Two-Wheeled Tales of Transformation and Friendship

Speaker 1: 1:13

Well, it's time for Road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure, the podcast for cyclists who understand that riding is not just about getting to the destination, but the experience along the way. Now here are the original Cycling Men of Leisure Adam and Michael.

Speaker 2: 1:28

Welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. I am Adam and, as always, my good friend, my co-host, my central time friend, michael Sharp. Hello, adam, how we doing Doing good, doing good, believe it or not, I'm excited to start the show. Okay, what do you got to tell us? Well, listen, we're not. I mean, I'm not a Georgia warm weather kind of person, but we had a 60 degree day on Mondayay nice got out for 34 miles of riding, of bicycle riding, oh okay, yeah, that may be about a convertible.

Speaker 3: 2:09

Yeah, I did. I was in the convertible. I drove the old civic 34 yeah rolled all the windows down on the van. No that's, that's fantastic.

Speaker 2: 2:22

Good job. I met our good friend Joe and, uh, multiple times he would get to the top of the hill and look and be like this guy and I'd be like I'm coming, I'm coming, I'll be there. So, uh, I had a good time doing that and, besides that, not a lot, just same old, same old. What about you Not?

Speaker 3: 2:45

too much. Had a bad cold this weekend so I didn't really get a lot done. Kind of disappointing.

Speaker 2: 2:53

Especially with your project going on.

Speaker 3: 2:55

Yeah, the ongoing project. I need to get on my bike. Oh well, it'll all work out well, lucky for you, you got the peloton at hashtag cycling man of leisure that's true, I do, and I and I had been putting a few turns on here and there, um, but then, you got this last week kind of stalled me out a little bit, but we'll get back on it. It It'll all be fine.

Speaker 2: 3:18

I have no doubt, my friend, I have no doubt. The last time we got together, we well, we unloaded a lot of stuff.

Speaker 2: 3:29

We had rancid stuff and a couple of listener spotlights. But particularly, we ended the show with a listener spotlight clues which, ironically, a gentleman wrote me from Mississippi after you gave away the answer last time. He said, hey, I'm 15 miles from there, starkville, and he said that he enjoys our show. And he said, listen, you guys have never been to Mississippi. He's like you ought to come down here. There's lots of good writing. And then he had a little fun at my expense and I love it, by the way. He said, unless that'd be too hot for you, northern boy, and I laughed and I appreciated him taking his time to write us. So so in the in the end of the last show you gave some clues. Could we have the clues again?

Speaker 3: 4:20

Yes, Okay, here's the clues. It is a town that is heavily associated with beer. Oh yeah, I guess St Louis. You guess St Louis, but remember folks, he always guesses St Louis, oh yeah, because it's fun. Yeah, it is home to over 750 drinking establishments again, st louis so far, so good. Let's see how all you do now. Uh, it did have a couple of witch burnings back in the uh yield days I feel like you're saying the old days on purpose.

Speaker 2: 4:58

I feel like the way you're saying that you're alluding to something that is not St Louis or somewhere else, but go ahead Like Salem Well.

Speaker 3: 5:08

I am saying ye old days, which you may be on to something there. Definitely no witch burnings in St Louis that I am aware of.

Speaker 2: 5:16

Okay, it has an association with a famous lion that almost everyone has seen and I said when, then maybe wrongly, but when I last time I got to go I said, oh the mgm, because the way you said, seen, I had assumed that every time you start a movie and then and the line goes wrong, okay, Okay, not St Louis.

Speaker 3: 5:40

Its name can be translated into something concerning water in some language, and it houses a park that is one of the largest in the region.

Speaker 2: 5:53

What kind of park?

Speaker 3: 5:56

Like a city park.

Speaker 2: 5:57

Oh, like a park park Like Millennium Park, city park.

Speaker 3: 5:59

Oh, like a park park like millennium park, like chicago like a park I mean I, I mean you know, they've got here they got walking and running and you know kids throwing frisbees and whatnot, things like that well, I have guessed uh, the central part of america, where st louis, chicago.

Speaker 2: 6:24

But now you got me thinking like salem with the witch burnings. What, what?

Speaker 3: 6:30

okay area I, I let me, let me give you another. I actually gave you another hint you did those are the hints that I gave you, but I actually made a comment after the second hint. That was not just a comment, oh, it was actually another hint and you don't remember it, but I'll tell you. I said it's home to over 750 drinking establishments. Then I said hmm, I wonder what the guinness book of world records has for the most drinking establishments of a town.

