Listers and yesterday's riders,
The 'ride of death' went without a hitch yesterday! The speed was fast, the talk was cutting and the rest break was informative.
Some takeaways: 1) The look on a riders face, when you pass him on a non-aero braked bike with toe clips and straps and downtube shifters, as he clicks through his Nintendo gearing is priceless!
2)Sometimes excellence comes from a deep dark well of pain, and many of our bikes are tools designed to help us plumb those depths. Ted, I'm quite sure that you have been a veteran of many 'rides of death' - it only makes you stronger, and I think your vitality is a testament to that!
3)Noah described his early eighties Cunningham as the product of an American Consructeur. This has really stuck with me - I had never really seen the beauty of Cunningham's bikes till that point. He truly is one, building bikes as integrated systems far from the confines of tradition and the market (Noah's bike sports a 27 inch front wheel and a 700c rear wheel for handling purposes.... interesting...)
4) this will not be the last!
I would also like to take this chance to promote a more mellow ride on Sunday June 27th, as a cap to the Strong Backs, Weak Minds' exhibit currently up at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn (and recently featured in 'Bicycle Times' magazine). The exhibit (with the generous help of listmember Eddie Albert and the CRCA) chronicles the history of the last of New York's professional velodromes.We will head out from the Old Stone House to the site of the Velodrome (now a housing project) to remember the rides of death that riders before us took on that track. We will then return to the Old Stone House for a gigantic hero and for drinks. Ride starts at 1pm, reception from 4 to 6 to follow.
Please join us for the ride and then to oggle Eddie's Drysdale, Durkopp, Brennan and Stayer bike later.
The exhibit will then move to a virtual place on the internet, but the real thing is waaay more satisfying.
Regards,
Harry Schwartzman
Brooklyn, NY