Lead Sled

by John Beverly, CBC President 2000

Though I have been especially busy with work lately and have not put in as many miles as I would like, I did have an interesting ride a couple of weeks ago. Joe Thomas brought to my attention an epic trip being made across the country on bicycle by Jeff Barrie, a documentary filmmaker, to promote his recent film about the destruction of some wilderness areas in Alaska. We were to meet at the aquarium and ride through Chattanooga, ceremoniously accompanying Mr. Barrie on his way out of town.

Colleen and I arrived dressed in our club jerseys ready to run the gauntlet of noon traffic on Broad Street. There waiting for us was a man about 25 years old with an expensive video camera and a folder addressed to President Clinton. He was dressed in casual clothes, not bike clothes. At first I figured he must have shown up to see the spectacle of a hundred bicycles and get the autograph of this soon to be famous biker. He did have a bike with him. It had a basket on the front and reminded me of the one my aunt Juanita used to line with a pillow and ride me around the small town of Deputy, Indiana, where she lived. (I was about 5.) Maybe he was a news reporter who just wanted to ride along and film the pelliton in action and all he had to ride was an old 70 LB Schwinn Cruiser Deluxe that had belonged to his aunt and had been rusting away in the garage since 1965. Boy was I wrong. It was him! The guy was riding a Peewee Herman bike across the country. Swear to God! It had a huge wide seat with, no kidding, coil springs. Like something you'd rent at Myrtle Beach when you go on vacation. No bike shorts. No bike shirt. No gloves. No clipless pedals (or clips for that matter) and it had fenders. Real fenders that go all the way around the wheel and almost drag the ground. I think it even had mud flaps. The tires were nearly as wide as the ones that come stock on a Honda Civic. He did, however, have a computer that read something close to 3000 miles that he had ridden since leaving Los Angeles.

I was, and still am, amazed that anyone would pick a bike like this to ride across the country. I can't imagine climbing Suck Creek Mountain on that thing. You have to admire someone who can ride one these babies 3500 miles.

He mentioned to me, after our epic adventure from the aquarium to the library, that his knee was starting to bother him. NO KIDDING!! He asked if I knew where I could get a knee brace, so I rode with him to Chattanooga Group, maker of physical therapy equipment, located behind Northgate Mall. We took Dayton Blvd to the hill on 153. After seeing him painfully and slowly climb that small hill, I figured he must have taken a route that allowed him to miss long climbs.

Once there we met with Paul Chapman, the CEO, who was happy give the guy a knee brace. He also grimaced when he saw the bike he continued on Page 12 was riding and suggested the best thing he could do for his knee was to get a better bike

Afterward I bought him lunch and purchased one of his videos. (We'll watch it at a club meeting sometime.) He ran short on time and had to call for a ride back to town. We met the next day and he posed for some pictures. I'll have Daisy put them on the web site.

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