Ride report: my 10th New Year's day century

I've been trying to do a New years day century here in the Milwaukee
area every year beginning with the millenium in 2000. So far, my only
failure was in 2008, when I had a mechanical breakdown after 49 miles
- a piece of flange broke off the back wheel.

This year's ride was very cold but not bitter cold. The high and low
of 7 and 21F were each 8 degrees below the seasonal averages of 15 and
29.Because of the cold, I opted to get and stay near Lake Michigan,
which is often a little warmer in the winter, and to head south
through Milwaukee to Racine, which provides a slight "urban heat
island effect." Nevertheless it was plenty cold. An added reason to
take that route is that on yesterday's ride, I encountered quite a bit
of drifting snow on the road as I tried to head northwest out of
Germantown. That is not an issue in the cities. The downside of that
route selection is that it left me with a tailwind "outbound", and a
headwind on the return trip. Usually I prefer the opposite.

I wore a t-shirt, 2 sweatshirts, and a lined corderoy shirt, covered
by a reflector vest. I started out with a balaclava under my helmet,
but abandoned that at mid-day. I also started out with choppers and
liners on my hands but switched to a lighter mitten later in the day.
On my feet were cotton socks covered by 2 pair of woolen socks and
leather boots with a light "thinsulate" insulation. Nothing froze.

I started out at 6:00 a.m. With a 7:23 sunrise, that meant the first
part of the trip was in the dark, though a bright full moon and snow
ameliorated that. I used a flashing tail light but no headlight. I
rode 24 miles, then stopped for 8:00 Mass at Old St. Mary's Church in
downtown Milwaukee. From there. I rode 27 mile to and through
downtown Racine, turning around at the DeKoven Center at about 11:00,
and heading north on the same route before stopping at a fast food to
eat at 11:40, with 57 miles for the day. I learned that Racine, like
Milwaukee has a "polar bear" club that takes a plunge into Lake
Michigan on New Year's day. A local resaurant offers free chili to
those who particpate.

From there I rode back to and through downtown Milwaukee, making my
final stop in Whitefish Bay at 3:00, with 87 miles for the day. The
headwind was a definite burden. then I rode the last 14 miles home,
arriving at 4:40 (sundown 4:28), with the temperature back down to 13F.

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
I've been trying to do a New years day century here in the Milwaukee
area every year beginning with the millenium in 2000. So far, my only
failure was in 2008, when I had a mechanical breakdown after 49 miles
- a piece of flange broke off the back wheel.

This year's ride was very cold but not bitter cold. The high and low
of 7 and 21F were each 8 degrees below the seasonal averages of 15 and
29.Because of the cold, I opted to get and stay near Lake Michigan,
which is often a little warmer in the winter, and to head south
through Milwaukee to Racine, which provides a slight "urban heat
island effect." Nevertheless it was plenty cold. An added reason to
take that route is that on yesterday's ride, I encountered quite a bit
of drifting snow on the road as I tried to head northwest out of
Germantown. That is not an issue in the cities. The downside of that
route selection is that it left me with a tailwind "outbound", and a
headwind on the return trip. Usually I prefer the opposite.

I wore a t-shirt, 2 sweatshirts, and a lined corderoy shirt, covered
by a reflector vest. I started out with a balaclava under my helmet,
but abandoned that at mid-day. I also started out with choppers and
liners on my hands but switched to a lighter mitten later in the day.
On my feet were cotton socks covered by 2 pair of woolen socks and
leather boots with a light "thinsulate" insulation. Nothing froze.

I started out at 6:00 a.m. With a 7:23 sunrise, that meant the first
part of the trip was in the dark, though a bright full moon and snow
ameliorated that. I used a flashing tail light but no headlight. I
rode 24 miles, then stopped for 8:00 Mass at Old St. Mary's Church in
downtown Milwaukee. From there. I rode 27 mile to and through
downtown Racine, turning around at the DeKoven Center at about 11:00,
and heading north on the same route before stopping at a fast food to
eat at 11:40, with 57 miles for the day. I learned that Racine, like
Milwaukee has a "polar bear" club that takes a plunge into Lake
Michigan on New Year's day. A local resaurant offers free chili to
those who particpate.