Speaker 2: 7:03

Oh man, I wonder if it's close. I should have researched it but there's a hint there what am I missing? I mean, I could have went to the guinness world records you could have went to the guinness book of world records.

Speaker 3: 7:19

That wouldn't have done you any good. But take the, the uh one that I said, the clue that I gave you before it is a town that's heavily associated with beer a beer. And then I talked after that about guinness book of world's oh, oh Guinness. Oh, now, one thing you're failing to think about in our listeners out there they're not all in the United States. That's true, the town that I picked this time that we have listeners from is Dublin Ireland.

Speaker 2: 7:57

Well, thank you listeners from Dublin Ireland. Absolutely.

Speaker 3: 8:02

I will give you credit. You were right on the lion. The MGM lion actually came from Dublin. Okay, Lion itself the original one, so yeah.

Speaker 2: 8:16

So there you go. I'm trying to find something while you're talking. Oh, okay.

Speaker 3: 8:21

So, yeah. So they had some witch burnings are associated with the MGM lion. Their name translates into dark water.

Speaker 2: 8:44

And Dublin has one of the largest city parks in the region. A little fun fact, so, thank you. Thank you all listeners, but this time, unfortunately, due to some unforeseen circumstances, I can't play with all my voice toys, but I'll do the best I can. Listener spotlight. Thank you. But a little fun fact for Road Adventures of the 27th of March total cities we've been listening to.

Speaker 3: 9:27

There's a lot of them out there.

Speaker 2: 9:29

A lot of them out there. Like 1,369.

Speaker 3: 9:32

Yeah, like that number exactly. And just for fun, only because I'm looking at it.

Speaker 2: 9:35

Exactly, and just for fun, only because I'm looking at it today alone. New locations today Nightdale, north Carolina, york, pennsylvania, rogers, arkansas, and Minnetowoc, wisconsin. Minnetowoc, wisconsin. How do you pronounce that?

Speaker 3: 9:56

I don't know, I'm not looking at it. Oh gosh, now I'm going to insult someone who is minnetonwa walk, walk, yeah you can, whoever the listener is from that town, can uh, can send him an email and give him a lesson on how to pronounce your cyclingman of leisure at gmailcom that's right. So I thought, with me bringing in the Guinness Book of World. Records that might give something away, but that's OK. But you know what? We'll do? Another one.

Speaker 2: 10:25

I bet you, our listeners, are a lot smarter than I am, and so maybe, maybe someone out there picked up on that, and so if they did kudos to you, sir or ma'am, yes, so.

Speaker 3: 10:37

All right, what do we got next?

Speaker 2: 10:40

Next we got a little something I'm kind of excited about. So this is kind of a full circle story. We have a gentleman coming on that was passed along to us by our good friend and ride director, franklin Johnson. He is the executive director for Bragg Braggorg, check it out. He reached out to us and said hey guys, I've got someone that I think should be on your show and it's kind of a full circle story. And so the full circle story is that this gentleman listened to us, heard us talking about Bragg, which led him to the, about brag, which led him to the website, which led him to book a ride with brag, to ride brag, to then talk to franklin, to franklin to tell us that we thought we'd be having good on the show. Uh, turns out this gentleman is also works at a bicycle thrift shop, I know, and I thought this gentleman is right up our alley.

Speaker 3: 11:41

So so you're me. You're telling me through your whole like spaghetti story there that someone actually listened to us and took our advice.

Speaker 2: 11:49

Yes, I mean, I don't know if I would do that on a regular basis.

Speaker 3: 11:53

Well, probably not a healthy habit to start, unless you're my children, and then you should do it on a regular basis. That's correct.

Speaker 2: 12:01

Cool, that's awesome. So, without further ado, let's do that now. His name is Scott Garwick and he is from Rockford Illinois. Scott, welcome to the show.

Speaker 4: 12:13

Welcome. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.

Speaker 2: 12:17

Well, we appreciate you taking your time. It means the world to us. So you know, this is a fun hobby for us and the show and it's kind of grown a lot of legs and so much. So to the fact is, let me give you the introduction that I got to kind of meet you and how I was able to to meet you, um, and then let you kind of do your own self-introduction.

Speaker 2: 12:46

But so franklin is the executive director of brag, and turns out that you did his winter ride and while conversating with him or somehow asking him, maybe him asking you, hey, how did you hear about the ride? You you told him that you had heard a couple of funny guys from Road Adventures, of Cycling Men, of Leisure, talk about Bragg, which led you to the website which led you to find another ride and to bring it full circle. You actually joined that ride because of listening to us and, of course, franklin's helped us, and so he thought, hey, scott would be a good guest. So, scott, tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got into cycling and why it is you do this crazy stuff that we all like to do.

