Grumpa Joe's Place

I began riding a bike when I was nine years old. I borrowed bicycles to learn how. Many of the bikes were far larger than I was. I had to roll the bike up to the curb so I would be able to swing my leg over the bar. Once I was on the bike. I straddled the top tube to reach the pedals. In order to stop, I had to roll back to the curb or fall over. By the time I was eleven I could ride well. My Dad bought me a new Schwinn. It was a beauty. That Schwinn carried me through grammar school, high school, and college.

After I got married, I rode the bike for fitness. Eventually, my oldest son modernized the bike. He painted the frame black, and added anodized blue rims. To make it sexy, he had drum brakes and a five speed derailleur added.  He took it to college where it was stolen.

 As an adult, I bought my first speed bike in 1971. What a new experience that was, but I learned to love it. The skinny tires and hand brakes were so different from the Schwinn with the fat tires and the coaster brake. When I was at the Schwinn shop buying  the new skinny tired one, I told the owner that he needed to sell a fat tire bike with a derailleur and gears. His reply, “why the heck would anyone want something like that?” Two years later, the mountain bike revolution began in California.

 At first, I limited myself to riding the new “Sportsman” around town, but soon began commuting the ten miles to my job. Once I logged a thousand miles in a single year something happened that motivated me to do longer rides. In nineteen eighty seven, I signed up for a one week vacation tour with Michigan Bicycle Touring. This fully supported tour gave me the bug to do it again. I have been on many one week tours since. A year after the Michigan tour, I signed up for the National Bicycle Rally held in Flagstaff, Arizona. The League of American Wheelmen sponsored the rally. They have since modernized their name to The League of American Bicyclists. It was at the rally, that I learned that the majority of people attending were members of a local bike club. I was not a member of any club until I got home. I searched out “Folks On Spokes,” a club operating in the south suburbs of Chicago. I joined, and have been a member ever since. I have served as Vice President/Program Chairman, President, and Member at Large. They are a very active club and support bicycle advocacy. We emphasize safe riding, and helmet wear. You may go to the link below to learn more about Folks On Spokes and other bicycle related sites.

Folks on Spokes, http://www.folksonspokes.com

League of Illinois Bicyclists,  http://www.bikelib.org

League of American Bicyclists, http://www.bikeleague.org