Goodbye, old friend
04-30-23, 01:26 PM
#1
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Goodbye, old friend
I just spent 12 hours driving back from my old hometown to attend the memorial service of my old school friend, Duck. We all got caught up in the early 70s bike boom, and decided we had to make a trip, so we decided to tour from NE Alabama to NW Florida. My mom made this picture as we were about to mount up. T-shirts, cutoff Wranglers, and Converse tennies was our kit. This is July 1973. Im on the left, Duck is in the center, and Victor on the right. Please note the absence of any water bottles or common sense.
Victor and I visited Duck in September, after he had gone under Hospice care. He stated that ride was one of the highlights of his life. We all agreed, and Duck insisted to his wife that this picture be included at his memorial service. I love this picture because it shows three young guys
with their whole lives ahead of them. Also, two weeks before this picture I had the first date with my wife. I still have the wife (AND the bike!)
As the risk of being too sentimental,, I post this image as a memorial to Duck. Godspeed, my old friend
Victor and I visited Duck in September, after he had gone under Hospice care. He stated that ride was one of the highlights of his life. We all agreed, and Duck insisted to his wife that this picture be included at his memorial service. I love this picture because it shows three young guys
with their whole lives ahead of them. Also, two weeks before this picture I had the first date with my wife. I still have the wife (AND the bike!)
As the risk of being too sentimental,, I post this image as a memorial to Duck. Godspeed, my old friend
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04-30-23, 01:32 PM
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Great memories and difficult memories as well. Thank you for posting this.
At that age, common sense is overrated. Water bottles particularly riding in the South, not so much. . . .
At that age, common sense is overrated. Water bottles particularly riding in the South, not so much. . . .
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04-30-23, 01:37 PM
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I have lost a friend of 65 years and another known for 50+ years so far in 2023. 
Celebrating their lives is ... not really much of a celebration.
Roll on.
Celebrating their lives is ... not really much of a celebration.
Roll on.
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04-30-23, 01:40 PM
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A month later, I rode from my home outside Boston to Detroit for my junior year in college. Solo, HB bag and big saddlebag. Slept under the stars. Got a motel in Niagara Falls, Canada the one rainy day. Loved the ride though the last two days across Ontario were into the wind, hot and hard.
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05-03-23, 08:04 PM
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Oh yes, the summer of '73. Life was simpler then. Ride on, Duck.
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05-03-23, 11:09 PM
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Cutoff jeans are still the best cycling shorts.
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05-04-23, 11:15 AM
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Nothin' like striped tube socks, we all had a drawer of them. Duck Duck Go!
Sorry about your loss.
Sorry about your loss.
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05-04-23, 11:26 AM
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God Bless Duck... Life never ends... In the future may we all think of these times on Earth with our friends a pleasant passing...
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05-04-23, 11:42 AM
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Off Topic: Ahhh... 1973
In 1973 I was waiting orders for Germany or Vietnam. I was hoping for Germany but on getting there volunteered to go south to get away from the COLD. Ended up in Vicenza Italy where my life changed on the purchase of a "Tuto" Compagnolo Liotto...
Liotto
My relief of getting out of the jungles of Vietnam was short lived. I was also soon to learn the meaning of SWAPO and the MPLA... But that's another story...
In 1973 I was waiting orders for Germany or Vietnam. I was hoping for Germany but on getting there volunteered to go south to get away from the COLD. Ended up in Vicenza Italy where my life changed on the purchase of a "Tuto" Compagnolo Liotto...
Liotto
My relief of getting out of the jungles of Vietnam was short lived. I was also soon to learn the meaning of SWAPO and the MPLA... But that's another story...
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No matter where you're at... There you are... Δf:=f(1/2)-f(-1/2)
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05-04-23, 12:03 PM
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wonderful! where are Duck's socks? how did he get that nickname?
wishing you & your friend's family strength right now & nothing but the best memories *hugs*
wishing you & your friend's family strength right now & nothing but the best memories *hugs*
05-04-23, 12:07 PM
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Great photo and story! Very similarly I was also an avid (HS) tennis player and cyclist in 1973. I used to ride my Holdsworth (still have) all over Norfolk Va to play tennis at various city parks and out to Va Beach to see my girlfriend. At the end of the summer with 4 pals I bike toured central Va on a borrowed ice blue Schwinn Supersport the week before my senior year classes started and had an amazing time with several funny stories to tell. Thanks a bunch!