From there I rode back to and through downtown Milwaukee, making my
final stop in Whitefish Bay at 3:00, with 87 miles for the day. The
headwind was a definite burden. then I rode the last 14 miles home,
arriving at 4:40 (sundown 4:28), with the temperature back down to
13F.

Excellent. Thanks.

I suggested a NYD century for us in chilly LoSoCA (60's! Brrr!), but one
guy is nursing a tweaked knee and another pleaded out-of-shapeness, so we
settled on an easy "City Loop" because the allegedly unfit dude knows/likes
the route.

We meet at the crack of 10:30...and of course he doesn't show up. But
"Billy", a young hotdog and his girlfriend (?) Erin, a young strong
triathlete, do. (Along with my usual ride partner, he of recent knee
issues. Luckily it was feeling OK today.) So what was to be a gentle
cruise turned into somewhat of a hammerfest. Hair under 50 miles; home by
1:30.

I did remember to check odometers this AM. 5,053 miles plus pathetic
mountain bike output, so roughly 5300 '09 miles.

Bill "hi-fat meal followed by nap" S.

Ron Wallenfang wrote:
I've been trying to do a New years day century here in the Milwaukee
area every year beginning with the millenium in 2000. So far, my only
failure was in 2008, when I had a mechanical breakdown after 49 miles
- a piece of flange broke off the back wheel.

This year's ride was very cold but not bitter cold. The high and low
of 7 and 21F were each 8 degrees below the seasonal averages of 15 and
29.Because of the cold, I opted to get and stay near Lake Michigan,
which is often a little warmer in the winter, and to head south
through Milwaukee to Racine, which provides a slight "urban heat
island effect." Nevertheless it was plenty cold. An added reason to
take that route is that on yesterday's ride, I encountered quite a bit
of drifting snow on the road as I tried to head northwest out of
Germantown. That is not an issue in the cities. The downside of that
route selection is that it left me with a tailwind "outbound", and a
headwind on the return trip. Usually I prefer the opposite.

I wore a t-shirt, 2 sweatshirts, and a lined corderoy shirt, covered
by a reflector vest. I started out with a balaclava under my helmet,
but abandoned that at mid-day. I also started out with choppers and
liners on my hands but switched to a lighter mitten later in the day.
On my feet were cotton socks covered by 2 pair of woolen socks and
leather boots with a light "thinsulate" insulation. Nothing froze.

I started out at 6:00 a.m. With a 7:23 sunrise, that meant the first
part of the trip was in the dark, though a bright full moon and snow
ameliorated that. I used a flashing tail light but no headlight. I
rode 24 miles, then stopped for 8:00 Mass at Old St. Mary's Church in
downtown Milwaukee. From there. I rode 27 mile to and through
downtown Racine, turning around at the DeKoven Center at about 11:00,
and heading north on the same route before stopping at a fast food to
eat at 11:40, with 57 miles for the day. I learned that Racine, like
Milwaukee has a "polar bear" club that takes a plunge into Lake
Michigan on New Year's day. A local resaurant offers free chili to
those who particpate.

From there I rode back to and through downtown Milwaukee, making my
final stop in Whitefish Bay at 3:00, with 87 miles for the day. The
headwind was a definite burden. then I rode the last 14 miles home,
arriving at 4:40 (sundown 4:28), with the temperature back down to 13F.

You da MAN, Ron. You give me hope for me.


Bill

"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
I've been trying to do a New years day century here in the Milwaukee
area every year beginning with the millenium in 2000. So far, my only
failure was in 2008, when I had a mechanical breakdown after 49 miles
- a piece of flange broke off the back wheel.

