12/19/2023 0 Comments Quincy me visitors in paradise cast![]() ![]() K-Dogg riding dirt roads with JOM in Australia, circa 2011.Īccompanied by five friends aboard a collection of touring rigs and mountain bikes, my introduction to dirt, limerock and gravel roads in late 2005 / early 2006 began during the “Lemur” night time rides. The only caveat the roads were mostly dirt and limerock. JOM’s second ever gravel rig.Ĭonsequently, K-Dogg knew of roads south of Gainesville, near the town of Micanopy, that were traffic-free, with plenty of rolling hills. ![]() Since beer was usually involved, there were a few crashes, prompting the appearance of cheap “tourist lights”, that cast dim but appreciated smudges of light onto the dirt. Serious “tribal knowledge” was needed to navigate the potholes and sugar sand. ![]() Eventually, these rides became so popular, that rides started happening during the darkest of evenings. Initially, these rides were held monthly beneath the light of a full moon, sans lights (they weren’t allowed), astride steel “earth bikes”, with five gears and huge knobby tires. Something had to change and I wasn’t alone in my thoughts.Ī good friend of mine, Kerry Duggan, aka K-Dogg, rode dirt and limerock roads in the 1980’s with other racer heads of the time. I swear I could see ruts forming in the bitumen (paved) road surface, considering how many times I had circumnavigated this cursed park. The repetitive nature of riding lap after lap left some of us feeling like caged animals. The group would range in size from six to 16 riders, all merrily sprinting, time trialing, telling jokes and riding for fun.īut there was something missing. For the fall / winter months of 20, we banded together, donned lights, and spent almost every Tuesday and Thursday night riding laps and “wintervals”, of a paved business park in nearby Alachua, Florida. Several of my fellow cyclists in Gainesville, gainfully employed during the daylight hours, disliked the idea of training indoors. Many people are confined to a basement or living room, pumping out hours astride their indoor trainer. While many parts of the country are buried in snow, we train year round outdoors, even during those odd times when the mercury drops below 32 degrees Fahrenheit / Zero degrees Celcius.Īnybody working a regular eight to five job in the fall and winter months knows how challenging it can be to maintain fitness, no matter your genre or level of cycling. While the hot and humid summers don’t appeal to everybody, the fall and winter months, if you can call them that, are absolute paradise. In Gainesville, Florida, we are fortunate. I caught the cycling bug, and a year later, purchased my first legitimate road bike. I convinced my father to loan me his ancient 10-speed Malvern Star bicycle (that’s an Aussie brand) that had been languishing in the garage, and try my hand at the sport. I was fascinated by the bicycle technology tri-spoke wheels, aero bars and pointed helmets all looked uber cool. I discovered cycling in 1991, after catching a grand tour team time trial on the television. Historically, I have always been a road cyclist. Prior to that, I made a bold move and relocated from my original hometown of Adelaide in South Australia. I’ve called Gainesville, Florida home since September 2004, after relocating from Tampa, Florida. Mind you, I’m pretty easy to find on race results here and there, usually in the middle of mediocrity. The OM refers to my last name, which I may share, should you get to know me. My name is Jayson, but a lot of people refer to me as JOM. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |