Robbie, you ol' racer heads are all alike.
The passion to compete never dies.
It's like Johnny Cash's song,
"Ring of Fire."
Funny Related Story:
Recently I caught up with an older gentleman in his mid '70s riding a mid '80s Univega, equipped with downtube friction shifters, cantis, and a nice Sugino triple. Turns out he moved in a few months back about a mile from the house. We were almost home, so I stopped and chatted. We decided to go for a ride this week.
Soon after we started out, and after he gave me a full rundown on all his ailments (should have charted them), he began telling me about his racing career. Despite his current slow pace and consistent use of granny to climb any hill (which made sense to me), he needed to let me know that he was a racer,
"...back in the day."
Well, I thought spending 10-15 minutes on his racing career near the beginning of the ride would suffice so I changed the subject. But as often as I reached for my Suntour Barcons to change a gear, he'd backtrack to racing again!
It was rather amusing and bless his heart for still being out riding. I tip my hat to him! But the racer blood in him, is like the Ring of Fire! It still
"burns, burns, burns!"
P.S. He also made a point to tell me many times the Univega was his
"winter bike." His real ride is a 2002 Bianchi.
"The last steel Bianchi." Apparently it is equipped with 9 speed Campagnolo Veloce.