Speaker 4: 13:35

Well, you hit the nail on the head. As far as Franklin is concerned, yeah, I've been following and been listening to you guys. I've uh kind of listened to your uh rag bride show and and uh and all of that. But yeah, I, you know, I really didn't start uh cycling seriously until 2005.

Speaker 4: 13:57

Okay, it was then that I decided I needed to do something, I need to be proactive in my own health, and so I just I I bought a hybrid bike and I started riding. And then I started riding with a group of guys and it just so happened that the group of guys that I was riding with um rode recumbents. Okay, so I started writing, I bought a recumbent bike, uh, started riding recumbents and I loved it, so I bought a second recumbent bike. I actually sold a fishing boat that I had and I bought a second recumbent bike, so I had two at the time. And then in 2016, I was a retired electrician, I retired from the trade and son, for my retirement gift, bought me a third recumbent bicycle, and so I still have three and two of them.

Speaker 4: 14:56

In 2020 and 2021, I converted two of those to e-assist. So I uh in also in 2020,. In late 2020, um, I was having some issues and I found out I was, uh, my doctor uh, diagnosed me with anxiety disorder, and so, um I I probably suffered from that all my life, and so cycling became, became an outlet for my anxiety. I didn't realize it at the time, nice, but as I as I, and it was.

Speaker 4: 15:40

There was a series of events that happened in 2020. I mean, it was a horrible year. We all know that?

Speaker 2: 15:45

What happened? What happened in 2020? I'm just kidding. What happened March 13, 2020? I wonder.

Speaker 4: 15:53

Well, one of the things that happened to me was that after the George Floyd murder, our town was in turmoil and we started to stage. A large group of us started to stage demonstrations after his murder and I was at a peaceful demonstration one evening with about 20 other demonstrators and I was arrested. I spent the night in jail and I was released and I had four court hearings and the charges were dismissed. I had two felony charges against me. The charges were dismissed and that's the end of that story, but that is what really brought my anxiety to the forefront.

Speaker 2: 16:50

um and I would imagine two federal offenses would bring my anxiety to the forefront as well yeah, but so that's when I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder.

Speaker 4: 16:58

But, uh, I say all that to say this that riding a bicycle has literally saved my mental health and my physical health. A year ago, two years ago actually, in June, I had a major stroke and it was to the point where there is about a half inch spot in the back of my brain that was affected by the stroke. And when I was in the hospital, the doctors were like, what do you do? What do you do? And I says, well, I said I'm retired. I said I ride my bicycle. They said, well, just so you know, the bicycle saved your life. They said you had a major stroke, you have no deficits and because you ride your bicycle, your brain immediately found a path around that damage and healed itself. That's amazing. That's incredible. I'm like, oh, really. And they're like, yeah, and they said, so, keep doing what you're doing, because this, uh, this, this has saved your life. So, again, I, I go back to the bicycle.

Speaker 2: 18:16

Yeah.

Speaker 4: 18:17

Not only saved my mental health and it continues to do that, because I still anxiety disorder is not something you get over, uh but it also saved my mental health and it continues to do that because I still anxiety disorder is not something you get over but it also saved my physical health. So I owe a lot to the bicycle.

Speaker 2: 18:33

Wow, that's an incredible story. I appreciate you sharing that's very personal, but I appreciate you sharing that.

Speaker 3: 18:40

But but Adam let's not gloss over a couple of points here. Yes, first, this guy got rid of his fishing boat when he retired to buy a bicycle. Generally it's the other way around. It's like oh, I'm getting rid of everything, I'm getting in the fishing boat and I'm going to go fishing, forget all that other stuff, so that that, right there, is kind of cool. Most people do it the other way.

Speaker 2: 19:03

Well, you forget all that other stuff. So that that right there is kind of cool. Most people do it the other way. But you completely stole my thunder because I was going to say the moral of the story is sell your fishing boat.

Speaker 3: 19:09

Exactly Sell the fishing boat, buy a bike.

Speaker 4: 19:14

I love my fishing boat. I was in my fishing boat all the time and the reason why I sold it was because you cannot ride a bicycle and fish, because you have to do one or the other. You just can't do both that's true.

Speaker 3: 19:26

Yeah, you can't, can't troll off the back of a out a bike, that's so you're fishing is my golf.

Speaker 2: 19:31

I I still love to golf and and there are many days when michigan, when it's beautiful, where I get torn.

Speaker 3: 19:37

I'm like go for a 50 mile bike ride or go chase the white ball, I'm like so the second point, adam, before we get too far along, is you did not tell me we were going to have criminal activity going on, which makes for a better story. This is awesome.

