1999 Issue #5 - Bombay Bicycle Club

Extra rdinary Reflections
TTThe Newsletter of the Bombay Bicycle Club, Inc.
November/December 1999
Madison, Wisconsin
Fall BBC Meeting
Where: Shorewood Community Center
901 Swarthmore Court, Madison
When: Sunday, November 7, 1999, 5:00 p.m.—7:15 p.m.
•Please see the map on page 13 for directions.
Agenda:
4:30 ‑ BBC Board arrives to set up
5:00 ‑ Socializing. Soda will be available compliments of the BBC, but bring your own beer. Membership dues for Y2K will be collected.
5:30 ‑ Pizza, soft drinks, relish trays and more —
Free to BBC Members!
6:00 ‑ BBC Business Meeting, including election of next year’s officers.
6:30 - “Biking in Venezuela” presentation by Jeanne Hoffman of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin.
Please see the article and photos on page 2 for more details on her talk.
7:00 ‑ Door prizes
7:15 ‑ Clean up
T
New Thursday Night Rides a Big Success
he Thursday Night Troupers have redefined “social”
riding: it’s far more than just enjoying the company of others,
but now entails a reliance upon one another in times of medical
emergency. You’ve heard of the Tracy vs. dog and Jen vs. hill cases;
well now add Glenn vs. gravel.
Beware of black-colored gravel that at first glance appears to be
blacktop. Approaching such a surface at sufficient speed and then
lightly applying the brakes can lead to your bike disappearing
from beneath you as it takes a different route than what’s on the
cue sheet while your body makes the turn without it. Interesting: I
never had such a hands-on anatomy lesson as when I looked down
to see my patella sticking out. “Look everybody, my kneecap! Hey,
why is everyone backing away?” After 4 hours under the knife,
the orthopedic surgeon proclaimed that I’m just going to have
to live with a certain amount of gravel existing in my knee. And
arm. To attempt a complete extrication would damage too much
surrounding tissue. My story is evolving of course; one need only
change a few letters to get “shrapnel” from the original “gravel”
version. Then substitute “parachute” for “bicycle” and a real heroic
tale unfolds. Buy me a beer and I’ll tell you all about it.
Enough already; I can already hear the impenitent voices of the
Tuesday and Sunday riders asking, “What about the bike?! Is the
bike all right?” Well, yes, it’s fine. Sort of. My bike is still keenly
aware of all shortcuts possible with BBC rides, so if anyone wants
to borrow the beast, it’ll find water in the desert for you—if you
Please turn to page 4
T
Volume 25 Issue 5
From the President
he end of the enjoyable riding season is fast approaching
and I could easily become a “Snowbird” and depart for south‑
ern climes as winter approaches. When desperate, I am forced
out because I hate to hang up my pedals so soon. Eventually my
bike will gravitate to storage, and the cross country skis will live
in the trunk of my car instead.
I spent the first weekend of October in Kingsport, Tennessee,
visiting my brother, a fellow bicycling enthusiast. The weather
was wonderful, bright and sunny and in the 70s with NO wind!—
typical for this area. What a relief after this past summer with its
roaring headwinds. My companions and I spent an enjoyable
morning cruising through northern Tennessee and southwest
Virginia on roads which all seemed to have “Hollow” in their names
and which run through and out of gulleys between steep hillsides.
Small churches abound in the area with one in view around nearly
every turn. We stopped for a quick lunch on the front steps of one
of them, basking in the sun’s rays and warmth. The roads wound
through narrow, shaded valleys by rushing creeks, by farms
nestled on hillsides and over ridges with vistas. It is a great area to
ride. The next day we rented mountain bikes and rode part of the
Virginia Creeper trail, an old railbed, that goes to the top of White
Mountain. The trail has 17 miles of chilly downhill through dense
woods and is very popular on weekends when the fall colors are
decorating the mountain. It was disappointing to leave Tennessee
and the 70 degree days and return to a rainy 45 degree day back
home. I’m already planning ahead to the Florida Freewheelers’
Bike Safari next April 15-20, in the year 2000.
Please turn to page 4
What is this man so happy about? See page 6 for the answer.
Cycling in Venezuela
by Jeanne Hoffman
J
The BBC’s speaker at the
fall meeting will be Jeanne
Hoffman of the Bicycle Fed‑
eration of Wisconsin. Here
she’s talking with one of
the Venezuelans she met
on her tour.
eff and I biked nearly 600 miles around the gorgeous country
(gorgeous, that is, as long as you
can overlook the litter of plastic
bags and disposable diapers on
the roadside). We pedaled over lots
of mountains, through dry cactus
covered hillsides, through cloud
forests (rain forests), and into the
high Andes. On our first day alone
we climbed from the coast into the
coastal mountains, 7,000 feet in
24 miles, before dropping into the
town of Tovar, settled by a group
of Germans in the 1800s. All the
buildings are white with black cross
beams and red roofs, a bit of the Alps
half way around the world. Pretty
funny to see blue-eyed, blond-haired
Germans running around speaking
Spanish.
