2003/2004

Before we get too far into the new year, I think it might be appropriate to
share stories of 2003 failures and successes and 2004 aspirations. How was
2003? Mileage? Trips? Commuting? Accidents? Anecdotes? What are the
goals for 2004?

My worst riding event for 2003 was getting hit by a car on March 21 - the
car turned left and right into me, who was going the other way, The good
news is that I came out of it with no worse than a separated shoulder, and
no fear of getting back on the bike the next month.

In article , "Ron Wallenfang"
wrote:

Before we get too far into the new year, I think it might be appropriate to
share stories of 2003 failures and successes and 2004 aspirations. How was
2003? Mileage? Trips? Commuting? Accidents? Anecdotes? What are the
goals for 2004?

My worst riding event for 2003 was getting hit by a car on March 21 - the
car turned left and right into me, who was going the other way, The good
news is that I came out of it with no worse than a separated shoulder, and
no fear of getting back on the bike the next month.


I think the best part of the year was during the Tour. The july weather
was beautiful, we went riding nearly every day and then came home and
watched the tour at night on tape. My whole life was cycling. It was
great!

My season ended last year when I got hit by a car, which really sucked,
although it was late october. Fortunately, I didn't have one unpleasant
incident or accident all year this year, unless you count falling over at
a stoplight.

"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
Before we get too far into the new year, I think it might be appropriate
to
share stories of 2003 failures and successes and 2004 aspirations. How
was
2003? Mileage? Trips? Commuting? Accidents? Anecdotes? What are the
goals for 2004?

Highlights:
I achieved my New Year's resolution to do a century in every month (metric
OK if below freezing).
I finally did a brevet (OK, so it was only the 200K brevet, but ...)
Touring: a 7 day, 650+ mile trip from Kalamazoo, MI to Petoskey, MI and back
home to Chicago. This was a wonderful trip -- no rain, no flats, and no
negative incidents I can recall.
I finally went mountain biking at Kettle Moraine Forest in Wisconsin this
fall.
Mileage: 5079 (a new high for me).

2004 goals:
Fewer miles. I'm using up most of my annual vacation on a trip abroad, and I
want to do more volunteer rehabilitation work in the local forest preserves.
My resolution is not to obsess about this.
On the other hand, doing a 300K brevet would be an interesting goal, too.

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
Before we get too far into the new year, I think it might be appropriate to
share stories of 2003 failures and successes and 2004 aspirations. How was
2003? Mileage? Trips? Commuting? Accidents? Anecdotes? What are the
goals for 2004?

2003 was the best biking year I've ever had, period. After thirty years
of my dreaming about it, this was the year my wife, my daughter and I
did our sea-to-shining-sea self-supported bike tour. Dipping the rear
wheel in the Atlantic, then the front wheel in the Pacific and all that.

It was one of the greatest things I've ever been lucky enough to do.
And to do it with these two lovely ladies was just immensely wonderful.

sigh So many beautiful moments.

Five months later, I still sometimes look at the US map pinned on my
office wall. I let my eyes trace the path of little red dots - the
towns we bicycled through - and think: "Wow."

If you get the chance, don't pass it up.

--
Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's between "at" and "cc"]

frkrygow wrote:
: If you get the chance, don't pass it up.

amen. i did something similiar summer 2002 and i'm hooked. i'm trying to
get laid off again. absolutely awesome.
--
david reuteler

"frkrygow" wrote in message
...

2003 was the best biking year I've ever had, period. After thirty years
of my dreaming about it, this was the year my wife, my daughter and I
did our sea-to-shining-sea self-supported bike tour. Dipping the rear
wheel in the Atlantic, then the front wheel in the Pacific and all that.

It was one of the greatest things I've ever been lucky enough to do.
And to do it with these two lovely ladies was just immensely wonderful.
...
Five months later, I still ....think: "Wow."

I've got a similar dream, with 5 more years until I expect it to become
real.

It's nice to hear that these dreams can work out, and work out well.
Congratulations to the 3 of you.

On Wed, 07 Jan 2004 20:34:11 -0500, "frkrygow"
wrote:

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
Before we get too far into the new year, I think it might be appropriate to
share stories of 2003 failures and successes and 2004 aspirations. How was
2003? Mileage? Trips? Commuting? Accidents? Anecdotes? What are the
goals for 2004?

2003 was the best biking year I've ever had, period. After thirty years
of my dreaming about it, this was the year my wife, my daughter and I
did our sea-to-shining-sea self-supported bike tour. Dipping the rear
wheel in the Atlantic, then the front wheel in the Pacific and all that.