Speaker 2: 19:57

I was not told that all all all Franklin said was is this gentleman listened to us, signed up for his ride and had some great stories, even to the point when I asked Scott his schedule and he, in a very funny, sarcastic way, said well, let me see if I can clear my schedule, I'm good, except for Thursday. Now, this is important when I work at the bicycle thrift store. Please tell me. I mean, what is that about? What is a bicycle thrift store? I have to hear this.

Speaker 4: 20:27

Well, it's a thrift store. It's basically. It's a thrift store is what it is. It's a Carpenter's Quarter thrift store. It's part of a not-for-profit organization in town here called Carpenter's Place. And what Carpenter's Place does is it's really cool, because they provide resources, and when I say resources, I mean they provide housing when it's needed. They provide a couple meals every day. They help people find jobs. They have a veteran's house where they find homeless veterans and they put them in the house. So they they do all that and this they started this store to help pay for all the things that they provide for the homeless.

Speaker 4: 21:15

So it's so. So the resale store, the thrift store, I was, my wife and I were doing some volunteering at Carpenter's Place. We volunteer in the arts and crafts room once a week and somebody said, hey, we're going to open a thrift store, you should probably apply. They knew I bicycle, you should apply for a job there. And I'm like, okay, and so I, I I had been working one day a week anyway, I was delivering flowers, and then the company closed, they went out of business and I, so I I applied for the job and, um, I interviewed and and they hired me, um, but, uh, so the the thrift store, what we do, and there, and there are probably at least a half a dozen thrift stores in Rockford.

Speaker 4: 22:08

It's a big thrift store community. So we're the only thrift store of the thrift stores in town that have a functioning bike shop. So we take donated bikes and we fix them up, we repair, we go through them, we make sure, we say that you can buy a bike from our thrift store and take it outside and you can ride it home. So that's what I do and I have a couple of volunteers that work with me, but it's a great job, it's a great place to work. And, again, the bicycles that we have and that we sell are Primo bikes. I mean, we get some old, old school Schwinn's and you know we fix them up and we, you know, make sure that they're functioning and working and all of that. And people come in, they just love them, they buy them and we go through. In the years time that we had the store, it's only been around. We just had our one-year anniversary. We have sold over $10,000 worth of bicycles Wow, which amounts to about just under 400 bicycles.

Speaker 4: 23:31

That's what we've done in a year's time and again, we're the only thrift store in town that has a functioning bike shop, and it's a great job.

Speaker 3: 23:39

I love it. That's an awesome idea, yeah.

Speaker 2: 23:42

So, since this show is not only a podcast but it's also on YouTube, can we give the thrift store a plug? Can we mention the name of the thrift store? Sure?

Speaker 4: 23:52

It's Carpenter's Corner.

Speaker 2: 23:55

Carpenter's Corner is the name Rockford Illinois? Yes, rockford Illinois.

Speaker 4: 23:58

Rockford, illinois, yep.

Speaker 2: 24:00

Okay, great, okay, great. So if you're looking for a bicycle um, if and uh and you want one that's been checked out by some wonderful volunteers carpenter's corner, rockford, illinois I'm sure you can search on google and all the good, all the good search search engines to be able to find it.

Speaker 4: 24:16

So, okay, so that's scott'll hook you up down there yeah, I, I will, I will, and again, the money that we make at the thrift store goes back into Carpenter's Place and it provides resources for the homeless. So every time somebody buys a bicycle, they are actually helping the homeless not be homeless.

Speaker 2: 24:39

That's amazing. I love that. So no, michael, I didn't know we were going to have criminal activity, but I think what he just said he kind of saved himself from his criminal activity. Oh, absolutely.

Speaker 3: 24:52

Absolutely.

Speaker 4: 24:53

Let me just say that Franklin knows the criminal, knows my criminal history.

Speaker 3: 25:00

And he's still like your mind. So that's okay, we still have some questions for Franklin too, but I'm joking, he's from Rockford Illinois. Yes, adam, you know what else is in Rockford Illinois.

Speaker 2: 25:15

Oh boy, there's like a theme park there. Is there Some sort of theme theme?

Speaker 3: 25:25

water. Yeah, man, that's not what I'm. This is not what I'm thinking. Dude, there is a place called barnstormers distillery. Oh, in rockford, illinois. I was, yeah, I, I knew you would be. I was actually in rockford about three weeks ago, uh, and of course, when I travel through places, I like to check out the local distilling. You know community and checked out Barnstormers. It was pretty good. I've never I got a bottle. I'll share it with you. I've never, never, never, never at all. But anyway, yeah, so we've got.