Do you get any media coverage? I have to believe you could end up on network
news, certainly local. You could be an inspiration for a whole lot of couch
potatoes! Or perhaps your accomplishments are so out-of-line with what some
consider reasonable that you'd just be written off as a nut. Not to me
though. People think I'm a nut because I "brave" whatever Northern
California can throw at me on a few "epic" rides each winter (I have a
regular ride on Tuesday & Thursday mornings that absolutely positively
nothing stops). Gee whiz, we'll get a couple days in the upper-20s, maybe a
few cases of high winds & heavy rains, with the only thing making it
particularly interesting is a 3000ft elevation gain & loss. We're complete
wimps compared to you!

Keep it up. Like Ryan Bingham says in "Up In The Air"- Moving is living.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA


"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
I've been trying to do a New years day century here in the Milwaukee
area every year beginning with the millenium in 2000. So far, my only
failure was in 2008, when I had a mechanical breakdown after 49 miles
- a piece of flange broke off the back wheel.

This year's ride was very cold but not bitter cold. The high and low
of 7 and 21F were each 8 degrees below the seasonal averages of 15 and
29.Because of the cold, I opted to get and stay near Lake Michigan,
which is often a little warmer in the winter, and to head south
through Milwaukee to Racine, which provides a slight "urban heat
island effect." Nevertheless it was plenty cold. An added reason to
take that route is that on yesterday's ride, I encountered quite a bit
of drifting snow on the road as I tried to head northwest out of
Germantown. That is not an issue in the cities. The downside of that
route selection is that it left me with a tailwind "outbound", and a
headwind on the return trip. Usually I prefer the opposite.

I wore a t-shirt, 2 sweatshirts, and a lined corderoy shirt, covered
by a reflector vest. I started out with a balaclava under my helmet,
but abandoned that at mid-day. I also started out with choppers and
liners on my hands but switched to a lighter mitten later in the day.
On my feet were cotton socks covered by 2 pair of woolen socks and
leather boots with a light "thinsulate" insulation. Nothing froze.

I started out at 6:00 a.m. With a 7:23 sunrise, that meant the first
part of the trip was in the dark, though a bright full moon and snow
ameliorated that. I used a flashing tail light but no headlight. I
rode 24 miles, then stopped for 8:00 Mass at Old St. Mary's Church in
downtown Milwaukee. From there. I rode 27 mile to and through
downtown Racine, turning around at the DeKoven Center at about 11:00,
and heading north on the same route before stopping at a fast food to
eat at 11:40, with 57 miles for the day. I learned that Racine, like
Milwaukee has a "polar bear" club that takes a plunge into Lake
Michigan on New Year's day. A local resaurant offers free chili to
those who particpate.

From there I rode back to and through downtown Milwaukee, making my
final stop in Whitefish Bay at 3:00, with 87 miles for the day. The
headwind was a definite burden. then I rode the last 14 miles home,
arriving at 4:40 (sundown 4:28), with the temperature back down to 13F.

On Jan 7, 12:36*am, "Mike Jacoubowsky"
wrote:
"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message

...

I've been trying to do a New years day century here in the Milwaukee
area every year beginning with the millenium in 2000. *So far, my only
failure was in 2008, when I had a mechanical breakdown after 49 miles
- a piece of flange broke *off the back wheel.

Do you get any media coverage? I have to believe you could end up on network
news, certainly local. You could be an inspiration for a whole lot of couch
potatoes! Or perhaps your accomplishments are so out-of-line with what some
consider reasonable that you'd just be written off as a nut. Not to me
though. People think I'm a nut because I "brave" whatever Northern
California can throw at me on a few "epic" rides each winter (I have a
regular ride on Tuesday & Thursday mornings that absolutely positively
nothing stops). Gee whiz, we'll get a couple days in the upper-20s, maybe a
few cases of high winds & heavy rains, with the only thing making it
particularly interesting is a 3000ft elevation gain & loss. We're complete
wimps compared to you!

