"Bicycle Bill"
- Active 1 week, 4 days ago
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic Maquoketa No Longer Hosting in 2021 in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 1 week, 4 days ago
“When has RAGBRAI ever taken the shortest, most direct route from overnight to overnight? 🙂 ”
The first half of 1978 (my first RAGBRAI) was pretty much a straight line from Sioux City to Storm Lake to Humboldt to Iowa Falls to Vinton (a true 100-mile day, without the need for those sissy loops). Then we dropped south to Mount Vernon, backtracked…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 1 week, 5 days ago
I was out riding with a friend (while maintaining social distance, of course) when we came to a rise in the road. Suddenly my friend turned around and asked, “Did you say something?”
I said, “No, I didn’t. Why?”
She said, “All of a sudden I heard a voice saying, ‘shift down, shift down,’ and I thought it was you.”
I told her, “No, it wasn’t…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN ON RAGBRAI in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Have we got room/time for one more ‘Soggy Monday’ story?
Too bad, I’m going to tell it anyway!
RAGBRAI IX was going to be my 4th time across Iowa, and after having completed the three previous treks I felt that I was by now an old hand at this and there wasn’t nuthin’ Iowa could throw at me that I couldn’t handle. I’d ridden in rain before and,…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 1 month, 3 weeks ago
I don’t mean to be a tattle-tale, but I know now that when it comes to game shows you must have been a real high roller. Had you decided to play the magnificent marble machine in the video village, or gone on the great treasure hunt instead of turning to cycling it wouldn’t have taken you long to break the bank, and not even Ben Stein’s money…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 2 months ago
Hot, sweaty, and tired after finishing a metric century last weekend, I pulled up and went into an establishment that serves …. well, let’s call them ‘adult beverages’. The guy behind the bar asked me that I’d been doing. I told him, “Sitting on my butt for the last six hours.”
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 2 months ago
No, you know you’re a biking addict when you’re not even concerned about not having a significant other to ‘whoop it up with’ on a Friday night because that would just take away from the time you need to get the bicycle ready for that Saturday morning century anyway.
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic My friend hit by a truck in the forum Miscellaneous 2 months ago
Is this the incident, Mark?
Bicyclist Injured In Dubuque
Dubuque & Tri-State News August 17, 2020
A Dubuque man was injured after he was struck by a car while riding a bicycle Wednesday night. The incident happened at around 6:50 on Asbury Road. A police report says 53 year old Michael Wagner was riding the bike east on Asbury, when a…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic First RAGBRAI Memories in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 2 months ago
to cyduke:
No, I never got to ride the Oktoberfest 100 … at least not on the day of the event. That is the penalty one must pay for being a member of the club hosting the ride and — depending on which specific year you’re talking about — being either the dude driving the sagwagon, the guy at one of the checkpoints/rest stops, or (in later years…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic First RAGBRAI Memories in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 2 months, 1 week ago
First of all, let me say that I am a verified and certified old fart. My first RAGBRAI was ‘way back in 1978. I was 23 years old and had been ‘seriously’ cycling since 1972. Living in Wisconsin, I had already heard about RAGBRAI as someone had come to one of our club’s fall century rides wearing a T-shirt from SAGBRAI (the ‘Second Annual Great…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 2 months, 1 week ago
Except that this would be referred to as “40-36-24” …. and a triple chainring like that would result in some pretty danged low gears.
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 2 months, 1 week ago
You might be a cycling addict if:
— as a single person, you specifically looked for a two (or three!) bedroom mobile home or apartment so there would room to keep the bikes indoors as well.
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" started the topic Summer Storm — August 10 2020 in the forum Miscellaneous 2 months, 2 weeks ago
I was on a road trip yesterday to Des Moines to pick up a new(er) bicycle and ran smack-dab into one helluva storm. Fortunately, I came through unscathed, although I guess I can’t say the same for the people around the Ames/Des Moines area. Saw a lotta damage; downed trees, power poles, houses with trees on (and in) them, missing siding and par…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 3 months ago
Back when i was a Boy Scout, my motto was “Be Prepared.”
Now I’m older and I fix bicycle horns. My motto is “Beep Repaired.”
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 3 months, 1 week ago
“I use a Camelbak that I store behind my seat. Since I am righthanded, I secure the tube to the right side of my seat with Velcro. Occasionally the Velcro has failed… “
One of the first things I learned as a cyclist is that Velcro will stick to itself … until you really need it to do so. I used to have a Cannondale-type handlebar bag that u…[Read more]
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic New look? in the forum Miscellaneous 3 months, 1 week ago
The only thing I don’t understand is why the spammers seem to target old, long-dead threads for their dreck and drag them back to the forefront.
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic Sigh: Tomorrow should be Day 1 of the double cross in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 3 months, 2 weeks ago
You’re retired? You lucky dog!!
Just remind yourself — even a bad day riding solo is better than a great day at work.
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 3 months, 3 weeks ago
What is this??
— rim shot
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Papa T, you can mess up the spelling; just don’t mess up the pie itself.
And if you were to add a little strawberry to mix, resulting in a strawberry/rhubarb pie — well, let’s just say that I’d ride a Huffy uphill on a gravel road to get some.
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 4 months ago
Hope you see this before you roll off for the next few days.
Ask your granddaughter if she knows the difference between a bicycle and a fish. When she says no, tell her that you can tune a bicycle but you can’t tuna fish.
-“BB”-
"Bicycle Bill" replied to the topic We all need a good laugh! in the forum RAGBRAI XLVIII – 2020 4 months, 1 week ago
Back when I was a good little boy, my parish priest would sometimes join our bicycle club for our Sunday afternoon rides out and around the county.
We used to call him “The Roamin’ Catholic”.
-“BB”-