I enjoy a bit of Humour.
Greg Garceau and Titanium Penguin of these forums.
No longer with us, but if she was, Dervla Murphy would be one. Her book “Full Tilt” inspired me to take up cycle touring again after many years of not touring.
The other has long departed this life. Ernie Old.
Ernie was a legendary long distance Australian cyclist who didn’t get really serious about expedition rides until he turned 70.
Ernie inspired me to attempt to cycle tour from my home in Canberra, Australia’s capital city, to every other state capital in Australia before I turn 70.
Thanks for posting a good topic. I think I'd choose Greg LeMond as one - he always seems to be someone who always looks to make the right decision in life. The other one? Probably Sir Mark Cavendish - such an awesome accomplishment he's made.
If we're going with people I might actually REALLY be able to dine with, Greg Garceau would be at that table - love the different take on life he has.
There are many cycletourists who I think would be fun lunch companions, but suddenly, Mike Ayling and Paul Mulvey have jumped to the top of the list. Thanks guys.
it took me awhile to think it through, but I’ve got it. Two figures that were personal inspirations earlier in my cycling years: Graham Finch on this site, and Norman D. Ford. Ford, a British cyclist who moved to Texas as a young man around the 2nd world war, was an early model for and advocate for independent cycle touring and published some of the earliest web journals long before Crazy Guy was born. Inspired by Ford’s journals published on the Trento Bike Pages 30 years ago, Rachael and I went to the Lot and Tarn Valleys, and Corsica, and the Texas Hill Country. Crazy Guy still holds the best tribute available on Ford that I can find.
It’s too late for me to sit down with Ford unfortunately, as he died about fifteen years ago after a cycling life that took him to the top of Mount Evans (now Mount Blue Sky Scenic Byway) an unbelievable 33 times. It’s the highest paved road in North America and I was proud of myself for doing it myself once, the year I turned fifty. He was still climbing up there when he was 80.
Too late for Ford, but I’m still holding out hope for the other guy one of these years.
OK, for flight and fancy, while I was pondering my upcoming tour in the new year...
So you're on tour, and you head to the restaurant next to your accommodations which is well-known in cycling circles. In you walk for dinner as a solo cyclist and the place is packed but for one spot open at a table for three. Everyone in the room is cycling-connected.
My question: Who are the two cyclists at your dream table?
For me: Famed Rush drummer and cycle-tourist Neil Peart; and cycle tourer and author Joe Kurmaskie.
1 month ago