Keep it up. Like Ryan Bingham says in "Up In The Air"- Moving is living.

--Mike Jacoubowsky
Chain Reaction Bicycleswww.ChainReaction.com
Redwood City & Los Altos, CA USA

"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message

...



I've been trying to do a New years day century here in the Milwaukee
area every year beginning with the millenium in 2000. *So far, my only
failure was in 2008, when I had a mechanical breakdown after 49 miles
- a piece of flange broke *off the back wheel.

This year's ride was very cold but not bitter cold. *The high and low
of 7 and 21F were each 8 degrees below the seasonal averages of 15 and
29.Because of the cold, I opted to get and stay near Lake Michigan,
which is often a little warmer in the winter, and to head south
through Milwaukee to Racine, which provides a slight "urban heat
island effect." *Nevertheless it was plenty cold. *An added reason to
take that route is that on yesterday's ride, I encountered quite a bit
of drifting snow on the road as I tried to head northwest out of
Germantown. *That is not an issue in the cities. *The downside of that
route selection is that it left me with a tailwind "outbound", and a
headwind on the return trip. *Usually I prefer the opposite.

I wore a t-shirt, 2 sweatshirts, and a lined corderoy shirt, covered
by a reflector vest. *I started out with a balaclava under my helmet,
but abandoned that at mid-day. *I also started out with choppers and
liners on my hands but switched to a lighter mitten later in the day.
On my feet were cotton socks covered by 2 pair of woolen socks and
leather boots with a light "thinsulate" insulation. *Nothing froze.

I started out at 6:00 a.m. *With a 7:23 sunrise, that meant the first
part of the trip was in the dark, though a bright full moon and snow
ameliorated that. *I used a flashing tail light but no headlight. *I
rode 24 miles, then stopped for 8:00 Mass at Old St. Mary's Church in
downtown Milwaukee. *From there. I rode 27 mile to and through
downtown Racine, turning around at the DeKoven Center at about 11:00,
and heading north on the same route before stopping at a fast food to
eat at 11:40, with 57 miles for the day. *I learned that Racine, like
Milwaukee has a "polar bear" club that takes a plunge into Lake
Michigan on New Year's day. *A local resaurant offers free chili to
those who particpate.

From there I rode back to and through downtown Milwaukee, making my
final stop in Whitefish Bay at 3:00, with 87 miles for the day. *The
headwind was a definite burden. *then I rode the last 14 miles home,
arriving at 4:40 (sundown 4:28), with the temperature back down to 13F.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -



Thanks for your nice comments. I was blessed with a very flattering
article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Memorial Day 2006. I
believe it's still available at JSonline. Here is the text. It also
included a couple pictures, a map of my typical commuting route, and a
schedule of my then 13 long trips and was picked up by a few other
newspapers here and there (The trip reports (now 16 of them) are all
posted on the CrazyGuyonaBike site - http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/roboron




JS ONLINE: HEALTH & SCIENCE: E-MAIL | PRINT
THIS STORY

Faithful rider
50 miles a day and attorney is still rolling
By LEE BERGQUIST

Posted: May 28, 2006
Perhaps it's not surprising that a lawyer who rides his bicycle to
work every day can find splendor in a snowstorm.

Ronald Wallenfang, 62, is an indefatigable bicycle rider.

In a rare instance when he can't pedal downtown from his home in
Germantown - a round trip of 42 miles - he'll find time to get miles
in during the day.

He's cycled around three of the Great Lakes - always starting from
Milwaukee. He's taken two extensive bike trips in Europe. In 1998, he
rode from Los Angeles to Milwaukee.

The highlights are many, including shivering alone in a cold
thunderstorm on a desolate road on the north shore of Lake Superior.

"At first you feel you are going to die," he said of his Canadian
ride. "And then you're afraid you're not."

