3500

Last week, this blog marked one milestone:  11 years.

Today's post is another:  Number 3500.

When I started this blog, I had no idea of how long, or how many posts, it would run.  I knew only that I wanted to call it "Midlife Cycling" for all of its life.  As a wise person once told me, as long as you don't know when your life will end, you're in the middle of it.  I'd say the same for this blog, or any other endeavor:  You can't define a mid-point without knowing the end-point.

Luang Prbang, 22 July 2018

When I first posted, I had just started riding again after recovering from my gender-affirmation surgery.  Since then, my life--and the cycling scene--has changed in all kinds of ways.  I can recall when chances were that I knew any cyclist I encountered during my ride; now I see all kinds of new faces--and bodies--and, of course, bikes--whether I'm spinning down my street or rolling along a suburban or country road, whether a county or an ocean away from my home.

Once again, I thank all of you, whether you've followed this blog from its beginnings, or you've found it for the first time in a Google search about Shimano DX or cycling in New York or France.

In Michigan: A Ride To Reconnect And Remember

 In many places, COVID-19 restrictions are loosening or being abolished altogether.  This has resulted in a number of “firsts “:  People are going places and doing things they haven’t seen or done in more than a year.  Last night, I had my first sit-down dinner in a restaurant since the pandemic began.  A friend treated me for helping her to buy, and fix, her bike.

Speaking of which: Club and other group rides are reconvening. For most cyclists, such rides are a time of joy, or at least relief.

They and other “firsts” can, however, be tinged with sadness and grief.  A favorite cafe may have closed or a chef or server might be gone. So might some riding buddies.

Photo by Trace Christensen, from the Battle Creek Enquirer 

Such was the case for a group of Michigan cyclists who rode together on Tuesday evening.  As they embarked from Mike’s Team Active Bikes in Battle Creek, owner Mike Wood, who rode with them, reminded everyone of five riders who were not with them.

From left: Melissa Ann Fevig Hughes, Suzanne Sippel, Debbie Bradley, Tony Nelson and Larry Paulik

On that day five years earlier, Debbie Bradley, Suzanne Joan Sippel, Lorenz John (Larry) Pauli’s, Fred Anton (Tony) Nelson and Melissa Ann Fevig Hughes were mowed down by an impaired driver in a pickup truck.  Four other cyclists who accompanied them survived the experience, but are still dealing with the physical and emotional trauma that resulted.

As with many other “firsts,” Tuesday’s ride in Battle Creek was a time to reconnect—and reflect.

Rust Belt Reverse Robin Hood

It’s  bad enough when a bike shop is robbed.  I feel for the owners and employees who are trying to make a living while providing valuable services.

A robbery is all the more galling when its target is a non-profit shop committed to making bicycles to everyone who can ride.  It’s worse still when such a shoo is located in an area where the need is great.

The scenario described in the previous paragraph took place on Sunday night, around 9:30. A surveillance video shows someone smashing a cash register in the parking lot.  According to reports, the amount of cash the perp took was not great, but it surely matters to a shop like Toledo Bikes.  

So did the bike he took from the showroom floor—and another bike taken yesterday morning by someone who entered through the door broken by whoever filched the first bike.

A man has been arrested in relation to yesterday‘s theft. Police haven’t yet confirmed whether he, or someone else, is responsible for the first robbery.

A local glass repair company, no doubt cognizant of Toledo Bikes’ value to the community (and its probably-minuscule budget) has offered to replace the broken glass door.