Speaker 2: 26:04

We'll try that out the next time we're together so I would like to go back a little bit. Um, I I am so thankful of your time. I'm I'm already enjoying this interview. I I, um your son seems very special to buy you a wonderful retirement gift. When you were cycling, you first said you started with the hybrid bike and then you decided to go with the recumbent. Was the recumbent a choice for for comfort, or was it because your friends were all doing the recumbent and and is it more comfortable?

Speaker 4: 26:41

It was peer pressure.

Speaker 2: 26:43

Peer pressure, gotcha, and, and is it more comfortable? It?

Speaker 4: 26:44

was peer pressure. Peer pressure gotcha actually. Actually, um, it was, uh, a combination of a couple different things. Yes, the, I was riding with some folks that were riding recumbent and I thought I was kind of intrigued by it because, you know, they are kind of odd looking, they're not right, you know, and I wasn't aware of recumbent bikes until I started riding with this group of guys and, um, and ladies there were ladies riding with incumbents, but I was kind of intrigued by it, by the, by the bike, and so I thought, you know, and I'm six, four, so I can't just get on any bike and ride.

Speaker 4: 27:22

So I went over to the guy's shop because, you know well, I went to his bike shop and I tried a bicycle, I tried a recumbent and it was like, oh man, this is the way to ride, that's awesome. You just got a lawn chair seat, your feet are out and it's so comfortable. So, yeah, I mean, I, I always had, I had a hybrid bike that fit me, it fit me well, but it was always kind of like, you know, the shoulders, the neck. After I bought my first recumbent, then I was like, oh why? So then, yeah, so it was a combination of, mostly for comfort and really now, that's why I ride, because it's more comfortable.

Speaker 2: 28:20

Yeah, and I've been passed many a times by many men and many women and recumbent bikes just going right by me. So downhill uphill.

Speaker 2: 28:33

I hate to admit that, but uphill, so you know. Downhill I usually can. I usually can take the gold medal in the downhill slalom, but uphill on, like OK, I'll see you at the top. Metal in the downhill slalom, but uh, uphill, I'm like okay, I'll see you at the top. So I always find it intriguing when we like pulling it, like when we did rag bride, when we pull in the towns and some of those recumbents are just like like uh. You sent me a picture of one of yours. It's just like a tube, it's just like a tube with with gears on one end and a seat on the other and two tires, and i'm'm always like, how does that work, you know? So I'm always, I'm always intrigued.

Speaker 4: 29:06

So fast recumbent bikes, I mean they're, they make some really fast my. You know the two that I have that I made into e-bikes. Of course they're heavy, they have the motor, the battery, all of that. The other bike, that is a pedal bike, which is the bike that I rode on the Bragg ride, is a light bike, I mean for a recumbent. It's 20 pounds and that's light for a recumbent and that's a fun bike to ride. But there are some really fast recumbents and there are some fast people on recumbents and there are some fast ladies on recumbents. Oh yeah, no-transcript.

Speaker 4: 29:59

No it was better, Okay, it was great. I didn't know, I didn't know what to expect. But what we did is we we moteled. We moteled it in one spot I think it was in St Mary's, I believe Okay. And then from there we kind of went out, so our rides kind of were out and back rides, Okay.

Speaker 4: 30:27

Then one day we went to Cumberland Island, which that was a walking tour.

Speaker 4: 30:31

We hiked about six miles that day, but for the most part the first, I think the first three or four days. And then we went to Jekyll Island and we stayed in a really nice hotel in Jekyll and we rode that day as well, but it wasn't, I mean, it was a hotel, they were great hotels and we just kind of, you know, we just kind of did these group rides from, you know, from the hotel, and we would stop for lunch and we would stop to sightsee. And I mean, Franklin does a great job of you know, and and I'm I'm looking forward to doing big break. I I have too much going on this year to do it, but I really want to do big break. That's my, that's my goal. So I'm hoping that next year I'll see what the route is. Maybe I can do it next year, but he does a great job with uh with the winter ride, and then I think he has two winter rides and then he has a spring tune up.

Speaker 2: 31:35

Yeah, yeah, we've. We've done that one. Okay, we've done spring tune up. The only problem is is um, for both of us I think. Uh, I'm coming back from a conference, um, but for me that's like a 12-hour drive to get there and then then 12 hours back, and so, it's like, you know, makes for a long three-day weekend type thing.

