The other problem with trying to keep up with the group is the Baylis is useless when it comes to getting a pull. I kept getting in behind him and it was like no-one was there.
Brian! Grow another foot or get a taller bike, willya?
Charles "growing out, instead of up" Andrews soCal
-----Original Message----- From: brianbaylis@juno.com Sent: Jan 13, 2004 2:03 PM To: chasds@mindspring.com Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]re: SoCal man-of-the-year Vintage Ride
Charles,
You are absolutely correct. Not everyone has ants in their pants on our rides. It should be made known that if you show up to one of our gathersings, you will NEVER regret it! We have a blast, you can ride either way and have first class company. Personally, I haven't quite had enough of suffering behind someone's rear wheel at age 50. I actually like to suffer on the bike, it reminds me of my youth! The time may be soon for me to bring the suffering down a notch; since Sargent Pergolizzi id due in town shortly. He tells me that he's bringing his whip and cattle prod! OUCH! But if it works, I expect the complaints about not being able to draft me will increase tenfold! Don't blame me, BLAME PERGOLIZZI!!
Also, the summer is a better time to slow down and take in the sights on our coastal rides in my opinion, for obvious reasons! It isn't thong season yet!
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
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