We had two blissful days at the beach
or “la playa” in Choroni and the beach town Puerto Columbia. Choroni was a beautiful colonial town with narrow streets and
typical stucco, tiled-roof one-level flats that were painted in
vibrant colors. Some of the streets were so narrow you had to
lumbered
sleeping
town. Puerto
Columbia, just
stand
with through
your backthe
against
a building
when a slow-moving
trucka
short walk down the road was very different with loud bars and
restaurants that were open very late. It was just the right place
to be for a rest day next to the palm trees and gorgeous sand
on the Caribbean, with 7000-foot mountains springing up right
behind us— a spectacular view.
We then pedaled down a 6-lane interstate-like “autopista” with no
shoulders and heavy traffic, but it was the only road from Valencia
towards Bejumé. I finally put my foot down and
said NO so we hitched a ride with a cute couple for
about 15 miles until our road turned off.
Finally we started up the Andes. For two days we
pedaled up. We crossed the high Andes on Venezu‑
ela’s highest road with the pass at “Pico El Agiula”
(13,372 feet), the highest I’ve ever been in my life,
much less have ridden up on a bike that was fully
loaded. Next morning we even climbed back up
it again with unloaded bikes from about 6 miles
down the other side to enjoy the sunny view since
it had been fogged over day before. Nothing like
high altitude training in the high Andes. And yes,
the view was pretty cool too. We met a lot of great
folks and families and my Spanish actually got bet‑
ter in two weeks!
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 2 ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 3 Thursday night rides, continued from page 1
don’t mind riding canted like a beagle. The important thing is get‑
ting back to the tavern after the Thursday ride, where we typically
reward ourselves (for surviving) by feasting on tasty food and re‑
freshing beer. Please frequent these bicycling-friendly businesses
as an inducement for them to continue tolerating our group:
Over the Hills
A Midlife Escape Across America by Bicycle, by David Lamb
Times Books, New York, NY 1996. 254 pp. $23.00.
I
Reviewed by Alice Honeywell
n my small but growing collection of stories of bicycle tours,
•Mount Horeb Pub and Brewery, 105 S. 2nd Street in Mount I have Dervla Murphy’s oldest and newest titles (Full Tilt and
South from the Limpopo), Barbara Savage’s Miles from Nowhere,
Horeb, 437-4200.
Christian Miller’s Daisy, Daisy, Barbara Johnson’s Pilgrim on a Bi‑
•Whistle Stop Café, 101 E. Main Street in Waunakee, 849-9588.
cycle, and David Duncan’s Pedaling the Ends of the Earth. Now
•Maria’s Pizza, 134 S. Main Street in Oregon, 835-5455.
comes David Lamb, a journalist on leave from the L.A. Times who
•Quivey’s Grove - Stable Grill, 6261 Nesbitt Road in Madison (near has chronicled his bike ride from the Potomac to the Pacific.
Verona), 273-3440.
Most bicycle touring chronicles, including those named above,
Picture having to work at these places and seeing a mob of be‑
tween 3 and 23 brightly-colored, sweaty, dazed, affable, famished,
ever-thirsty bikers coming through the door. All right; now leave
a tip. Thanks. And be careful out there! No, I mean it this time, be
very careful riding. And we’ll see you in September (...barring any
unforeseen circumstances, of course).
—Glenn Weaver
From the President, continued from page 1
The Wright Stuff Century was quite the success we expected with
a record 500 riders signing up on the slightly overcast and humid
day. Our Tyrol Basin location can now accommodate up to 750
for parking and food, so we could handle even more participants.
We owe great thanks to John Stockham and all the others who
helped to make this event happen. We couldn’t do it without you!
Please come and enjoy the BBC fall meeting and the slide pre‑
sentation, given by Jeanne Hoffman of the Bicycle Federation.
We may also be deciding on a new design for a Bombay jersey
(created by Orange Schroeder who has designed our Wright Stuff
Century T-shirts), so please give us your input. We also need your
feedback on the survey (please see page 15), so the Board can
continue to gear the club to its members needs.
Thanks to all of you who have helped to make this another suc‑
cessful year for our biking club—we wouldn’t exist without you
.
—Sarah Grimes
Wright Stuff Century Tee Shirts
Available
We have a limited quantity of the Wright Stuff t-shirts, in sizes
Large and XLarge, available to club members at a reduced
price of $10.00. They were designed by Orange Schroeder,
inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s design for the Marin County
Civic Center...very stylish! Proceeds benefit the club, so give
Dean a call at 256-8813 or 255-8211 to reserve yours. They’ll
be available at the fall meeting on November 7.
are not great works of literature. Nor is David Lamb’s, but to my
pleasant surprise, he comes closest to Dervla Murphy of anyone
so far in his ability to write well.
