Wednesday, May 30, 2012

52 Back

I never met Bud Mauger, but I think he would have gotten a chuckle seeing the look on that biker's face.

The biker was westbound on the Lakeside Trail but swimming against a very strong current - the 2012 Bud Mauger Memorial Ride. Dozens of eastbound mountain bikers. I imagined the lead rider telling him something like "fifty two back", and him standing there watching a seemingly endless train of riders emerge from the woods. I made that number up but I think it's about right, and it's says a lot about Bud's reputation with the local biking community. All those riders turning up at 6:00pm on a Wednesday. Amazing.

I expected a milk run, with lots of stops, a few breakdowns*, etc. But train moved fast and never slowed much as it wound around the bonus loops, over a bunch of new rogue single track and eventually back to the boat launch for some beer-assisted socializing. I was glad to be part of it (thanks Mike for beating the drum).
Old Rasputin
* the only breakdown I know of was our own MarkS. Crank arm fell off. Apparently this was the second time. The first time he hammered it back on using a rock. We explained that properly attaching a crank arm requires a little technique and sometimes a special tool. And that special tool is RARELY a hammer. Or a rock. Someone is shopping for a new crank set.
I capped off the ride with a shower, a plate of macaroni and cheese, and an Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. The most aweome-est pint of empty calories that money can buy. What a Wednesday!

Chris

"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, quite so worthwhile as simply messing about on bicycles"
     -- Tom Kunich

2 comments:

  1. BTW I had that particular Imperial Stout at McGlynn's and I could barely drink it. That's saying something, consider the random swill that shows up in front of me... briefly.

    ReplyDelete