05-04-23, 12:11 PM
#13
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I always wore a pair of gloves like those when cycling in the late 1960s and through the 1970s. Walk shorts, T-shirt, and tennis shoes were my standard bike-to-college garb, along with a Kucharik padded leather helmet.
Your picture reminds me of my first century ride, summer of 1971. One of my UCLA pals and I drove up to Los Altos (south SF Bay area), to visit my cousin, who shared our passion for cycling. (He had a full Campag. Pogliaghi.) The three of us took a 12-hour ride out to Santa Cruz, up the coast against a headwind, then back over the hill to our starting point. Good times!
Condolences on your loss -- Duck died too young!
I also noticed your story about meeting your wife. I met my wife at UCLA, when we were both fresh out of our respective high schools, and we got married almost exactly 50 years ago, in June 1973. "It was a very good year."
Your picture reminds me of my first century ride, summer of 1971. One of my UCLA pals and I drove up to Los Altos (south SF Bay area), to visit my cousin, who shared our passion for cycling. (He had a full Campag. Pogliaghi.) The three of us took a 12-hour ride out to Santa Cruz, up the coast against a headwind, then back over the hill to our starting point. Good times!
Condolences on your loss -- Duck died too young!
I also noticed your story about meeting your wife. I met my wife at UCLA, when we were both fresh out of our respective high schools, and we got married almost exactly 50 years ago, in June 1973. "It was a very good year."
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
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05-04-23, 12:13 PM
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lovely photo. How long did the trip take?
05-04-23, 12:44 PM
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I am glad your Mom had the foresight to take the picture of your adventure. Back then it was rare to take a picture compared to now.
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05-04-23, 01:14 PM
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Re-sewn and gutted a few times but... Still using mine...
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05-04-23, 01:19 PM
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My condolences. This is pretty much how I rode as a teen, but solo. How wonderful that not only do you have the memories you made, but you stayed connected to these friends for life.
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05-06-23, 01:39 PM
#19
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Thread Starter
Wow, I posted this and went dark for few days, not really expecting a response. Its nice that y'all responded in such a loving way.
Just a few answers to questions/ Comments
Duck is short for Duckett. He was a real country boy and never let socks get in the way of a good time. But he did find a motorcycle helmet that had fallen off a motorcycle and wore that for a couple days
The tennis t-shirt was from a gorgeous young lady from the next
town over
Mom, being mom, not only took our picture, but weighed us the morning we left. We were all within 3 pounds of 155. I guess that was just the nurse in her
Those cheap leather gloves; they were all rotten and threadbare by the end of that summer
You older guys may notice that we had "safety flags" flying from 6ft fiberglass poles secured to our rear dropouts. Safety first!
Those old Cannondale Bugger bags are almost indestructible. Here is mine (originally my dad's) on my old Motobecane, the one in the old picture One day those nylon cam locks will break, but until then.....
Just a few answers to questions/ Comments
Duck is short for Duckett. He was a real country boy and never let socks get in the way of a good time. But he did find a motorcycle helmet that had fallen off a motorcycle and wore that for a couple days
The tennis t-shirt was from a gorgeous young lady from the next
town over
Mom, being mom, not only took our picture, but weighed us the morning we left. We were all within 3 pounds of 155. I guess that was just the nurse in her
Those cheap leather gloves; they were all rotten and threadbare by the end of that summer
You older guys may notice that we had "safety flags" flying from 6ft fiberglass poles secured to our rear dropouts. Safety first!
Those old Cannondale Bugger bags are almost indestructible. Here is mine (originally my dad's) on my old Motobecane, the one in the old picture One day those nylon cam locks will break, but until then.....
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