Biking

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Summer comes and most members put their skis away and take out the old bicycle for some fun in the 'warm' sun. Wednesday evenings after work we'll get together for some casual rides, anywhere between ten and thirty miles. The difference in mileage is dependent upon how hard you want to ride. After the rides, we usually get together someplace for something to eat/drink, and a little socializing. Jan Carr (315) 633-9219 and Larry Harrison (315) 437-6570 are the leaders for biking activities, and have laid out some pretty routes. Having fun and riding safely are primary concerns, so all rides are planned to end before dark. We keep track of who's riding, and if they don't return before dark, we go out and find them. The times listed are rolling times, so it pays to be there a little before. Helmets are required.


Biking Links
Biking - Rules of the Road.pdf
NY Bicycling Coalition
Onondaga Cycling Club
Syracuse Bike Routes Planning

JUNIOR SAMPLES AND LYCRA

In 1994 while attending a course in Warrenton, Va. I had weekends off. I figured out a bike route taking me west through the rolling hills. Saturday morning with clear skies and seventy miles of Virginia farmlands ahead of me. High livin’.

Pedaling up a long easy grade on a sparsely traveled road, an old pickup truck came up and passed me – just barely. It was chugging along. There were two guys up front in the cab. Junior Samples of Hee Haw fame, (overstuffed guy in bibbed overalls) along with two kids were in the bed facing backward. So, as they chugged by, I called over: “Race you to the top.” I don’t think they were quite sure how to take me.

Over the hill and a few more miles down the road I was ready for a break. I found a small store – very small. It’s previous life had been a 40’s – 50’s style filling station. The single pump with the “V” shaped awning leading back to the store. And parked out front was my farmer friends’ old pickup. I guess the whole gang had Saturday off to go treat themselves. Now this was a picture: A post-war vintage filling station, an ancient pickup truck in rural Virginia and my modern road bike. Wooden steps to a small wooden porch – seen better days.

Inside was a scene right out of … Hee Haw’s cutting room floor. No floor was visible. I think it was wood. Two floor coolers, one an antique red Coke cooler, filled most of the room - Kind of the center piece. The second cooler had a ladder back chair on it in some stage of recaning. The counter, cash register and the owner on a stool was to the right. Shelves held everything from shotgun shells to cornflakes and baby food. Our day-off boys were lined up on the back side of the coolers sucking down RC’s and munching on Moon pies. I found an ice cream sandwich in the cooler.

And then it started. We swapped lies for probably a half hour. Proud to say I held my own with the day-off boys. They knew Earl Scruggs and all the celebrity banjo pickers. I told them about life in the North Country and how a maple sugaring operation works: Snowshoeing through the sugarbush and using a brace and bit to set taps and hang buckets. Well that led them to telling me about a local farmer making his Sorghum Molasses down the road. He was working it that very day as a matter of fact and they gave me directions. Continue down the road the same way I was going and turn left and left again. Why not – How lost could I get? As I was leaving my Virginia friends had to get in one last lick: “What kind of car you drive when you’re not on that bike? Probably an Audi; Right?” “No Way! I drive a 1978 Chevy pickup with an L-250 engine.” Didn’t get me on that one.

Directions were good and I found the farm. Here again my Lycra and my bike looked a bit out of place. A field of Sorghum was the backdrop. The fella in charge was tending what looked like an oversized, double length blackened trough. We compared notes on Sugaring and Molasses making. Farther to the front, where I had left my bike was a flatbed wagon with people gathered around. The new Molasses is spread onto white bread for samples.

Now how do I get back to Warrenton from here?

Memorial Weekend Biking/hiking Trip...May 25-27, 2007

2006 Bike Rally Results

2006 East Coast Bicycle Ride

2006 Ride for the Rescue

2005 Cape Vincent to Wolfe Is. to Kingston Adventure

Jan's 2004 Biking Party

Karen's Bike Ride & Party

What a day!  The weather was perfect. Not a cloud in the sky, perfect temperature of around 70 degrees and a slight breeze. Yes, Karen's first and hopefully annual bike ride was a success for the 14 people who participated.

Karen had two well planned rides with easy to read maps and directions. Linda, Louise and Doug were the first to arrive and after a few mini-muffins and water bottle fills, they were off on their way. The rest of the riders trickled in over the next hour and all were soon on their way. Kay and Ken, Leigh, Mary, Heinz, Terry and Marcia all opted for the the short ride. Scott and Lynn decided they were up for the long ride and were the last to hit the road.

Everyone except Scott and Lynn were back by 1:00ish. No one got lost or hurt and some improvised on the mapped route and made their own ride. But everyone had a great ride and our "senior" biker Heinz celebrated in his own way as you can see from the picture.

Soon the hot dogs and hamburgers hit the grill, the food was put out buffet style and everyone grabbed a plate, filled it and sat back and relaxed. We had plenty of desserts to satisfy everyone's fancy from apple crisp and chocolate cupcakes to cake and blueberry pie. No one went away hungry. Scott and Lynn finally did make it back after a slight detour to Mexico. But we had all been gracious and left them a few crumbs.

All in all it was a real great day and everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly. 

Let's do it again next year!!