He owns three bikes - a Trek 520 touring bike, a Trek 7500 hybrid and
a single-speed Redline with wider tires that performs best in icy
conditions.

When a storm in late March coated Milwaukee's trees with a blanket of
snow, Wallenfang was ecstatic.

"For sheer beauty, my bike ride to work today was about as good as it
gets," he wrote to an online chat group for recreational bicyclists.

He described how the Oak Leaf Trail was cordoned by snow-covered
flora, bright as flocked trees at Christmas. He likened it to "riding
into the entrance of a magical kingdom."

Of rides and religion
Since 1993, Wallenfang has ridden 238,000 miles - an average of nearly
50 miles of cycling a day.

He does it with daily rides to the office - a trip that includes long
stretches on Bradley Road and the Oak Leaf Trail. Some days he picks
longer routes.

On Saturday mornings, he takes a shortcut down Fond du Lac Ave. to
serve Communion at Old Saint Mary's Catholic Church downtown.

His vacations often are solitary sojourns in which he sets his own
pace and spends much of his waking hours pedaling from one hotel room
and a warm shower to the next.

A self-described "compulsive churchgoer," the only thing that will
stop him is a Mass.

One of his daughters who books hotels rooms while he is on the road
has been known to use the Internet to look for Masses as well.

The highlight of all his rides was pedaling into suburban Atlanta late
one summer night in 2005. He was riding from Philadelphia to Savannah,
Ga., and coming through Atlanta to visit his son and family on his way
to Milwaukee.

His daughter-in-law Charlotte was pregnant and 10 days overdue. He was
awakened at five the next morning as Charlotte and his son were off to
the hospital. At 8:30 a.m., the baby was born. He rode his bike to see
mother and baby at the hospital and continued his ride to Milwaukee.

The most picturesque trip was in Germany along the Mosel River from
Koblenz to Trier. As he followed the undulating Mosel, he passed
vineyards, quaint towns and Roman ruins.

"An added bonus for me," he wrote to his chat group, "is that after I
got a room in a nice little Gasthaus a few miles from Koblenz, had a
bottle of the local white wine together with my pork whatever, and
gone to bed, I was soon awakened by a 20-piece band playing marches
and other songs on the street in celebration of a local guy's 80th
birthday. So I went out and enjoyed that."

Keeping the streak alive
Wallenfang is not one of the Lycra crowd who races up and down Lake
Drive. He averages 13 to 15 mph on his commute. His chief attribute is
his endurance, and sometimes he trades his touring gig for something
more competitive.

In 1999, he finished first in the 55-to-59 age group in the National
24-hour Challenge in Michigan, when he rode 326 miles.

Last summer, he came in seventh and covered 301 miles. Leg cramps
slowed his pace after "I tried to run with the hounds. This is the
kind of thing that teaches you a lesson."

Cycling, he admits, is an obsession.

His wife, Mary Ann, sometimes calls the bicycle his "iron mistress."

A math major in college, he uses a pocket calendar to detail his daily
mileage and temperature outside.

He whiles away the riding with little games of calculus, figuring out
how many miles he's gone and how many to go as the scenery and his
variables constantly change.

His cycling is a "combination of enjoyment - it takes your mind off
work - there is the physical fitness aspect to it and the
environmental consciousness of saving gas," he said. "You put that all
together and it becomes part of your self-identity."

Wallenfang, a partner in Quarles & Brady, has worked at the law firm
since graduating from Harvard Law School in 1969.

He starts his commute at 6 a.m. In the winter, he begins before
sunrise, outfitted with bike lights and reflective clothing. It takes
1 ½ hours to get to his office at the 411 Building on E. Wisconsin
Ave.; his winter commute can take two hours.

When he gets to work, he cleans up with handy wipes and puts on clean
clothes that he keeps in his office. If he has a business appointment
3 or 4 miles from his office, he will get on his bike.

