I think is had been pre-Covid since this group of vintage bike enthusiasts had gotten together for a ride. It had been nearly an annual thing to ride the White Pine Trail from Grand Rapids for a 40 mile trip to Sand Lake and back. But Tom Parker was the one to motivate 16 of us to get together for a mid day ride through the trees of Michigan.
We started from Dwight Lydell Park in Comstock and rode north casually along the trail, there was plenty to talk about as the season ended. Everybody was an experienced rider who had been around much longer than their vintage bikes and most of us agreed it's easier to ride 50 miles than get out of a chair after watching TV.
and plenty of reasons to stop along the way.
There was a lot of great gear to admire
but the show stopper was the new custom
built by a small shop in Kyoto Japan. It's a beautiful green metallic with
every classic nut, bolt and proven technic meticulously in place.
We stopped along the river in Rockford for a group photo on the way home.
At the end of the road we had lunch at Nick Fink's bar,
storied to be the oldest in Michigan.
Conversation there led to tales of racing triumphs and jokes about the failures in years past. It seems everybody else took up cycle racing somewhere in their early days. After a while Tim Potter(knowing the answer) asked me if I had ever raced "back in the day. " I said, "No, I've never thought of cycling as a competitive sport."
Empty silent stares,
After a few moments I explained that I started in college when I was so busy with classes and a job I needed some recreation that blended into my schedule. "It's just a fun way to go places."
More empty stares.
It always happens that way, but I am always a little surprised.
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