He was 55 when he decided to “disappear on the back roads
of America.” He had “grown weary of taking out the garbage
on Tuesday nights,” tired of worrying about whether his invest‑
ments were growing fast enough, and
sick of writing about other people’s
adventures. At the same time, from
his writing experiences abroad, he had
plenty of experience surviving difficult
physical circumstances and knew he
could handle whatever challenge came
his way. He decided what he really
wanted to do was to “dawdle and hang
out.” As one who has secretly—and
not so secretly sometimes—dreamed
of doing the same, I could relate to this
idea. Non-bicyclists don’t understand
how riding a bike all day up and down hour after hour can be
considered “dawdling” or “hanging out,” but we bicyclists do un‑
derstand this. David Lamb is now my alter ego.
He intertwines education and entertainment as he shares anec‑
dotes of his trip along with research about the history of cycling,
roadbuilding, and backroads adventuring. The emotions he
experiences, the attitudes he develops, and the conclusions he
draws are common to many extended bike adventures.
On his two-wheeler: “My bicycle was only an extension of me. It
was like another set of feet. It couldn’t carry me anywhere I didn’t
have the endurance to go. . . . I’d look at the bike parked next to
my bed when I awoke and feel dumbfounded that anything so
uncomplicated, so relatively cheap, so undemanding could carry
a person across a continent, or around the world.”
On the importance of roads with a good shoulder: “ There proba‑
bly wasn’t another person within five hundred miles who thought
a good road shoulder had anything to do with happiness, but a
simple truth had become evident to me the past few days: It is
the little things over which we have no control that often carry
the most weight in making each day a pleasure or a burden.”
On meeting other bicycle tourists: “We mounted up, he heading
Please turn to page 14
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 4 Ride Retrospect
For the Love of Pie
by G. Rae Van Sluys
A
“The Predestined Pedaler”
nd not just any old pie. The word “pumpkin” cast its magic
spell when Bombay riders commenced this year’s (13th annual)
Lendved Homestead journey on last September 26th.
Once again, the weather forecast 3 days prior to the ride predicted
rain. In the Lakeview Park lot I confessed to Dave and Margaret
Peterson that I nearly wept openly when Ma Nature blessed us
with summertime temps and plenty of sun—never mind the
gusty southwesterly. I handed out 65 copies of the map/cue
sheet that morning; 52 hardy souls packed in pie before noon at
the destination.
et al—always good to see familiar faces, albeit briefly. And John
Stockham, Deb Larson, John Coover — where were you?
My own chain-jam-turned-slow-mo-stopped-dead-and-stuck- still on the infamous Enchanted Valley hill didn’t keep me from
enjoying every minute and bite of luscious pie a la whipped
cream. Shirlee baked a dozen pies, not counting the mini-pies
sent home with the last two riders —guess who? At the Home‑
stead I was entertained by nephew John’s clarinet solo (concert
tickets will be sold in advance next year) and his brother Chris
made a few popcorn sales for the 4-H club. Nolan, Casey, and
new puppy, Zydeco, watched the cyclists wheel in and out for
two hours. Dad Dave was working, but Shirlee and family thank
everyone for a colorful and congenial visit. Many riders expressed
their appreciation, likewise.
I’ll miss the November 7 fall pizza meeting this year—a vacation
Four pasta meals in the last four days in an effort to “carbo-load” in Utah with my SOB (significant other body) beckons. But you
didn’t flatten the route — somehow it seemed hillier than usual! can bet someone will bring pumpkin pie, so put this event on
I don’t know about the fast riders up front, but a few folks I en‑ your calendar with plans to renew your membership and pur‑
chase a jersey in support of a cycling club extraordinaire! Wish
I could be there. . . .
N
From the Touring Chair
ow that the cycling season is winding down (except for
those wackos who put studded snow tires on their road
bikes), it’s time to say thank you to the club for entrusting me
to put together the ride schedule this past year. I was fortunate
to have several volunteers assisting me who made this task far
more palatable.
The Lendved
This was the second time I served as Bombay’s touring chair and
it’s time to pass the torch. To anyone who has enjoyed riding
with the club and has not volunteered for a board position previ‑
ously, this is an opportunity for you to help mold the club as we
enter the 21st century. If you’re a reasonably organized person
who enjoys phone and e-mail contact, this is a job that you can
manage. Most of the work takes place in January and February
when you can’t be out cycling anyway.
countered deserve honorable mention. Chris, a new rider from
Wausau, started out strong, only to experience a flat that couldn’t
be patched to perfection. His Appel chose a scenic site on Spring
Valley Road where we caught up with him and thus enjoyed the
pleasure of his company until mile 30 when he turned back due to
time contraints. Chris promises to ride with Bombay again. Despite
Sarah’s determination to pedal her mountain bike the full distance, As a final note, the last woman to hold this position was Mary
the winds were not in her favor. She and Mel, another good soul Jane Williamson (now Carpenter) in 1991, so it’s time for one of
who “toasted his legs rollerblading on Saturday,” made Roxbury you ladies to fill this position once again! If there are any ques‑
their turn-back point. We hope you’ll ride with us again, Sarah. We tions I could answer for you concerning the touring chair post,
know Mel will. Fortified by pie and perseverence, Rosemary and feel free to call me at 848-3461 or e-mail me at cmestein@chorus.