His first cycling trip was in the summer after his second year of law
school when he rode home to Milwaukee from Cambridge, Mass.

Then came a long period of wandering in a sedentary wilderness. His
weight ballooned to 240 pounds on his 5-foot, 9-inch frame.

He didn't start riding seriously until his six children were older,
and four were already out of the house. On business or family trips,
he will bring along a bicycle or rent one to make sure he gets in some
riding time.

He does it all to keep up his streak. His latest is relatively modest
- he's ridden his bike every day since Aug. 6, 2005.

His longest streak - from March 6, 1998, to March 21, 2003 - ended
abruptly when he was hit by a car in Whitefish Bay and separated his
shoulder. He was off the bike for three weeks.

In another car accident, he broke his shoulder blade in 1990.

The potential of accidents or injury must be balanced with the obvious
health benefits of riding, he says. At 200 pounds, he is built solid,
like a tree trunk.

"The advantage of riding is that maybe I would be dead from a heart
attack," he said.

Still, he thinks he is riding a little slower than a few years ago and
he feels aches and pains more than he used to.

On his latest trip - a 2,218-mile ride from Key West, Fla., to
Savannah to Arkansas to Milwaukee from April 21 to May 6 - his average
number of miles per day slipped from 170 to about 140.

His knees also bother him from all of the riding. "I have trouble
genuflecting in church," he said with a chuckle.

But the hunger to ride hasn't subsided.

He still needs to knock off four states that he hasn't ridden - South
Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and Hawaii.

And then there's this little trip he is planning in Europe.

He wants to ride from Nordkap, an isolated village at the northern tip
of Norway, to Gibraltar, at the southern tip of Spain, a ride of 3,400
miles.

"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
[...]

Thanks for your nice comments. I was blessed with a very flattering
article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Memorial Day 2006. I
believe it's still available at JSonline. Here is the text. It also
included a couple pictures, a map of my typical commuting route, and a
schedule of my then 13 long trips and was picked up by a few other
newspapers here and there (The trip reports (now 16 of them) are all
posted on the CrazyGuyonaBike site - http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/roboron

JS ONLINE: HEALTH & SCIENCE: E-MAIL | PRINT
THIS STORY

Faithful rider
50 miles a day and attorney is still rolling
By LEE BERGQUIST

Posted: May 28, 2006
Perhaps it's not surprising that a lawyer who rides his bicycle to
work every day can find splendor in a snowstorm.

Ronald Wallenfang, 62, is an indefatigable bicycle rider.
[...]

I have to laugh at all this blarney. You are now 62. Think you will be doing
any of this at 72. I can assure you that you will not. Like me, you will
turn into a couch potato. I now use my bicycle for only the most utilitarian
type of trips. Hey, welcome to old age and death!

Most of what we do in life is a function of our age. However, if you do not
act your age, you will come to even greater grief than old age. Mr.
Wallenfang should wise up. There is more to life than pushing your heart
rate.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

Edward Dolan wrote:

Faithful rider
50 miles a day and attorney is still rolling
By LEE BERGQUIST

Posted: May 28, 2006
Perhaps it's not surprising that a lawyer who rides his bicycle to
work every day can find splendor in a snowstorm.

*Ronald Wallenfang, 62, is an indefatigable bicycle rider.
[...]

I have to laugh at all this blarney. You are now 62. Think you will be doing
any of this at 72. I can assure you that you will not. Like me, you will
turn into a couch potato. I now use my bicycle for only the most utilitarian
type of trips. Hey, welcome to old age and death!


Ah, he was 62 in 2006. That makes him almost 68 now, pretty close to
72.

Art Harris

"Art Harris" wrote in message
...
Edward Dolan wrote:

Faithful rider
50 miles a day and attorney is still rolling
By LEE BERGQUIST

Posted: May 28, 2006
Perhaps it's not surprising that a lawyer who rides his bicycle to
work every day can find splendor in a snowstorm.

