My Second-Favorite Cycling Teammate

   I have to give the #1 spot to my wife, of course, and really, we have been cycling longer (in years and overall distance), at a higher average speed and more often than most other of my riding companions. My father would swing right into that second slot. Unfortunately, due to a combination of health issues he passed away last Tuesday, just one day after his 74th birthday.
   He loved to travel - though he would admit, not-so-much when it involved his work as a sportswriter - and explore new places, and about a decade ago he started cycling regularly. Because I was a homeschooling father with a very flexible schedule, and my boys were both teenagers who could be left on their own if needed, he took the opportunity to plan a few cycling journeys that we could experience together.
   In 2011 we started a series of one-week trips, each year doing a segment of the C&O Canal Towpath and Greater Allegheny Passage Trails, making our way from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, PA. The lead photo is a shot of us in front of the fountain in Pittsburgh's Point State Park, at the "completion" of our journey. The quotes are there because our trips ended up rather out-of-order, but we did manage to do the whole 330+ miles without killing ourselves or, more importantly, anyone else. As John Candy said to Steve Martin in Trains, Planes and Automobiles, after nearly being taken out by a pair of 18-wheelers, "We can laugh about it now; we're alright."
   You can read about all segments of this journey and others through the Trail Tales link to the right, as we've also hit spots like the Virginia Creeper, Washington & Old Dominion and Columbia Trails. I am a big fan of railroads, and these initial trips with Dad really inspired me to explore more Rails-To-Trails projects all over the country!
   During our adventures we had a lot of laughs, reminisced about our families, met many interesting people and, because I inherited his easy-going manner, we dealt with several mishaps along the way without a shout or grumble between us. Oh, Dad did plenty of grumbling, but it was more about his strange perception that every slight uphill was a mountain!
   I know my father had plans for more trips in his mind, but his health began to fail, starting with a heart attack back in the spring of 2016. I remember Dad telling me that the doctor said, "You're lucky your son got you into cycling and that your heart is strong, because the blockage you have in there would have killed you otherwise."
   I could list many reasons I enjoy cycling, but if indeed the sport bought me another four years to spend with Dad, that certainly would be at the top!
 
 
   Because I had all of the parts for the Somec project waiting on my shop shelves for me to start assembly, it was only a matter of getting to it. I did find out that the Campagnolo Athena group was missing a chain, and I needed some white bar tape, but after the mailman arrived a couple days later with my packages, I put the finishing touches on the Pieroni:

The Somec and its "spec sheet" are now listed in the For Sale page. See you next time - stay safe and healthy!