Speaker 2: 31:54

So yeah, so, but it's an amazing time. I mean, we had a great time and it's you know he's. His background is music festivals and so, uh, he puts on a wonderful, you know music part of the of the of the weekend, not only the bicycle riding, but brings in the entertainment for sure.

Speaker 2: 32:12

So, um, okay, so, uh, you recumbent, you get arrested, you get a stroke. I'm just kidding, I love it, I'm sorry, no, I love it. Are you kidding? Well, first of all, I mean on a serious note, and usually I try to be funny on the show, but that was a very hard time for this country with the George Floyd thing. I mean, I don't want to gloss over that, I don't'm not trying to to blow it off. It was definitely a frustrating thing to watch. And then, of course, the court case, and then the other officers that were there and who didn't do anything. I have a feeling I would stand right next to you during that peaceful protest. Um, I just amazing that that ever even happened.

Speaker 2: 33:01

So, um, but, um, the cycling, who that saved your life? I will tell you this kind of sort of the same for me, not nowhere near as a stroke or nowhere near, but I was extremely overweight. I'm still overweight, still working on it, but, uh, it's a constant battle, but used to be a lot bigger. And I was started losing some weight and my neighbor said why don't you get a bicycle? I'm like bicycle, I haven't ridden a bicycle since I was in high school. And he's like no, you should really get a bicycle. And it's like the same thing for me. I bought a hybrid bike and then I got bit by the bug of immediately buying a road bike. And then someone asked me in an email to explain the story again.

Speaker 2: 33:44

But Michael and I met in 2016 when we did Ragbri. I was doing my very first century ever in 2016. And he kind of looked over at me and I was a little red and looked a little weak and he said he said hey, he said you doing OK? And I said yeah, I just whoo. And it was at this country club. We just had to pedal so far to get back to this country club and I'm like I have to go back there even to get out to the road. I was just thinking about that. And he said, hey, why don't you ride with me? He said I don't ride fast, I don't ride slow, but hey, and that's where the friendship bonded.

Speaker 3: 34:28

So, um, uh, and then now we crazy nut jobs and we go all over the place and do all kinds of rides.

Speaker 2: 34:31

So, uh, a little out of hand now, but you know, we'll get therapy maybe yeah, maybe, maybe that would be good, uh, or not, what's up?

Speaker 2: 34:42

yeah, no, definitely, I mean um, during that I'm glossing over it, but you know, he and I, you know, we start talking about investing and we both like to talk about that and and uh, just different hobbies. And then one day we were hanging out. I said uh, I said why do you always go to these wine places? And he said we like wine. And I said what about whiskey? And so I was able to introduce him into that and a lot of history he's introduced me to, because I'm I'm more of the guy like get me in a plane, get me there in two hours. He's like no, we're taking the family on the open road for a 14 hour ride. We're going to look at the world's largest cast iron pan and I'm like tell me how it is when I get there. I'll hear about it later.

Speaker 3: 35:21

Hey, it's pretty incredible. Let me just tell you Pretty incredible.

Speaker 2: 35:26

Well, I mean, hopefully it can make a nice pot of chili or something, but so no, I mean it's amazing how cycling brings different people together and traditionally the cycling community to me is just a strong bond and the people we've met all over the place and we've seen people that we've met in georgia and multiple states and um, so bragg's got a pretty good outreach and now he's doing overseas uh, he, being frank, he's doing overseas rides and and so we're kind of looking into that and seeing what we might be able to do, something a little bit different. But that'd be fun, yeah, it would be he does a really good job.

Speaker 4: 36:05

I I'm sure his overseas rides, his tours, are just as good as you know these here, so so what's what's?

Speaker 2: 36:16

uh, you got a lot uh cycling on the on the schedule for the summer or something more personal we want to talk about on the show.

Speaker 4: 36:23

Is that something you heard from Franklin?

Speaker 2: 36:26

No, no, no. I'm asking you no. Just ask him no, because you said I would like to do Big Brag one year, but not this year. There's too much on the schedule. So I was like, does he mean he plans on protesting more? No, I'm just kidding.

Speaker 4: 36:40

You know the thing about the protesting story to the demonstrations. I rode my bike to nearly every single one of them, so uh, but anyway, uh, yeah, I, so uh, I, I. I have a few that I'm gonna do this year. I'd like, I'd like to do um, whether or not I do them as another thing, but I, I've gotten. I checked one off and that was the winter ride, the Bragg winter ride. So I'm signed up and I've already met my goal for the Scenic Shore. I don't know if you're familiar with the Scenic Shore ride.

