HERE ARE PHOTOS FROM OUR JANUARY 2006 RIDE
Who wins the hardiest award this year?
The award has to go to our group of bicycle riding maniacs.
Jim, Steve & Wendy, Joe, Dan, Vin from Menotomy Bicycle and his friends,
Ed O'Brien, Steve Deleo, Pam Gazely, our photographer, Mark, from Mass Appeal and me. (Wanda)
Mass Appeal Magazine wanted to do an article about the New England Muscle Bike Museum.
The photographer, Mark arrived early and took pictures of the bikes in the museum.
Our bikes being photographed for the magazine.
They also wanted to do a photo shoot of us on one of our famous barhops.
OK folks it's January. It's bound to be cold. Perhaps snow will be involved.
We told them we'd give it a shot.
E-mails went out, postings happened on websites.
I expected everyone to say no. Excuses like they were busy staying warm, washing hair,
defleeing pets, broken bikes, kids needing help with anything & everything...
But no... Instead we got YES replies from friends in Boston, New York, New London and
our loyal local friends.
Sunday January 29th loomed in the distance. Our ride was to be in Hartford CT. On a Sunday.
The deadest day of the week in a nearly vacant city. No hopes of warmth or shelter until something
opened after 4 or 5 pm.
The week before the ride, the weather softened, rain happened and the snow melted from the streets.
A very good sign...
But what... Rain forecasted or Sunday afternoon. The weatherman didn't define when afternoon
would begin. Our ride... Was scheduled for 2 pm. Perhaps our luck would hold out... Maybe a quick ride
Maybe they would be wrong.
We arrived at the park around 1:45. In the distance we saw a truck loaded with cool bikes. A licence
plate from Mass. let us know that our friend Vin from Menotomy Bicycles had not let us down.
He brought along some of his friends. What a bunch of troupers...
The sky darkened....
Others arrived... Dan our faithful friend and music coordinator and provider.
Our dear friends Joe, Wendy and Steve... They never let us down. You can always count
on a yes from them...
And the skies darkened...
The photographer was ready. He was positive and enthusiastic. His camera had seen damp weather
before...
And the skies darkened...
It was 2pm exactly... I felt a drop... Maybe there will just be one I thought... Rats... Another drop...
Then more, & more...
We sought shelter under the Caroussel overhang as the skies opened up on us.
It was in the mid thirties and pouring rain. We had all biked about 500 feet from our cars
to the Caroussel and we were finished.
Our friend Vin and his friends, Ed, Steve & Pam, had traveled all the way from Boston...
Now what....
Everyone looked at me... HEY.. Don't look at me... I hate the cold. My idea of perfect is 90 and
sunny. I hate winter, I hate the cold.
Everyone looked at Jim... We all looked at each other... all looking for either inspiration
to ride... or inspiration to bail...
I don't know who said it, But someone said that Black Eyed Sallys is just a block away & they have booze.
Let's make a run for it to the bar & get warm & drunk...
And we were off... Dan's stereo blaring through the vacant streets... Rain pouring & seeping into every
crevasse of our bodies. Hair plastered to our heads...
We arrived at Black Eyed Sallys and they were closed... We all looked at each other in horror.
Now what...
RIDE ON someone said... TOWARDS THE TRAIN STATION...
The rains fell heavier...
Out of the cold dark depths came a light... Oh my God... Something is open... Coaches...
We locked our bikes and dashed in... It was warm... There was food & drink... We were saved.
After drying off and enjoying the company and warmth, our fearless group mounted back up on our bikes
and instead of going back to the cars like any rational group of people, we decided to head out to ride in
the city.
I felt like one of those Harley riders who is out in the worst weather. People looking at us as
through the glass as though we had lost our minds.
We ended up on Constitution Plaza. One of the coolest things about the Plaza is heated from below. This keeps
snow from gathering, hopefully keeping a major insurance claim from happening. Hartford is/was the insurance
capital of the country you know. They think about these types of things more than most.
What it gave us was STEAM. Steam rose from the plaza reminding me of an old
Humphrey Bogart Movie.
The one where Bogie steps our of the rising smoke on the street, hat tipped, cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
There we stayed... Me because, with the steam came warmth. It was the warmest spot in the city.
Others stayed cuz it was cool. (Cool as in hip, not cold)
People rode their bikes through the steam. Riders looked like ghosts traveling through graveyards.
Riders just missing each other as people emerged from the fog.
Bikers doing wheelies scattering fog as they went.
Some of the best trick riding ever was being held in the pouring rain above the city on the concrete
plaza, and there was nobody to see it except us.
We all laughed and played impervious to the weather. Like a bunch of kids who are having WAY too
much fun outside to come in from the rain.
I was so impressed by this group. They came out in some of the worst weather possible and
managed to make the ride one of the most memorable rides I have ever been on.
Thank you all for your enthusiasm, optimism and fun loving attitude.
You guys are the Best!!
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