Photos for those inclined, may be viewed at
http://www.wooljersey.com/
Mike Schmidt
Stirling, NJ
> It's Sunday, the 20th of March. The riders are assembling at the starting
point in Long Branch NJ for the 2nd Annual Sandy Hook Light House ride.
This ride has been run every year since 2004 (except during the war years),
and every year adds to the legend of the the Hell of the Hook (La enfer du
Hooque). The Sandy Hook ride is famous for the drama that always unfolds
over the northern section of the course, a series of bike paths and sleepy
roads that, when it rains, becomes --- damp bike paths and roads. A truly
legendary route that is reserved only for the strongest. And this Hell has
become the home of the New Jersey supermen, otherwise known as the CR Jersey
Shore spring ride (or Tour de Splash, as Ray Hominski dubbed it).
>
> 4 stalwart rouleurs and one cowardly ride leader braved the elements to
kick off the Jersey CR riding season with our second annual Sandy Hook ride.
Joe Bender Zanoni, Ray Hominski, Dave Neuhaus and Mike Schmidt rolled up by
10:30 and after donning an average of 3.5 layers of fleeces, jerseys and
waterproofs, were ready to ride. As usual for a Jesey ride, the weather
was testing, but not too tough for us! A steady, misty rain protected us
from any chance of heat stroke, and a mild east wind was at least neutral
for our north/south route. And 60% of the bikes were fendered, a fine
showing for the climactic conditions. Dave rode a nice Peugeot PX10 with
natty blue Bleumels, Mike was on his McReynolds S&S coupled bike, Ray had a
sharp Bob Jackson racer, and I brought the Stan Pike touring rig. I almost
left her home due to the rain, but finally argued myself around to taking
it, pointing out that there was no reason to put fenders on the poor dear if
I wasn't ever going t
> o expose
> her to some precipitation.
>
> Joe BZ had the most interesting bike of the day, a 1950 Dutch RG Pestman.
Outclassing all the rest of us with our sissy derailleurs, Joe equiped the
Pestman with a SA 3 speed ASC fixie hub, as well as some 1st gen Weinnman
sidepulls and one of the most decrepit leather saddles still in use I've
ever seen. It looked like an alligators back, but it held together for the
entire ride, dissapointing the bookies who were giving 3-2 against.
>
> We rolled out a little late, and charged up to the Sandy Hook lighthouse
in fine shape. After a bannana break and some pictures (flex your quads!
Suck in your gut!), we remounted and rolled south, into (of course) a nasty
headwind. And out on the Sandy Hook peninnsula, there's nowhere to hide
from the wind. So it was gear down and slog back south, thinking hopefully
of hot drinks at the end. Dave eventually went to the front, and broke us
all with his tremendous power, but fortunately he wasn't sure of the route
and had to wait for me to call the turn back into the parking lot. (See,
forgetting to hand out cue sheets can be a brilliant strategic maneuver.)
Anyway, everyone got back safely, we dug through the goodies Ray brought to
swap (thanks for the pedals, Ray) and then it was time to head for home. We
all agreed that it was a fine route, that we had all gotten more in touch
with out inner Belgian, and that I was forbidden to organize any more rides
for fear of sta
> rting
> the second great flood.
>
> Thanks again to everyone who came. Hope we can do it again soon.
>
> Tom (soggy but unwilted) Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
>
>
>
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