—Bob
companions pedaled strong against blustery blasts of wind, yet net.
they didn’t appear worse for the wear. Lou Bruch and companion
Dan Cornwell were undoubtedly the last, but not least, of the
great long riders—Lou reports they returned before the drizzle
Correction
began. Susan and Jim conversed so comfortably in a corner of
No price was listed with the Festina watch which was illustrated
the porch that I thought they’d become one with the Homestead.
in the advertisement for Dykman’s Time Shop in the September/
Onna—hope this was a good first ride with the club. I was graced
October issue of ExtraOrdinary Reflections. The price is $295. with the presence of my long-time friend, James—true to spirit
ExtraOrdinary Reflections regrets the error.
he stuck with me to sag the entire route. Don, Bob, Jimmy, Max,
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 5 Twenty-fifth Wright Stuff Century Ride Draws Record Group of 500 Cyclists
T
he reason that man on the front page is smiling so much is that he believes he won’t have
to be Cruise Director for the Millennial Century Ride next year. John Stockham truly deserves
our thanks for organizing a successful, massive event which went off with very few hitches—even
the weather cooperated, more or less.
There were many volunteers who made this ride the success it was. These BBC members helped at
the aid stations: Norm Dullum and Barbara Lukes were at Hyde; Susan Halverson, Karen McWilliams,
Dennis Dresang, and Max Austin were at Tower Hill; Paul and Karen Matteoni and Sarah Grimes were
at Barneveld in the morning, while Jim and Lee Ann Kleeman and Kafryn Lieder and her husband
Craig Katz were there in the afternoon. Bob Steinberg and Fred Gooding helped shuffle cars at Tyrol
Basin in the morning.
Dean Schroeder and Dave Peterson laid out the route and marked it; Carolyn Senty was responsible
for early rider registration; Mary Carbine generated valuable publicity. Special thanks are due to the
Madison Area Repeaters Association; Don Michalski was the Ham Coordinator. Tim Waddington was
the Sag Coordinator. The T-shirts were designed by Orange and Dean Schroeder, the brochure by
Diane Schwartz and Margaret Peterson.
The registration desk was staffed by Gail Van Haven, Julia Hay, Sarah Hole, and Linda Welch.
Thanks also to the Trek Bicycle Store and to Williamson Bicycle Works for providing repair trucks and
mechanical support throughout the day.
The Bombay Bicycle Club extends its most sincere thanks to all these volunteers, and hopes no one’s
name has been left out.
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 6 On the facing page­ left to right,
top to bottom: some of the 500+
riders leave Tyrol Basin; the sign-in
desk; no, we don’t know how she
rode without a seat post; yes, that’s
what you think it is in his backback
(see inset), and yes, that’s what you
know it’s not on top of his head; R&R; on County Trunk F.
On this page: Unity Chapel, near
Taliesin; getting a young start;
we’ve seen him before, but forget
where; there was just one of those
things at the Hyde aid station;
both of those flats occurred within
five miles of the start; we think
they’re from Kenya.
—Photos by Fred Gooding
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 7 Biking
theBighorns
Bighorns
Biking
the
By
DennisDresang
Dresang
by Dennis
—Max Austin
for biking, eating homemade pies, and celebrating a birthday,
Dennis Dresang joined the BBC last
we were ready to go. When we left the next morning, we were
year after deciding that being Chair
fresh, energetic, and even fashionable. But we were quickly put
of the UW’s Political Science Depart‑
in our place. We were just about 3 miles out of town on highway
ment wouldn’t keep him busy enough. 336 when a ranch dog obviously mistook us for something else
Dennis claims that this trip was his first
and relentlessly tried to herd us. This went on for more than two
long bike tour, but anyone who saw him
miles. After either tiring or recognizing its error, the dog left us
scampering all over those passes would
to enjoy a ride that was initially rolling hills and then became
certainly wonder.
fairly flat as we took highway 16 and finished our 40 miles into
ccording to what the veterans had said, it appears that Buffalo. We noted that as the day wore on and temperatures rose,
my first biking trip will rank among the very best. a headwind developed from the south.
Those who had gone on at least one annual trip for almost Our second day of riding (71 miles) was to continue on highway
twenty years described the Powder River Pass in the Big Horn 16 first west, then south and again west, over Powder River Pass
Mountains as “the very best downhill” they ever rode. They spoke and into Ten Sleep. The climb to 9,666 feet was a 5,000 foot climb
with similar superlatives for Granite Pass five days later. My first over 37 miles. The slopes were generally 6 to 7 percent grade. bike trip has made me eager for more, although I guess it will be The road, like most of the ones we used, had a paved shoulder
that provided safety for vehicles with pedals as well as for those
all downhill from here!
