[Bent] Mars June 6 2010 Invades New York Ride Report

[Chris Spollen]

Mars June 6 2010 Invades New York Ride Report

Well Rich Sadler gets a lot of the credit he and I with the aid of the 
computer generated weather projections as well as perception projection 
graphs for the rides time and duration made the educated call for the 
ride to go!
  The storm was tracking north of New York and at worst come at four 
o’clock we had a sixty percent chance of rain that meant forty percent 
that it would not rain. We both felt let’s go for it and as it turns 
out we were right!
   Since we were up early we decided to do an tour de Staten Island so 
we did a honey sickle scent morning ride down to the water, on a 
picture perfect glorious summer morning.
   After some further computer checks we were off to the ferry. The ride 
down was fast and I was surprised to find my short cut to the ferry had 
just been paved what a joy, weather perfect. Arrive so quickly to the 
ferry that we were able to take the ten thirty boat, and were greeted 
by Burt pulling up in a brand new carbon high racer, a beautiful 
machine. It was like two country cousins meeting their city folk next 
of kin. Two homades a folder and a mock f-40, so off we went Burt in 
lead to explore this fascinating city.
  The west side drive was hoping walkers, talkers, and roller bladers. 
The rollerblades were the worst left to right and back again left to 
right hard to figure when to pass with on coming traffic coming at you 
on the narrow path’s they can not hear you coming up behind them they 
wear headphones. I personally felt it was a good test of the group and 
our riding skills.
  One spollen moment my left shoe locked up, the cleat would not 
release, pulled over to a grassy noel and Rich removed the stuck cleat 
and I proceeded to continue the ride with only one cleat the shoes were 
way old.
  Arrived central park amidst glorious sunshine and a dazzle of people, 
here we meet Jaeo riding another high racer a front wheel drive 
Reynolds design and a rather rare one at that. And a fellow on a bike E 
with an electric motor, in front wheel hub capable of a 26 mph. We all 
did a loop of the park Burt taking the lead with Rich on his tail. We 
regrouped for a light lunch on the great lawn and talked of bikes and 
politics and woman.
On or about two o’clock we broke camp and bid fair well to our city 
Marians and Rich and I started back to our small Staten Island.
  This is where the fun started the mighty Hudson river was awash in 
white caps we were pedaling into a southerly head wind which I thought 
was 20 mph found out later is was closer to 30 mph. We were both 
undaunted I was holding the steering wheel for dear life every so often 
was being pushed hard to the left or right, it was not till we hit 
downtown that it really hit the fan. The wind was kicking up sand storm 
at the world trade center work site. The side of my machine blew off 
the double tacked Velcro was pulled open by the shear force of the 
wind, I simply let it go if I let the handlebars go I would dump for 
sure. This was for me a white knuckle moment for sure.
  Our boat arrived on time and with out a drop of rain we quickly 
peadled back to base. After some light food and coffee Rich was on his 
way home, and now I sit hear typing up what was for me a wonderful big 
city summer adventure and as always a test of ones own skills and 
abilities which frankly from time to time I need to check in on and 
evaluate.
Wonderful feeling of being alive! great fun!


Chris  Spollen
The Art Of Imagination
362 Cromwell Ave
Staten Island New York 10305-2304
718 979 9695