Re: [CR]Most unpleasant bike ride

(Example: Framebuilders:Jack Taylor)

Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 11:08:49 -0400
From: "Daniel Artley" <dartley@co.ba.md.us>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: Re: [CR]Most unpleasant bike ride


In '73, I was doing a ride with a fellow shop rat, Steve, who was later nicknamed the Cannibal with the local Baltimore club, The Chesapeake Wheelmen. We were heading out at a quick pace, and about 25 miles into the ride, Steve said "Uh, I gotta be somewhere in about a half hour", put the hammer down and I was by myself. Back then I was still riding in cutoffs hippie style, really short cutoffs (too cool for those goofy looking bike shorts), on my pretty candy apple red Woodrup road bike (vintage content!) set up with pseudo Campy stuff, Mighty Compe cranks, Campy mechs and weinman 500s, Brooks and other parts left over from my PX-10.

I bonked and found less than 50 cents in my pockets, didn't even have enough for a coke, my energy drink of choice at the time. Heading home I watched in horrer as a bee was scooped into the opening of my, remember very short!!!, cutoffs. OUCH! I almost immediately started to cramp up as the area got super sensitive to the repetitive brushing of denim. I had to nurse my riding for the next 10 miles or so getting crampy every time I stood and just taking it as easy as necessary.

With only a few miles to go, I was starting to feel better, picking up my speed and getting my spin back. Then in an instant, I watched another bee spiral into my face and slam into my open mouth. PTUII!!! Da**! Two stings in one day! It got me inside my lip which immediately swelled up to massive size and brought back my cramps. I got home, but sometimes it just isn't your day. That day I decided bike shorts weren't so dorky after all. Sure wish I still had that Woodrup.

Happy trails,

Dan Artley in Parkton

ps: I'll be riding the Lancaster Covered Bridge Metric Century on Sunday, anyone else?

oroboyz@aol.com wrote: << What was your most unpleasant ride memory? >>

Tell us.. So long as it intrinsically involves a vintage bike topic and frequently makes that connection throughout the description! (Otherwise it's Off Topic!) Thanks Dale

Dale Brown
Greensboro, NC USA
http://www.classicrendezvous.com