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Goodbye to Old Blue

I bid farewell to Old Blue, the Cannondale R300 bicycle that served as my steed from 1986 to 1996. I decided to let my 13-year-old nephew, Julius Parod, use Old Blue temporarily until he quits growing and gets his own bicycle. Julius has grown several inches in the past few months, and his old bike is way too small for him. Julius, along with his sister, Sereana, and his mother, Teresa, are joining me in August on the Shoreline West Tour in Michigan.

Old Blue was a good bike for its time. I bought it in December 1985 from The Cyclery in Edwardsville, Ill., just months after I completed my first weeklong trip, the BAMMI ride from Chicago to Edwardsville. Its technology -- the 12 speeds with shifters on the frame -- is well behind the times, but it will get Julius where he wants to go. He's a pretty strong rider for a 13-year-old, and I think he has the muscles to power the bike up those hills along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

I rarely used Old Blue in recent years, primarily as a backup to my current bike, a deep teal 1996 Cannondale R500 nicknamed The Stealth. (It earned that name because I had some exceptionally strong early rides in the spring of 1996 after I bought the bike.) Old Blue's last major trip was the 1995 edition of TRIRI, and its last big ride was the 1996 Hilly Hundred. Old Blue earned that trip because The Stealth was still in transit from the Grand Canyon to Mexico ride that year.

Old Blue provided many miles of enjoyment for me over the years. It's somewhat sad to see it leave my basement, but I know it will be in good hands with my nephew.

Goodbye, Old Blue. See you in August!

Roger 0 comments 11:59 PM