Nine of us met in Sheridan, Wyoming, a medium-sized city serving with motors. Most of us made the 37-mile ascent in a little over
surrounding ranches and tourists headed for Yellowstone. Most 8 hours, averaging about 4½ mph.
A
of us were Madison folks—Maxine Austin, Alice Honeywell, Deb
Larson, Mike Richardson, Fred Gooding, and myself. The others
were from Cincinnati. We employed a complicated mathemati‑
cal formula to design a system where we took turns driving our
support vehicle. Factored into the formula were individual
calculations of fatigue predictions, color of bikes, width of tires,
personal relationships, and the price of eggs in Alaska. Ask Fred
for the details!
Although a sizeable portion of the mountainside was still recover‑
ing from a forest fire five years ago, the scenery was spectacular. It
was the last week of July, but snow still covered peaks. Wildflowers
were numerous and varied. Once on top of the pass, we posed
for pictures. One group of tourists asked to borrow our bikes so
they could impress (and deceive) their friends. Another group
was so in awe of our feat, they wanted
After a day of making and renewing acquaintances, preparing
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 8 to pose with us! Lance Armstrong, step
aside!
The downhill was a fantastic 20 miles
winding through canyons and along
streams. It was at a grade where neither
braking nor pedaling was necessary. The beauty of the area is incredible.
It seemed like the rocks, streams, and
canyon walls were competing so that
the view around each turn was more
spectacular than the ones before.
We got some good food and rest in
Ten Sleep, a small frontier-like town
with few, but adequate, facilities. Re‑
freshed, we began our trek through
the desert—27 miles on highway 16
to Worland and then 33 miles south on
20/789 to the metropolis of Thermopo‑
lis. On the way, Randy, one of our fastest
riders, raced with an antelope. To put
it more precisely, the antelope jogged
alongside Randy and lured him into
thinking he could pedal fast enough
The Route
to keep pace with the fleet four-legged Sunday 25 July — Sheridan to Buffalo via Ucross............................................................40 miles
speedster. Just when Randy reached Monday 26 July — Buffalo to Ten Sleep via Powder River Pass...................................71 miles
a peak of confidence, the antelope Tuesday 27 July — Ten Sleep to Thermopolis....................................................................60 miles
shifted gears and left our thoroughly Wednesday 28 July — Thermopolis to Wood River Lodge...........................................65 miles
humiliated friend in the dust, literally. Thursday 29 July ........................................................................Layover day at Wood River Lodge
Although the antelope left with a smirk Friday 30 July — Wood River Lodge to Shell......................................................................80 miles
on her face, the experience was a rare Saturday 31 July — Shell to Dayton via Granite Pass......................................................58 miles
and exciting treat.
Thermopolis is noted for its hot springs and has attracted a steady
although another small frontier
flow of tourists, the usual array of fast food franchises, junk sou‑
town, seemed like a real oasis. For
venir shops, and cheap motels. We arrived in the early afternoon
us, the major attractions of the
and split into two groups—one went to the Hot Springs and the
two blocks of Main Street were
other went rafting on the Wind River. Both options offered great
two soda fountains. We went to
scenery, lots of fun, and refreshing water. The relief from the hot
the one at the famous Mercantile
desert air was greatly appreciated.
and had root beer floats that
The next day we biked 52 miles northwest measured at least twelve inches
on highway 120 to Meeteetse, another from the tabletop. They were the
small, frontier-like town. This was another best root beer floats this side of
day in the desert. In the hot (the tempera‑ Paradise.
ture got over 100 degrees), dry air we each
drank gallons of water and used pints of
sunscreen. No problems with mosquitoes,
however! We gained a new appreciation
The author and friend, who
of shade in this region where the only
was coiled up in the middle
plants were sage and grasses and flow‑
of the road making funny
ers that were close to the ground. At one
point, three of us celebrated a shadow cast We biked another 22 miles to a fledgling hunting/fishing lodge,
by a 2’ x 4’ road sign as an oasis of sorts. where we stayed for 2 nights and our scheduled “rest day.” I
We got more effective relief courtesy of learned that the meaning of “rest” in the bikers’ dictionary is
“some strenuous activity other than biking.” For us, that meant
someone
who
had their
system
on watering
a lawn.
Wesprinkler
spent about
10
A ver y welcome minutes circling under the water that fell using every last horse’s power in our four-wheel drive support
vehicle to climb hills and ford rocky streams to get to Kerwin, an
sight after 37 miles into the driveway and street.
abandoned ghost/mining town. The day was a
of 6 or 7 percent up‑
Meeteetse (pronounced Muh-teet-see),
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 9 delightful break from desert
biking. We donned hiking
gear, packed a lunch, and
enjoyed climbing to the edge
of the tree line and hop‑
ping rocks across mountain
streams. We saw moose,
hawks, eagles, and ferrets. The abandoned mining town
suggested all sorts of stories
of adventure, risks, and dis‑
appointments. At night, our
host, Cowboy Skip, played his Sometimes this was the only way
role well and served us a clas‑ we could find any shade.
were treated to a sudden storm and a brilliant double rainbow.
