Mayors' Ride Comes West with an Iron Girl!!

After a morning of uncertainty, Friday's Washington DC NBG Day ended up
being a noteworthy success. After Larry Black's arthritis attack kept
him from riding his HiWheel, the glue that had held the Baltimore to DC
relay together lost its sticking power in pretty short order. In a
comedy of misfires, when Keith Ramsey called in his inability to ride to
DC the day before, Tom Bruni, without the directional help he would need
to reach the Capitol safely, had all he could to save face for the NBG
by the time he got to Baltimore City Hall. Met there by David Brown, the
Public Relations Director for the Transportation Department and Fred
Shoken, a planner with the same* division who had come on his bike ready
to show our riders how to leave town, Tom, who rode this link for us
last year, was also left without a ride he had long looked forward to.

The day's story did have a happy ending tho, as Washington DC did have
a worthy turnout of riders as well as supporters. All those present must
have felt Concetta's passion. Iron Girl, that she is fast becoming,
Concetta rolled a 128 mile day to get to Washington DC on time!!.*

When she did get there, she was greeted by Nick Hein, his son Pete who
just graduated from High School, and Troy Bogdan, all of whom would be
riding with her up the historic C&O Canal to Pittsburgh. Troy was even
wearing the NBG Mayors' Ride T-shirts that he had had printed up and
even awarded one to Concetta as a reward for her much celebrated ride
from Miami.

Also there to greet the riders were Jim Sebastian, the DC bike
coordinator, Eric Gililand, the Washington Area Bicycle Association
(WABA) director, Phil Koopman, the City Bikes (our DC Sponsor) co-owner
and a handful of cyclists that had responded to Phil's mailings. The
fact that Jim, Eric and Phil were there also require special mention.
They were each buried by the mountain of duties required of them as
organizers of one of the nation's largest Bike to Work Days, slated for
this upcoming Friday the 20th. And yet they made time for us.

So now the 4th National Mayors' Ride comes west, as Nick, Pete, Concetta
and Troy head up the historic C&O Canal Path on their way to Pittsburgh
NBG Day and the exciting Venture Outdoors festival that will honor their
arrival next Saturday. They won't be near phones so our contact with
them will likely be spotty but already this morning I did get this from
Troy. Do note the big miles Concetta rolled on her 85 pound bike to
catch up with them:

========================================
Greetings from the trail ( Harpers Ferry W.V.). . .
Nick, Pete and myself (Troy) left D.C. on Friday at 4:00, did the
Capitol Crescent Trail, and onto Swains Lock Camp. Continued Saturday
to Harpers Ferry on the towpath, where we finally found Concetta, who
stayed in D.C. after the Ceremony and biked 90 miles to catch up with us
in the rain, thunder and lightning. We changed the plan due to weather
conditions, and left the trail and stayed in a historic hotel in Harpers
Ferry town.

Today (Sunday) we head to Hancock Md. for the night and will pedal on
towards Cumberland and eventually Pittsburgh. More Later as I find
internet access along the way.

Organically Yours, Troy

========================================

2005 Washington NBG Day can be found at:
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMay...05/2005NE.html

There is indeed a ton happening with our 2005 Mayors' Ride. Far more
than this space could ever allow, but here is a Podcast that we did with
Knoxville Bike Coordinator, Kelley Segar. Besides talking about our NBG
Day there and Concetta, who she was much inspired by, Kelley also talks
about how biking in Knoxville is changing for the better:

http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/N...-20050512-Kell
eyKnoxEdited5-12-05.mp3


btw: In case you missed it, here is the epic slide show that Troy Bogdan
compiled of last year's DC to Pittsburgh run. When you go there, you
will see why he couldn't wait to ride it again:
http://www.nationalbicyclegreenway.c...p?set_albumNam
e=Pittsburgh2004

--
54% of New York City households do not own cars

M A R T I N K R I E G : "Awake Again" Author
http://www.bikeroute.com/AwakeAgain
Bent Since '83, Car Free Since '89, '79 & '86 TransAms********
Coma, Paralysis, Clinical Death Survivor*
Can You Change it with Love?*
N A T I O N A L B I C Y C L E G R E E N W A Y