It was one of the greatest things I've ever been lucky enough to do.
And to do it with these two lovely ladies was just immensely wonderful.

sigh So many beautiful moments.

Five months later, I still sometimes look at the US map pinned on my
office wall. I let my eyes trace the path of little red dots - the
towns we bicycled through - and think: "Wow."

If you get the chance, don't pass it up.

Care to share the map of your route? Ya can email it to me, or better
post a link if you have a digital copy or repro. I'd love to see it! I
love maps.

If it's email, post here and I'll send you my real email addy, the one
on the post is fake.

Did you take the summer to do it? How did you run the sag-wagon? ;-)

-B

"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
Before we get too far into the new year, I think it might be appropriate
to
share stories of 2003 failures and successes and 2004 aspirations. How
was
2003? Mileage? Trips? Commuting? Accidents? Anecdotes? What are the
goals for 2004?

My worst riding event for 2003 was getting hit by a car on March 21 - the
car turned left and right into me, who was going the other way, The good
news is that I came out of it with no worse than a separated shoulder, and
no fear of getting back on the bike the next month.


Ron,

I feel your pain ... quite literally. My apologies to those who have heard
my account too many times. Hey ... Ron asked.

In Oct. '02 I had the same thing happen to me that happened to you ... a car
turned left and didn't see me heading through an intersection. I got
creamed and had a compression fracture of the spine, a broken hip (3
screws), broken pelvis, broken ankle (2 screws) and a major laceration of
the lower left leg.

I was still on crutches when I commenced indoor trainer rides in mid-Dec.
'02. I started '03 still on crutches and in therapy, but I progressed quite
rapidly. By mid-January I was cleared to begin some road riding. I
completed a metric century the first weekend of April (actually rode 94 very
wet miles that day). The first Saturday of May I was in a mountainous full
century and had a personal best time, finishing in just under 5 hours. (I
had lost a good bit of weight just before the accident. That was a big
factor.) I went on to have a very strong season and finished with just shy
of 10,000 miles in my log for the year.

Oh ... and the best part. I completed my settlement with the driver's
insurance company and got enough to pay off the mortgage on my new 22-acre
farm ... TWICE!

I hope your shoulder is doing better. Glad you got back on the bike.

Bob C.

On Wed, 7 Jan 2004 23:03:42 -0500, "psycholist"
wrote:


"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
Before we get too far into the new year, I think it might be appropriate
to
share stories of 2003 failures and successes and 2004 aspirations. How
was
2003? Mileage? Trips? Commuting? Accidents? Anecdotes? What are the
goals for 2004?

My worst riding event for 2003 was getting hit by a car on March 21 - the
car turned left and right into me, who was going the other way, The good
news is that I came out of it with no worse than a separated shoulder, and
no fear of getting back on the bike the next month.


Ron,

I feel your pain ... quite literally. My apologies to those who have heard
my account too many times. Hey ... Ron asked.

In Oct. '02 I had the same thing happen to me that happened to you ... a car
turned left and didn't see me heading through an intersection. I got
creamed and had a compression fracture of the spine, a broken hip (3
screws), broken pelvis, broken ankle (2 screws) and a major laceration of
the lower left leg.

I was still on crutches when I commenced indoor trainer rides in mid-Dec.
'02. I started '03 still on crutches and in therapy, but I progressed quite
rapidly. By mid-January I was cleared to begin some road riding. I
completed a metric century the first weekend of April (actually rode 94 very
wet miles that day). The first Saturday of May I was in a mountainous full
century and had a personal best time, finishing in just under 5 hours. (I
had lost a good bit of weight just before the accident. That was a big
factor.) I went on to have a very strong season and finished with just shy
of 10,000 miles in my log for the year.

Oh ... and the best part. I completed my settlement with the driver's
insurance company and got enough to pay off the mortgage on my new 22-acre
farm ... TWICE!

I hope your shoulder is doing better. Glad you got back on the bike.

Bob C.


Sir, I salute you.

-B

While adjusting mirror on helmt in August I hit a rut, pothole o
whatever. Impact yanked handlebar out of my hand and the Lenea
recumbent jacknifed and threw me to the ground- breaking my leg in si
places. I have been layed up since while trying to heal. Never realize
that a recumbent that puts you only 20" above road could be so dangerou
in it's design. A real drawback of a LWB recumbent is that the fron
wheel will turn immediatly if handlebars are left free-judging from m
case. Talked to another recumbent rider that wiped out going ove
railroad tracks and broke his leg also. Are recumbents that dangerous o
are we just two unlucky guys that help to make percentages


-