Been gone...obviously

         I've been out of town helping provide for an aging and ailing family member, so I have been unable to post any bike related stuff, but the wheels kept turning and I have a bunch to get caught up upon.  I was once again at my hometown of G-burg, Ill. and was a little impressed on this trip.  On previous posts I was a little dismayed at the lack of cycling in a place that is so accommodating to two-wheeled traffic (it's really, really flat!).

I was encouraged to find more signs of bicycle life since college was back in session,

and the studious where pursuing their intellectual growth

by locating all the area pubs, and at least they were on the right side of the street. I even saw a few older couples riding about the countryside in full team kit.  So there is an indication of life out in the provinces.  

   Going out for coffee each morning at a local Starbucks competitor (the nearest Starbucks is 40 miles away, so they do pretty well) I left the Hunq leaning against the window.  While I was ordering, I heard a couple of people discussing the bike and one reading off the downtube "a wholly mammoth bicycle."  When I asked if they were curious, we recognized each other.  We had been classmates in high school!  We caught up on some old news, but nobody pursued the bike question.  I suspect they were a little out of their comfort zone with that one, and probably thought themselves polite in not asking but at least it brought us together again.