The pot of gold seemed located in Granite Pass, our destination
the next day.
The climb from Shell to the top of Granite Pass was 5,000 feet. The altitude of the pass is 9,033 feet. The journey is exceptionally
scenic, with streams and waterfalls, overlooks in deep, winding
canyons, and majestic, snow-covered mountain peaks. The vet‑
eran bikers labeled this “the best uphill” they had traveled. One of
the rewards of biking uphill 26 miles at grades about 6-7 percent
was an incredible tailwind that pushed us for over 5 miles along
the rolling plateau on top of the pass. Pedaling was unnecessary. We were grateful we were not going in the opposite direction!
Like the downhill earlier in the week, this one was spectacular. The winding road was gradual and wide enough to provide safety,
and it was long and steep enough to be fun. The scenery did
not include canyons like the ones we saw coming down Powder
River Pass, but instead included a blend of both rocky and green
mountain slopes and panoramic views of the valley below. We
felt rewarded.
The 81 miles from Shell to Sheridan ends with a stretch on Inter‑
state 90. We decided that was not a fun or safe way of concluding
our trip, so we climbed aboard our support vehicle for our grand
entrance to the big city. This decision also ensured that we would
have plenty of energy for celebrating an unusually enjoyable and
successful trip.
My rookie experience was a special one—in part because of my
companions and in part because of the tour itself. With confi‑
dence that goes beyond my status as a novice, I highly recom‑
mend the Bighorn Mountains. The journey we took through
desert terrain and mountain passes posed challenges and offered
rewards. If you like uphills and downhills, heat without humidity,
opportunities to raft and hike, and varied, spectacular scenery,
Please don’t ask about the cholesterol or calorie counts of Skip’s
then you will enjoy the Bighorn area. I did a lot of listening and
killer breakfasts.
observing on this trip. The stories of past bike trips that I heard
sic Western dinner. Too bad we didn’t have a guitar or harmonica. told with relish and enthusiasm were very entertaining. I cannot
The next morning, Skip kindly shoveled out most of what had help but wonder how much embellishment the stories included.
accumulated on the floor of his horse trailer and loaded our Based on what I experienced in Wyoming, embellishment is cer‑
“ponies” to take us over a long stretch of unpaved road. We then tainly not a requirement for a good biking story.
began our 85-mile journey to Shell—gateway to Shell Canyon. This involved backtracking to Meeteetse and then following
first highway 120, then highway 30 along the Greybull River to
the town of Greybull and then highway 14 to Shell. We traveled
again through the desert. A common sight was irrigated fields
green with crops on one side of the road and arid, brown land
on the other. In the middle of soybeans, beets, or various kinds
of grains were boxes, 5’ x 6’ x 2,’ sometimes brightly colored. It
was difficult to figure out their purpose, but we learned that the
“boxes” were beehives. Western bees have homes different in style
from Wisconsin bees. On the more arid side of the road, swallows
swarmed around their equivalent of hives built into walls of cliffs
and rock outcroppings.
For many of us, highway 14 from Greybull to Shell seemed
downhill when in fact we climbed almost 500 feet in altitude. No
doubt the illusion was because we were becoming animals on our
bikes! In Shell, a small town at the entrance to Shell Canyon, we
stayed at a delightful bed and breakfast. Just before dinner, we
Bobbi Montgomery and Randy Fox demonstrate the correct way
to cross a cattle guard.
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 10 The lead picture on page 8 looks toward the Bighorns from Shell. Above (left to right, top to bottom): Chocolate Lab Diamond, official mascot; hik‑
ing on the “rest” day; stock in the middle of road, a frequent occurence; Bobbi and new friend; between Sheridan and Buffalo; triumph at Granite
Pass; “death” on the bridge; required firing squad photo; heading into the desert between Ten Sleep and Worland. Photo credits in the same order:
Bobbi Montgomery, F.G. , B.M., Alice Honeywell, B.M., A.H., B.M., Max Austin, A.H.
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 11 Bombay Bicycle Club
Membership Benefits
• Joining the BBC is about the fastest way you can get to meet
fellow cycling enthusiasts and participate in a wide variety of
group rides, especially rides where a moderate pace and group
sociability are values. There’s almost always someone going
somewhere near your own speed so you never have to ride by
yourself. Well—hardly ever.
• Use the Club’s hard shell bike travel case. The airlines’ baggage
gorillas will have to go to a lot of trouble to damage it or your
bike. Call Dean at 256-8813 to check on its availability.
• Rebates are available to BBC members who join either the
League of American Bicyclists or the Wisconsin Bike Federation.
• A rebate is available on Effective Cycling class tuition.
• Dues include a subscription to ExtraOrdinary Reflections, pub‑
lished every other month from March until November. Through
its Letters column, you can sound off about anything you think
would be of interest to fellow cyclists.
• Members may place free classified ads. These ads may be ap‑
proximately 30 words or less, and should be mailed or e-mailed
to the editor. (Please see the back page for addresses.) They
will run once, but may be renewed.