Ronald Wallenfang, 62, is an indefatigable bicycle rider.
[...]

I have to laugh at all this blarney. You are now 62. Think you will be
doing
any of this at 72. I can assure you that you will not. Like me, you will
turn into a couch potato. I now use my bicycle for only the most
utilitarian
type of trips. Hey, welcome to old age and death!


Ah, he was 62 in 2006. That makes him almost 68 now, pretty close to
72.

Yes, I noticed that right after I sent my post. The decade of your 70's
(which is where I am at now) is the decade of the great dying off. What
happens is that you slow down and are tired most of the time. It is the body
shutting down and all the huffing and puffing will not delay it by much.

I thought I could keep going forever as long as I rode my bicycle like I did
in my 50's and 60's, but alas, that is an illusion. Out biology as humans
determines what we are capable of at any age. Anyone who makes it into their
80's is some kind of miracle.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota

"Edward Dolan" wrote in message
...

"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
[...]

Thanks for your nice comments. I was blessed with a very flattering
article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Memorial Day 2006. I
believe it's still available at JSonline. Here is the text. It also
included a couple pictures, a map of my typical commuting route, and a
schedule of my then 13 long trips and was picked up by a few other
newspapers here and there (The trip reports (now 16 of them) are all
posted on the CrazyGuyonaBike site -
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/roboron

JS ONLINE: HEALTH & SCIENCE: E-MAIL | PRINT
THIS STORY

Faithful rider
50 miles a day and attorney is still rolling
By LEE BERGQUIST

Posted: May 28, 2006
Perhaps it's not surprising that a lawyer who rides his bicycle to
work every day can find splendor in a snowstorm.

Ronald Wallenfang, 62, is an indefatigable bicycle rider.
[...]

I have to laugh at all this blarney. You are now 62. Think you will be
doing any of this at 72. I can assure you that you will not. Like me, you
will turn into a couch potato. I now use my bicycle for only the most
utilitarian type of trips. Hey, welcome to old age and death!

Most of what we do in life is a function of our age. However, if you do
not act your age, you will come to even greater grief than old age. Mr.
Wallenfang should wise up. There is more to life than pushing your heart
rate.


Party Pooper !

jb

Edward Dolan wrote, On 1/7/2010 2:02 PM:
"Ron Wallenfang" wrote in message
...
[...]

Thanks for your nice comments. I was blessed with a very flattering
article in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel on Memorial Day 2006. I
believe it's still available at JSonline. Here is the text. It also
included a couple pictures, a map of my typical commuting route, and a
schedule of my then 13 long trips and was picked up by a few other
newspapers here and there (The trip reports (now 16 of them) are all
posted on the CrazyGuyonaBike site - http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/roboron

JS ONLINE: HEALTH & SCIENCE: E-MAIL | PRINT
THIS STORY

Faithful rider
50 miles a day and attorney is still rolling
By LEE BERGQUIST

Posted: May 28, 2006
Perhaps it's not surprising that a lawyer who rides his bicycle to
work every day can find splendor in a snowstorm.

Ronald Wallenfang, 62, is an indefatigable bicycle rider.
[...]

I have to laugh at all this blarney. You are now 62. Think you will be doing
any of this at 72. I can assure you that you will not. Like me, you will
turn into a couch potato. I now use my bicycle for only the most utilitarian
type of trips. Hey, welcome to old age and death!

Most of what we do in life is a function of our age. However, if you do not
act your age, you will come to even greater grief than old age. Mr.
Wallenfang should wise up. There is more to life than pushing your heart
rate.

Regards,

Ed Dolan the Great - Minnesota
aka
Saint Edward the Great - Order of the Perpetual Sorrows - Minnesota




Cheer up Ed! At least you can look forward to dying bitter and alone...

--

Paul D Oosterhout
I work for SAIC (but I don't speak for SAIC)