During the club's early days, like the 1980 Willie Nelson song, members were often seen on the road in places other than Dade County, and the below pictures are a good reminder of that!
Mount Dora was truly a one-light town in those days!
There's a story that goes with this ride - fortunately everyone made it home before midnight - and I mean midnight!
That's George (from a Coconut Grove pioneer family) on the left, changing his third flat of the day - fortunately Fletcher was on hand to supervise - he owned the "club's" bicycle shop at that time, and EBC members were often seen riding to or from his Hialeah store during the mid and late 1970's!
Check those spokes, George!
I must admit looking at this old photo (and the equipment used at that time) really brings home just how long ago these good times were, and how special they were to us all.
That's Shelly (left) listening to a club member play the accordion (note the seagulls enjoying the music - perhaps they thought the sounds to be from relatives of theirs!). How that musical instrument (with case and stand) ever fit on a bicycle rack, I'll never know (a car trunk helps)!
An unusual but good memory - being in the middle of the mangrove wilderness while listening to an accordian recital!
Almost 24 hours after posting this photo the name of the woman playing the accordian finally came to me - Joan!
Dusting off the old brain cells is hard work!
We don't know who was more surprised at this unlikely meeting - the cowboys, the cyclists, or the cows - I think we were!
In 1980, the Brighton reservation community was very poor and located in a very rural area of south-central Florida, however, our group of 250 or so were treated to a traditional Seminole dinner and breakfast despite the lack of resources - a very special memory.
From left are, Len, Jan, Mack (in the orange hood), and Tom. On the right side of the picnic table (from closest to the camera) are, Dick, Jan, and a man who's name I can't recall, though he was one of Len's old friends from his Miami Springs Senior High days of the late 1960's.
Tom (white hair) was one of the more interesting people we knew at that time. He and his wife lived in a beautiful beachfront home in southern Brevard County, and how we came to know him I can't recall, but, he was often a help to us when it came to knowing our way around the local roads.
In addition, Dick (Jan's brother), moved from North Miami to set up a bicycle shop in a former frame house along the then-deserted S.W. Babcock Street in Palm Bay, and several times we made the drive up I-95 to camp overnight in his backyard. On one particular night a strong cold front blew through the area, and we ended up sleeping in his shop's showroom among the bicycles - a cyclist's dream!
During those early days bicycle helmets were still an option for cyclists, but Mo decided that he'd wear his old Air Force crash helmet, just in case - it worked just fine, but a bit hot during the summer!
It was easy for me to take the photo - I had reached the top 10 minutes earlier!
Great memories!
Note the bus in the background - these are old photos, folks!
There is a present-day connection to this photo - club member Rita lived next to the Darby's in the Westchester area of Dade County, and Mr. Darby at that time worked at the Hurricane Research Flight Facility (his young son, Evan, rode with the club, as well). Just last week (late July, 2004), Hurricane Darby formed in the eastern Pacific Ocean - and is named after Dad!
People must think I make these stories up, but all of the above are true!