Morning Bad, Afternoon Good

2010 Raleigh Venture 3.0

Morning Bad: What if we threw a Washington County Bicycle Club ride and nobody came? We almost found today. Only Fred Hansen and I showed up for the ride out of Hartford. In fairness to the other members, nobody else indicated that he/she would attend. But still ... just two people on a sunny, 80-degree morning in July? That's pathetic, but it's also a continuation of the attendance pattern we've seen all year. Special rides like last week's Windmills & Hills attract members and guests alike, while ordinary club rides do not. At the planning meeting for the 2011 season, I will expect my fellow club members to recognize, at long last, that the riders we want to reach are not the beginners for whom today's 19-mile option was too intimidating, but are instead the stronger riders for whom today's 30-mile option was unworthy.

Afternoon Good: After the ride I took my road bike to Mountain Outfitters to get the shifting dialed-in. I also had arranged to meet my friend Jim there. He drove up from Menomonee Falls in search of a good all-around bike for riding in town and on well-behaved trails like the Bugline and the Eisenbahn. After a couple of test rides he chose a 2010 Raleigh Venture 3.0 and headed back home as happy as a kid on Christmas. Welcome to cycling, Jim! I'm looking forward to showing you around West Bend's trails and taking you up the Eisenbahn. Go get a few miles between now and the end of summer and we'll do an Autumn Colors Ride up to Eden and back.