Speaker 4: 37:17

It's for the Lymphoma Leukemia Society. It's a two-day ride, 150 miles. I'm planning on doing that in July and then in August I've got it written down here at my desk. In August I'm doing the second half of RAW. I did the first half last year. Raw is right across Wisconsin. This year it'll be about 126 miles from the Dells to Milwaukee. And then I I'd like to do the Mickelson tour with crossroad bike tours. That's like a hundred mile ride out in South Dakota. Yep, some point I'd like to do, probably not this year but I'd like to do the hotter and hell hundred.

Speaker 3: 38:04

I keep telling Adam about that ride. It's like we've got to do that one down in texas yeah, and then of course, big brag.

Speaker 4: 38:09

I've done rag bride seven times. Um, I've done three full weeks and then I, I've done, I did three partial weeks, like you know, halfway, uh, half a week three times. And then last year my wife and I did the very last day. So I'm done. I mean, rag bride is great, it's fun, it's so much fun. I'm glad that I did it, but I'm kind of done for a while yeah, that's exactly the way we are.

Speaker 3: 38:36

Uh, you said you were riding uh part of raw. Uh, I actually back in the day wrote sag bra, which was, uh, you know, down through wisconsin, and we actually went um. The last section was the dells down to milwaukee and it's just beautiful, beautiful along there yeah, I'm looking forward to that yeah, we kind of feel the same way.

Speaker 2: 38:59

Michael's done rag brice six times, uh, six full weeks, and we've I've done five full weeks and we were there last year for the 50th and I mean it was, um, I don't know, I guess that would be hotter than hell times seven. So uh, for me, because it was, you know, it was it was definitely, and they can't control the temperature.

Speaker 2: 39:18

I don't expect that, but I mean, it was long days in the saddle, um, and then, you know, for us it's the, you know, michael and I. He's got a family in in kansas and I, I have a family, I'm just married here, but my wife and I here, and so when we hang out we enjoy to spend time with each other. And, hey, how you been, how's this? And yeah, we were on the bikes. But then if you weren't riding right next to each other and you've been a rag ride sometimes, that's not even feasible. Um, then when by the time we got back to camp, we'd be like, okay, we got to hurry up and take a shower, and then you're dying to get something to eat. And then, okay, by that time they were, you know, such long days that, uh, and then this year they say is going to be this the hilliest ever. So I I thought, well, enjoy, so, uh. But but no.

Speaker 2: 40:03

Rag Bride many, many, many, many memories and you know great times. But we decided for us it was time for a break and see another part of the country.

Speaker 4: 40:17

Yeah, there are other great rides out there that you know that you could do. You know, if you've done Rag Bride, yeah, that's great, but there's other rides besides Rag Bride. Um, it's a ride we've looked at it a couple times

Speaker 2: 40:30

and then um, just decided this year was the year and we'd we'd skip rag braai and um, kind of convenient for me, uh, but uh, but uh, on the on a serious note, not being selfish, uh, my, when my friend flies in a lot of the equipment, I can you know he won't have to bring as much equipment, and so we'll. We'll throw the bike together in the garage and hope we don't have any extra parts and we'll head on, head up north, as we say as long as we don't have more than three extra bolts or screws or nuts, we are okay, so it'll be fine I'm good enough, so we'll leave the seat in the garage.

Speaker 2: 41:19

I believe you don't need that need the two pedals.

Speaker 3: 41:23

Yeah, you know I, I have left my cycling shoes at home before, so I mean we'll work around, whatever god that is a very, very, very true, true story.

Speaker 2: 41:33

We were doing a ride, called odram one day, right across michigan and our our good buddy, joe, lives in the same town as I do and, uh, I'm just a little bit north of Ann Arbor, michigan. And so we get to our cabin Everyone is like you would thought it was like World War II. We were all staging our bikes and getting everything ready because it was about 155 miles. That year was 155 miles. We did it two years later, where we actually went from lake michigan, uh, all the way across, which is 165 miles in one day. But going back to the original story, it was 155 miles. We're all staging, everyone's getting all their stuff together and one of our friends named jacob said I think I'm going to put my shoes right here, so I'm ready to go. And all of a sudden, all we heard was oh no.

Speaker 2: 42:23

And we kind of looked I knew he knew it right then and there that he had left, he brought them from home to michigan. But when we all changed into my, my minivan, uh, all the gear got put in the back. He accidentally left cycling shoes in his car which was down south brighton in brighton is what a city I live in and we tried, we called I don't know how many bike shops we, we went.

Speaker 3: 42:50

Everybody literally was on the phone going. Well, I know a guy and let's call this to see if there's a bike shop and couldn't find a pair of shoes any size to yeah.

