June 2008 - Spokes Magazine

quickly registered and visited folks that we have met
on previous years rides. As we got out on the road,
Jonathon expressed his happiness with riding again.
We planned on starting out on the family ride and
then hook onto one of the longer routes. The first
stop on the family ride was only five miles into the
ride. But this is a location worth stopping. In addition
to fruit and banana bread, the stop is also a working
art gallery. There are a number of different glass
blowing and blacksmith displays and some active work
in progress. We then headed out to Bethel Beach.
One of the things that I often see on organized events
is for the riders to take the roads hostage. The riders
will ride four or five abreast and not let cars pass. It is
almost like the riders seem that they are getting back
at the motorized vehicles for all the time they have
been crowded off the roads or felt threatened by car
and truck drivers. Here the courtesy of the area seems
to infect everyone. The cars were very careful and
courteous around the bikers and the cyclists always
scooted to the right whenever they heard the words
“Car Back!”
Shortly after we arrived at Bethel Beach, my boys
met up with a little nine-year-old girl named Anna
as they played in the surf. Anna and her mom were
riding along with several other nurses from the
NICU section from a Richmond hospital. After taking
their picture we met Collin and his parents, Paul
and Tammi Klaco . The Klaco’s started Tek Cycling
to provide bike clothes for the entire family. They
have bike clothes for children, men and women. In
addition, they have developed a women’s outfit that
includes a jersey and a skirt wrap. Their web site is:
www.tekcycling.com.
As we left the beach Jonathon was feeling really well
and pedaling strong. He caught up with a pack of
adults and was working hard to stay with the pack
while Jason and I hung back a bit enjoying the scenery.
All of a sudden we heard a huge crack behind
us and the back wheel went all squirrelly. Fortunately
another rider was able to shoot ahead and reel in
Jonathon and let him know about our flat tire. At first
I could not find any thing that would have caused
a hole in the tire and then I saw it. A six-inch slit in
the sidewall where the bead had separated from the
sidewall. We did not have another tire with us and no
way to repair the tire. Finally I found an old children’s
plastic license plate from an earlier Bike Virginia
activity. I was able to wrap the license plate around
the inner tube and then fit the entire mess into the
tire providing a boot to hold the tire together.
When we got air into the tire, the license plate boot
was sticking out and rubbing against the seat stays as
the tire went around. We started out slowly going down
the road. I was expecting the boot to give way at any
point. The way I looked at it, every wheel rotation the
boot lasted was a little less that we would have to walk.
I sent Jonathon ahead to the lunch stop to see if the
SAG mechanic had any tandem tires that we could
put on the bike to get us home. Slowly and carefully,
we pedaled for five more miles until we got to the
lunch stop.
After we hobbled into the lunch stop, Jonathon had
just gotten to the mechanic and was ready to see if he
had any tires. The mechanic did not have any tires
but was ready to try and boot the tire until he saw
the cut and the boot bulging out of the tire. He was
surprised to hear how long that the boot had lasted
and very strongly recommended that we SAG it back
to the start of the ride. This was the first time I had
ever had to get a ride on a ride, but the next couple
of miles were on the only busy road with a minimal
shoulder. So my fatherly protection of my boys overrode
my pride and I signed up for a ride home back
to the start. Jonathon was a little bummed, but he
knew that I would not let him ride the last couple of
miles alone, so he reluctantly rode in the truck back
with us as well.
We were able to divert our sorrows at the end with the
Tour de Chesapeake classic finish, fresh strawberry
shortcake. This has been a hallmark of the ride since
the beginning and expected by all.
In addition to the organized rides on Saturday there
were other events over the weekend. They had a dinner
and family movie on Friday night. After the ride
they had a block party with nominal fees for food and
drink or you could go over to the sausage and beer
fest. Then later in the evening there was music and
dancing at the block party. On Sunday there were
several no frills rides with route guides but no amenities
such as organized rest stops of SAG support. There
were also kayak tours available and many of the shops
were open offering special made in Mathews items.
The ride organizers have gone to local talent over the
past few years to get the t-shirt designs. This year the
winner was eighth grade Lindsey Brown from the local
Thomas Hunter Middle School. Ms. Brown’s design featured
the classic elements, a beach ball, fish and a bike.
The school displayed the over 20 different designs that
were submitted for the riders to see. I was very happy
that I was not on the selection committee having to
decide on just one of the very good designs submitted.
Riding through Mathews County, you realize just
how relaxed it is. Mathews is a very small county, just
98 square miles. I spoke to a local triathlete and he
shared how spoiled he was living in the area. He says
that they can go out running or biking and they are
very seldom pressured on the road. The drivers are
very patient and courteous of all the users. Besides
bikes, there are slow moving farm vehicles on the road
and everyone just waits their turn. Besides farming,
there is an active waterman’s life style in the area. It
seems that almost everyone has a boat and many have
several. All the local marinas are full of boats of all
types, from pleasure cruisers to active fishing boats
and it is enjoyable to just sit on the dock and watch
the boats go by. We also saw several folks heading out
in their kayaks going into the smaller waterways. The
excitement of catching a good size striped bass in a
kayak should keep the adrenal flowing for several days.
There is also a sizable artistic community in the
Mathews area. In addition to the glass blowing and
Blacksmith work at the first rest stop, the Poddery has
developed some wonderful pottery. At the Poddery,
one can find a delightful mix of practicality, functionality
and whimsy in many of the same pieces. Who
ever said that practicality had to be boring or art
hung on a wall?
If you are looking for a quiet weekend to get away
from it all the dates for the 2009 Tour de Chesapeake
have already been announced, May 15-17, the weekend
before Memorial Day. The Brugman boys plan to
be there once again and we hope to see Anna, Collin
and all the other folks that we saw this year.
TANDEMS =
Sharing
WHY RIDE A TANDEM?
It’s sharing the fun and experience with
a partner, a child, a parent, or a friend.
Sharing exercise, sharing adventure,
sharing the joy of accomplishment, and
creating a shared memory.
We sell and rent tandems because we’ve
shared these things and found that bicycling
can be even more fun when it is shared.
We’re fighting “oil addiction” with
human powered transportation.
Join the fight – park your car and
ride your bike.
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June 2008
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