• Club events for which a fee is charged have discounts for club
members who apply early enough.
Bombay Bicycle Club of Madison, Inc.
Membership Form
Name:
Address:
City: State:
Zip:
E-mail address:
____ New Member ____ Renewing Member
Are you a member of L.A.B.? Please tell us how you heard about the Bombay Bicycle Club:
Please make a check for $15.00 payable to the Bombay Bicycle
Club of Madison, Inc., and mail it with the form above to:
Bombay Bicycle Club of Madison, Inc.
P.O. Box 45685
Madison, WI 53744-5685
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 12 Blind Cyclist Looking for Tandem Partner(s)
Dave Ballmann is a blind cyclist who owns a tandem and would
like to meet some riding partners. He lives on the near east side
and can be reached during the day at 255-1166 and in the eve‑
nings at 255-6125.
Please use this map to help find your way to the fall BBC meeting.
It will be at the Shorewood Community Center on November 7th,
starting at 5:00 p.m. See Page 1 for details.
David LeMahieu, Realtor
608-825-7552
608-825-8329
residential commercial new construction
ddl@c21affiliated.com
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 13 Over the Hills, review continued from page 4
From the Editor
east, I, west. We met and departed as strangers and it occurred
to me that bicycles are great equalizers, capable of concealing all
the clues of who we are.”
Many people have made great contributions of their time and ef‑
fort this year to ExtraOrdinary Reflections, and whatever success
it may enjoy is due in large part to these and other volunteers:
On weather: “On a bicycle, miles from anywhere, weather alone
often determined whether my day would be miserable or delight‑
ful. It affected my speed and how much water I should carry. It
controlled me as it never had in the city, and rather than opening
my morning newspaper to the sports page as I used to do, the
first thing I read on the road was the weather report.”
•Dave Peterson, for his articles on bike safety and his loan of many
original slides, which will appear next year in another Wyoming
story;
On touring (as opposed to racing): “Whatever foolhardy esca‑
pades I have taken on, the purpose has been to merely stay afloat. The explanation is as simple as that. I don’t care about winning
the race. I just want to keep moving, and not always with the
current, so that the journey doesn’t repeat itself. It is how I keep
my balance.”
On re-entry: “I was aware that the transition from the open road
would take time. . . . I had been on the lam a long time and, no‑
body’s fool, I was wise enough to know when it is time to go home.”
A story both entertaining and edifying, Over the Hills deserves
to be read and enjoyed.
•Chris Heimerl, for his late breaking story on biking in the Carib‑
bean;
•Alice Honeywell, for her Gaspé story, her review of Over the Hills,
and especially for her invaluable proofreading and editorial help;
•Max Austin, for her review of Full Tilt, and for urging me to take
on this job;
•Ann Pollock, who must have at least an M.A. in Bulk Mail Sci‑
ence—no lesser qualifications would prepare one to deal with
the Post Office’s regulations and ensure timely arrival of the
newsletter.
•Don Michalski, who provided quick and accurate copies of the
mailing labels at a moment’s notice;
•Dennis Dresang, for this issue’s lead story on a trip in Wyoming
last July. In my view, Dennis sets a new high water mark for literate
bike literature. If I were the teacher, there’d be a quiz on this one.
—Fred Gooding
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 14 Your name: Phone(s): Home Work
(Your name is optional but necessary if you want to volunteer or wish to be reached about a jersey.)
E-mail address:
Here’s how I’d like to help Bombay work even better:
Leading a ride
Helping with the Newsletter
Providing a Food Stop on a Ride
Welcoming New Members and New Riders
As a Future Officer (Board Member)
Helping Organize a National LAB Rally here
Helping with the Century Ride:
Work at one of the aid stations
Help organize food
Drive a sag wagon
Work the registration desk
Help park cars
Here are my suggestions for improving:
The Newsletter:
The Ride Schedule:
The Century Ride:
Anything else:
I’m interested in getting a Bombay jersey in April (approximate cost: $45.) I prefer:
Old design - old colors
Old design - new colors
New design
No preference
Turn in your completed survey and receive a free meal!
ExtraOrdinary Reflections November/December 1999 Page 15 15
ExtraOrdinary Reflections, the newsletter of the Bombay Bicycle Club of Madison, Inc., is published
five times per year. Comments, articles, photographs, and letters are welcome. You may send them by e-mail
(preferably) to the editor (FGOODING@AOL.COM) or to: Editor, ExtraOrdinary Reflections, 321 South Midvale
Boulevard, Madison, WI 53705-5030.
Membership Renewals:
Please check the expiration date on your mailing label. Your timely renewal is the only sure way to continue
receiving ExtraOrdinary reflections and the various other membership benefits. Please see the renewal coupon
on page 12 for renewal instructions.
Acknowledgments: This newsletter is published through the efforts of the Board and of many
volunteers. Costs of the newsletter are covered through advertisements placed by area bike shops and
businesses. Please patronize our advertisers.
