The Contest Prize and a guest poster

The What I did (will do) on my Summer Vacation Essay Contest is, as mentioned yesterday, on.  Below you will see some pictures of the one and only prize.  The winner will be the entry that most pleases me.  Keep it short.  If it looks long I probably won’t read it.  A good paragraph or two should be sufficient.  Best if there is a bicycle in the story somewhere.

I've included three views of the Walz cycling cap.  This is the Japan Relief Cap.  The Japanese characters translate as "Rise Up!"  And it means the same thing as it does here.  That is,  "Gather your strength and meet the challenge!"  (Sorry, the model's head is not included in the prize.)

Side View

Front view, bill down

Front view, bill up

Please have some fun with this Birthday of the Audax Ride contest.

Notes about tomorrow's ride: 

Tomorrow we’re going up into the north end of Georgia to do some high quality riding.  Generally, we try to stress vehicular and utility cycling, but everyone is entitled to an occasional fun day.  That’s what tomorrow is intended to be, a fun day.

So we’ll load the bikes up tonight, along with all the supplies, change of clothing, towels, and other paraphernalia and accouterments.   We’ll get up stupid early, and drive over 100 miles, to arrive in Helen, GA in time for an 0800 start.

One aspect of this little jaunt is that I will be away from the computer all day.  So Johann the Belgian has graciously agreed to stand in for me on posting duties

Friday Follies ~~ Checking In

Johann and Bill have been absent for a while, and I’ve not seen many other among my cycling friends.  This is kind of normal at this time of year, the holidays and the Winter tend to occupy and divert us.

Johann just blew through town.  He went back home for the holiday season, and just came back to the states (once it was possible to fly again) to collect a few things.  He is delighted with the unusually severe Winter conditions (he would be), and is engaged in ice racing on the canals.  He wishes you all a good and prosperous New Year, and asked me to remind you all that you are unworthy wimps, and you should be out riding in the wonderfully balmy conditions we enjoy here in Georgia.  (Don’t blame me.  I’m just conveying his thoughts.)

Bill the Alien just sent me an email, from Brazil.  I’m reproducing it in part:

Having a wonderful time here.  The weather is pleasant, and the scenary is wonderful  Your human women are delightful.  The beaches here are amazing, and the riding is quite delightful.  I do not understand why anyone is left in the northern hemisphere.  Why are you not all down here where it is so good?

Thenk you Bill!  We needed that.

This past weekend, I heard from an old cycling friend.  Mike lives and works in the Philadelphia, PA area.  He is an avid commuter and cyclist.  He is still riding quite a bit, and has found his Surly Pugsley to be the answer to snow-jams.  He was able to get to work during the worst of the recent blizzard, by riding through Fairmont Park, and then found the downtown area qutie navigable.  In his words,  “the cars that were down there were all stopped.  The snow was plied up, and the plows were stuck in traffic.  It was great!  I pretty much had unrestricted access.  Cars aren’t a problem when they can’t move.”

On the other hand, my friend Johnson, in Miami reports that it is far too cold to ride, and is complaining that the temps are dropping into the “low fifties at night, and barely getting into the sixties during the day.  What with the cold and the rain we’ve been having, riding is just impossible.”

I guess how things look depends on where you stand.

NOTE:  There is a Novice Road Ride this Sunday, at 2:00 P.M.  Starting in front of Bicycles Unlimited.  We’ll go, rain or shine.  If it snows, and sticks, we’ll cancel.

Another Country Heard From

Good morning.  This is Johan.  The Road Dragon is not here.  I told him to go out and ride his bicycle.  I, Johan, will write this post.  How hard is this?  I tell the Dragon, it is no great thing.  You just put words in row.

Let me tell you somethings.  Road Dragon is too nice to you.  He is telling you to be happy all the time and ride your bicycle nice.  That is good.  That is okay.  But that is not enough. I, Johan, am telling you more.  It is this.  You should ride the bicycle right!

First thing.  You read many people who tell you to ride like a Pro.  This is not good.  You are not a Pro.  You are not in race.  You should ride like a smart person.  What?  Do you think you are immortal?  You think you are invincible?  Bah!

You are all good working peoples.  You must remember, riding a bicycle is a privilege.  You must go to work in the morning.  Don’t be stupid heads.  You ride hard, and pretend race?  This gets you hurt.  Maybe it gets you hurt bad.  Then you do not go to work.  How does this make sense?

What?  You think laws are for somebody elses?  You think it is okay, you break law?  You think truck cares if you are beating your friend?  This is not smart.  You should be riding smart!

In my country, there are not so many cars.  In my country the cars look for you.  It is not like that here.  You must look for you.  You must look for the car.

I have told you this.  I see you.  I am watching you.

This is Johan.  Having good days to all of you.