BIKERS BEACON<bR>
      Tuesday, May 19<bR>
   <P>
    EXTENDED ROUTE PACE STIFF<bR>
    THAYER EXHIBITS SELFLESS RIDING<bR>
   <P>
      Our president Scott Thayer is not only a good leader and<bR>
    a "kick-butt" biker. He's also a good guy. Need evidence?<bR>
    Today we had several guys who were either newcomers or who<bR>
    have only been with us once or twice.<bR>
      Our ride today featured the extended 30-mile route and a<bR>
    pretty stiff pace, to boot, so it wasn't exactly charitable<bR>
    to guys who really haven't found their legs yet. As was to<bR>
    be expected, there were some drops. While some of us forged<bR>
    on taking the usual BBC Darwinian attitude toward things<bR>
    ("Survival of the fittest") Scott dropped and encouraged the<bR>
    others on. He could blow any of our doors off, but he chose<bR>
    to encourage others. I'm not pointing fingers at anyone<bR>
    here. Those of us who pushed on were not "bad" by any means.<bR>
       But I'm not above noting Scott's selfless example   it<bR>
    was a Christ-like manner of biking. (But don't do this every<bR>
    time Prez: the Eric LaBianca's of the world need to be put<bR>
    in their places, too.)<bR>
      Our ride was hard, long and enjoyable. Michigan, once the<bR>
    site of winter tundra, has now gone total jungle. If it were<bR>
    any balmier these days I'd swear we were in equatorial<bR>
    realms. Those who rode were Scott Thayer, Eric LaBianca,<bR>
    Mark Samuel, Doug Fattick, Jack Stenger, Scott Leben, Jerry<bR>
    Thayer, Aren (sp? last name) from St. Joseph, and two<bR>
    brothers, (Softride Gill and Mark(?) from Buchanan. All<bR>
    newcomers were nice guys and, more importantly, respectable<bR>
    bikers. Aren from St. Joe is a mountain biker most of the<bR>
    time but he did the road (right) thing with us and more than<bR>
    pulled his weight. He was strong and was riding a bike that<bR>
    appeared to be straight from the 1970s.<bR>
      If it was Tuesday, it meant the option of the "long<bR>
    ride." Every brave soul out there opted for the longer<bR>
    route. We all stayed together until we got to Gast Road<bR>
    (which can't be that far from Bridgeman). After a little<bR>
    breakage there, we regrouped and sailed down Brown School<bR>
    Rd. Eric and Mark did a monster pull on this road and made<bR>
    possible average speeds of 23 to 25 m.p.h.<bR>
      By the time we got toward the end we had a lost a few and<bR>
    Scott Leben had a flat tire. The first group (Eric, Mark,<bR>
    Aren, Doug and Jack) led back to Snow Road and stayed<bR>
    together   by and large   until the second Hinchman Road<bR>
    hill. It's there that your humble correspondent got a little<bR>
    bit dropped. I had the "leaders" in my front-view mirror<bR>
    from then on, but could not catch them. The Hinchman Hills<bR>
    are the bane of this man's existence!<bR>
      The lead group got back with a time that was probably<bR>
    around 1:29:20. I know the average speed exceeded 20 m.p.h.,<bR>
    this on the long route. Everyone got back in good shape. We<bR>
    encourage all newcomers to continue coming out. Thursday is<bR>
    generally much more "civil" of a day and pace for the BBC.<bR>
      It's late, I should be in bed. YHC (your humble<bR>
    correspondent) is dog tired. Gotta cut this short, then.<bR>
    Until Thursday, I remain<bR>
    Jack Stenger<bR>
    BBC Chief Propagandist<bR>
   
    
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