Advertisers
Budget Bicycle Center
David LeMahieu
Dykman’s Time Shop
Orange Tree Imports
REI
Trek Bicycle Store
Williamson Bike Works
Position
Name
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Touring
Membership
Newsletter
Public Relations
Century Ride
Phone
Sarah Grimes (920)648-8024
Judy VandenBrook 437-4192
Dean Schroeder
256-8813
Howard Teal
836-1277
Bob Steinberg
848-3461
Don Michalski
274-1886
Fred Gooding
218-9101
Deb Larson
231-2733
John Stockham 233-1827
E-mail
se.grimes@hosp.wisc.edu
jvb@mhtc.net
appelsin@aol.com
tealh@itis.com
cmestein@chorus.net
dem@sal.wisc.edu
fgooding@aol.com
deb_larson@mcfarland.k12.wi.us
jstockham@md.smithgroup.com
BBC Web Site: http://danenet.wicip.org/bcp/bombay.html
The Bombay Bicycle Club of Madison, Inc.
P.O. Box 45685
Madison, WI 53744-5685
Address Service Requested
The Officers and Board
Bulk Rate
US POSTAGE
Paid
Madison, WI
Permit 361
News from the LAB
Scenic Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Wash‑
ington State Will Lure Cyclists to League’s Ral‑
lies Next Summer
Flip your calendar to the next millennium and start dreaming of
Rallies 2000! Reserve the dates now for another fun-filled summer
of League Rallies, and stay tuned for further details.
Covered Bridge Rally, Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, Penn‑
sylvania—June 2-5, 2000
Join the League in covered bridge country! Madison County has
nothing on Columbia County, Pennsylvania. Columbia County,
located just north of Harrisburg in Central Pennsylvania, is home
to 22—that’s right, 22—covered bridges, including the nation’s
only twin span. And as if that’s not enough, neighboring Montour
County has another two, for a total of 24 covered bridges, many
of which are within biking distance. Come to the Covered Bridge
Rally in Bloomsburg and find out for yourself. And who knows? You might find yourself sharing a bridge with an Amish horse
and buggy.
Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Rally, University of St. Thomas, St.
Paul, Minnesota—June 30-July 3, 2000
The Twin Cities Bicycling Club invites you to St. Paul for a fabulous
Fourth of July Holiday Weekend! Experi‑
ence an outstanding combination of city
and country riding, bicycling along roads
or paved trails, or leaving the beaten path
entirely. See twenty-five lakes on a 35-mile
ride and bike for miles along the Missis‑
sippi’s green river bluffs and valleys. Visit
historic sites such as Fort Snelling and St.
Anthony Falls, and marvel at such modern delights as the Min‑
neapolis Sculpture Garden, the Walker Art Center and, of course,
the Mall of America. And lest we forget what is most near and dear
to the cyclist’s heart —each year on the July Fourth weekend, St.
Paul plays host to the Taste of Minnesota—a food lover’s dream
come true!
$295.
Cascades to the Coast Rally, Western Washington University, Bell‑
ingham, Washington—August 18-21, 2000
The Mount Baker Bicycle Club and the Skagit Bicycle Club invite
you to their Pacific Northwest paradise. The charming town of
Bellingham, known as the Gateway to the San Juan Islands, awaits
discovery. Ride roads, paved trails, and mountain bike trails under
the watchful eye of snow-capped Mount Baker. Swim in sparkling
lakes that are easy rides from town. A weekend isn’t long enough
to become immersed in this breath-taking scenery, so make it a
real vacation and stay for the Cascade Bicycle Club’s Ride Around
Washington, immediately following the Rally.
For those who understand the importance of timing, Festina
presents an extensive collection of chronographs and alarms
in a wardrobe of colors. Priced from $95 to $495. Come in
soon for our best selection, or we’ll special order for you.
Brochures will be available in January 2000. For more information,
contact the League of American Bicyclists at 1612 K Street NW,
Suite 401, Washington DC 20006. 202-822-1333. bikeleague@
bikeleague.org. www.bikeleague.org.
Dykman’s Time Shop
Proud Sponsor of
WiSport Points Challenge
Fastest Male & Fastest Female
Your name: Phone(s): Home Work
(Your name is optional but necessary if you want to volunteer or wish to be reached about a jersey.)
E-mail address:
Here’s how I’d like to help Bombay work even better!
Leading a ride
Helping with the Newsletter
Providing a Food Stop on a Ride
Welcoming New Members and New Riders
As a Future Officer (Board Member)
Helping Organize a National LAB Rally here
Helping with the Century Ride:
Work at one of the aid stations
Help organize food
Drive a Sag Wagon
Work the Registration Desk
Help park cars
Here are my suggestions for improving:
The Newsletter:
The Ride Schedule:
The Century Ride:
Anything else:
I’m interested in getting a Bombay Jersey in April (approximate cost: $45.) I prefer:
Old design - old colors
Old design - new colors
New design
No preference
Turn in your completed survey and receive a free meal!