1976 and the Bikecentennial

1976...  I was a 14 year old freshman in high school, who for no lack of a better term was scrawny.  I never really liked the stick and ball team sports all so popular in schools, but bicycles were a form of  freedom for us kids back then and for me it started me biking.  I doubt that any parent today would let their kids just leave home after school on their bikes and ride into town or wherever, but at that time it seemed the normal thing.   And then there was riding in the mud, wheelies and jumping stuff.  I broke frames, hubs, but surprisingly not any bones, or my head (no helmets) although some may disagree with that statement.   Kids....

1975

1976

Somewhere around 1976/77, I began riding primarily on the road.  I bought a Schwinn Le Tour II and rode this bike for over 11,000 miles in a couple of years.  Some of that on rollers in our basement due to our winter climate.  I sold this bike in 1979 I think.

The Schwinn Le Tour II,  ~ 11,500 miles circa 1978/79

 I started racing/riding a little bit with the Genesee Valley Cycling Club, but was never much of a sprinter, time trial rider or really a racer for that matter.  Distance seemed my event though.  I replaced the Le Tour with a Windsor Competition which was then stolen in 1990.  I bought an used Lemond Alpe D'Huez after the Windsor was stolen.  I still have that bike today.

These are some photos from a race around Canandagua Lake in 1980.  Yeah, that's me, all 120lbs of grizzle and bone.  But I was a good climber, light weight + "streamlined"...  There was a big climb out of the lake early in the race and I came off the top in the second group and finished the race mid pack.  Mr. average...

Start of the Canandagua Cup  1980
with the 68 Olds in the background

Top of  "Millers Hill"

So in 1976, someone organised a ride called Bikecentennial.  This was the Bicentennial of the US after all and in honor of this historic event a national bicycle tour was created to cross the united states.  Bikecentennial began in Yorktown, VA and ended in Astoria, OR  traversing 4200+ miles across the US passing many historic sites along the way.  Being the youngster I was at the time, there was no way to join this event, so it went on the bucket list.  Now, 43 years later, the route still exists and so it's time....

Let the fun begin...