many more CR
> members in attendance that I never even met. I did have nice chats with
> Steve M., Richard S., Peter W., Jerry M., Eddie A., Ken D., Maurice B.,
> Peter N., and also met many other people whose names I already forget.
>
> I hope someone took pictures and will post them for you to see. All in all,
> a nice show worthy of greater attendance next year.
>
> Eric Elman
> Somers, CT