Re: [CR]San Diego Vintage ride photos posted

Rob,

Thanks for putting up the photos and thanks to Christine for taking them . I really needed them to get in the correct frame of mind for a few com ments.

Without a doubt, the effort and expense Sterling and Regina put out to h ost us was appreciated by all of us. All the people who regularly host t hese "super special" rides like Matty, Charles, and Jay are making a con siderable contribution to the growth and the pleasure of our hobby and i nterest.

Sterling and Regina also happen to own a home that is of historical inte rest, and of special interest to those who appreciate Craftsman style ar chitecture; myself being one of them. Much too much to write about this marvelous example of the arts and crafts movement (a rebellion against t he industrial revolution) in this space and context; but look for it fea tured in a national magazine dedicated to vintage homes sometime soon. I t's really a wonderful place to party and to ride from. The weather co-o perated with us by not raining until late Sunday nite; and while the day cooled off and got a little chilly by late afternoon, it was ultimately a great day for a ride and a BBQ.

We had the largest gathering of riders we've ever had at one of these ri des, I believe, at around 26 for the ride and a few later for the BBQ. A s Rob mentioned, not a single Masi; and not because anyone said anything before hand. Duplicates of Eisentraut, Colnago, Jack Taylor tandems and a wide selection of Italian, English, and French machines; not to menti on American built Kavale, Roberson, Steeleman, Waterford, and Baylis (al ong with Albert of course).

This was the first time riding the '79 Eisentraut I got through the gene rosity of one Tom Sanders. Finally on the road, I found this bike deligh tful to ride. I haven't been on a ride since before the framebuilders sh ow. But even being out of shape, it seemed that all I had to do was keep my legs turning around and the bike made the rest of it easy. The ride was fun, we all survived, and it wan't even that painful.

The food was outstanding, the Giro was on TV while we ate and conversed. I networked big time with some of the people there who are knowledgable about architechure design, real estate planning, and construction proje cts. You simply cannot put a price on those kinds of encounters, and amo ngst people with whom you have a common interest. I'm personally extra thankful we all had an opportunity to ride and socialize with one anoth er. I had a great time and I made some important progress towards my fut ure plans.

Thank you all for showing up and of course to Sterling and Regina for ho sting, cooking, entertaining, and opening their home to us. Looking forw ard to the "entertaining season" here in SoCal where we southwesterners gather regularly to check out bikes, ride the darn things, and stuff our faces as we trade war stories.

Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA You just can't put a price on friends like these. (Although I guess if I
  could we should settle on a price and I'll sell a few,\; I need some ca sh) ;-)