If It's On Ebay, It May Not Actually Be Legendary

Many of us have gone to eBay in search of some long-out-of-production bike part or accessory--or in the hope of scoring a great deal on something current.  Or, perhaps, we are just looking for something no one else has.

I mean, think of the bragging rights you could have had with a corn flake shaped like the state of Illinois. Nine years ago, the owner of a trivia website bought it--for $1350.  

$1350 for one corn flake! Just think:  For that price, you could've gotten pancakes--yes, pancakes--at the Opus One Restaurant in the Radisson Blu Hotel of Manchester, England.  Of course, they weren't any old pancakes: They were layered with lobster, caviar and truffles, and finished with a Dom Perignon Rose hollandaise sauce.  

But it's not shaped like the state of Illinois, you protest.  All right, then, you probably wouldn't have been interested in some of the other unique items sold on eBay--like a Casey Anthony mask.  Or a hockey team.  

Here's my favorite:  The Meaning Of Life.  That went for a winning bid of $3.26.

Now, since this is a blog about cycling, I'm supposed to stick to the weird bicycle-related stuff, right?  Well, I didn't find anything like Hugo Koblet's comb--or the, um, chronographs used by the Festina team in the 1998 Tour.

But I did find a velodrome.  Well, sort of.  

Here is your one in a lifetime chance to own the one and only legendary* Bomberdome.

At the end of the listing, the asterisk is explained thusly:  may not actually be legendary.  

The "Bomberdome" is based on the so-called Wall of Death, which is billed as a velodrome but really looks (to me, anyway) more like an oval boardwalk built at a 45-degree angle to the ground.  Apparently, the original was built as a circus attraction during the 1930s.  

Five years ago, a UK group that calls itself the Ministry of Bicycles built the "Bomberdome" and showcased it at events all over the country.  Although it can be disassembled, it can't be transported in your SUV or van.  No, it needs its own trailer, included in the sale.  Although the MoB describes that trailer as "VERY dubious", they are quick to add that it "as yet has never let us down".

As I write, there have been 30 bids on the dome and the price is up to 285 GBP.  There are still 4 hours and 21 days left in the auction.  Still, you might get it cheaply enough that you can afford a backyard big enough for it.  You might even find it---where else?--on eBay!

If you want to ride the Bomberdome, you might want to fuel up.  Pancakes?  Corn flakes?

Two Different Views Of A Good Day

You know it's summer--or close to it--in this part of the world by the fulsome, verdant foliage:

Those trees stand next to the Veterans' Memorial in Greenwich, Connecticut.  Yes, I took a ride there.  Once the rain stopped, around ten o'clock yesterday morning, the sun appeared as if it were in the next frame of a film.  And, while it brightened the day, it also turned the air soupy in short order.

Still, it was a good day for a ride.  Arielle, my Mercian Audax, was ready for anything:

On the other hand, Marlee and Max were ready for only one thing:

I had a great time.  I'm sure they did, too!

Happy Father's Day!

Some parents talk about their failures in raising their children.  Of course, "failure" can be defined in any number of ways:  Perhaps the child didn't follow the career path the parents wanted.  Or he or she married the "wrong" person or didn't get married at all--or didn't have kids.  Or end up with the lifestyle the parents envisioned.

I have to say, I am guilty on all counts. My career and lifestyle are nothing like what my parents--especially my father--wanted from and for me.  And, yes, I married the "wrong" person--and never married again after that.  But none of that is either of my parents' fault--really.

I will, however, admit there is one area in which I've failed miserably in the making of my parents.  You see, I tried to turn both of them into cyclists--even to the point of giving them bicycles as gifts for some occasion or another.  I don't think my mother ever rode hers (If I recall, it was sold when my parents moved from New Jersey to Florida.) and my father may have ridden a couple of times with me.  Though his bike survived the move, it, too was eventually sold.

So...I can't say that my father (or mother) and I bonded over bike riding.  For that matter, if I recall correctly, I didn't learn how to ride from either of them:  I got those lessons from my grandfather (who died before I turned eight) and an uncle.  

I failed, but I think my parents have forgiven me by now.  A lot has been forgiven, or simply written off as vodka under the bridge, as Alexandr Revva might say. 

(Why did I choose him?  I confess:  He's one of the few Russians whose name I can spell!)

Anyway, in the spirit of father-child relationships, I offer this, from one of my favorite comic-strip series:

Happy Father's Day!