Speaker 2: 43:01

So finally, there was a onsite mechanic mechanic probably I don't want to be disrespectful, but probably somebody who was sponsored that day to be there to just do like, you know, quick lube or tire change. You know, sometimes they get the bike shops to come on board and pedals for like 10 bucks, and they were just regular pedals that you would probably sell at your thrift store with the bikes. No, no, no. Clipless, no nothing. No cages, no, nothing. And and and my good friend strapped on a pair of new balance and no, they were feelers feelers.

Speaker 2: 43:37

I'm sorry. Yeah, absolutely, and he rode 155 miles with tennis shoes and and so uh, but you know what that makes for a good story today.

Speaker 3: 43:49

So the problem, the problem with that is is when I got done with the ride I really realized I didn't have that much trouble riding with it. So then I had to ask myself am I really using my pedals the correct way? So I had to kind of reevaluate a couple of things. But it was all good, we had a good time and I survived.

Speaker 2: 44:06

So and now, scott, I will not lie to you. We are relentless in the text messaging Don't forget your shoes, don't forget your shoes, don't forget it's been years and that'll be the first, michael, don't forget your shoes.

Speaker 2: 44:20

And we, we, uh, you know, for a while we, we, uh, we use iPhones. And know for a while we, we, uh, we use iphones, and so for a while, the only thing that when you type shoe is a big red heel. And so we, we would text him and we would say don't forget your shoe, and it would turn into a red heel. He's like now I'm wearing heels, guys, so the emojis have expanded where now we could use other shoes. So that's good, but but yeah, I used to.

Speaker 4: 44:47

You know, I I clipped in, you know, on recumbent it's, it's, you know, you kind of you kind of have to clip in because your feet are out in front of you and they're just kind of like otherwise they're hanging on the pedals. So I was clipped in for for years. When I first started riding In 2016, the bike that it was a few months after I retired it was in August 2016, the bike that my son bought me for my retirement gift I crashed and when I crashed I was clipped in and my right foot when I crashed it threw me off the bike and my right foot when I crashed it threw me off the bike and my right foot did not unclip. So I had three breaks. I broke my leg in three places, my right leg because I was clipped in. So after that now I ride, all three of my bikes have, um, mountain bike pedals with a platform, with the pegs, and that's the way I ride.

Speaker 4: 45:48

So I, I don't, I don't pull, or you know, before I could, I could pull and right, and you know, as far as that, as far as that goes, that's usually if you're riding fast, you want to pull, you want to pedal in circles, or if you're riding fast, you want to pull, you want to pedal in circles. Or if you're climbing a hill, yeah, I just don't. You know, and especially even now with e-bike, I don't have to be clipped in. But if I was on an upright road bike and I was doing a long ride, I would want to be clipped in. But yeah, not having your shoes is a big deal.

Speaker 3: 46:26

You can do a lot of things when you're cycling, but you know it's hard, hard to do. Yeah, you don't need shoes, man, no big deal.

Speaker 2: 46:32

Next time I'll just do it in jeans, and you know you've proven that, yeah yeah, well, listen, I don't think it'll ever die in the story, so but uh, but uh. Now I look over in his pack and he's got like four sets of shoes.

Speaker 3: 46:48

I'm like I'm never doing that again, but um, I'm just kidding, but no well, though typically now I do carry two pairs of shoes and I put them in separate parts of my bag or separate bags, so I'm not without a pair of shoes now.

Speaker 2: 47:03

So we learned a lot and got our education. I actually made a mistake on the show. I'm not sure how long you've been listening, but I, after last year's RAGBRAI, we met the official mayor of RAGBRAI and she gave us the class one, two and three of e-bike and I made a misfortune and said something incorrectly. E-bike and I made a misfortune and said something incorrectly which led me to the Bosch website, which led me to get re-educated. And then, of course, I had to apologize to everybody, but I'm human, I make a mistake, but that you converted yours. Where my curiosity is is now that the state parks I saw here in Michigan they're opening up licenses where you can register the e-bike and you can do things. My curiosity is when you convert your own, how do you prove? Or how do you? I mean, if you're just riding the trail, no one's going to bother you, but how would you be able to prove what class that is per se?

Speaker 4: 48:02

I think it would just be the honor system yeah, gotcha yeah, I mean, uh, my bike, my two bikes, I I bought the components from a company in canada and they have really good tech support and all of that um, but yeah, I, I can set, I mean I can set all the parameters. I mean I can set all the parameters on my bike so I can go as fast as my motor will take me. However, I do have it set so that it is legal Assisting, right assist or whatever the assist level is set, so it's legal. But I do have a throttle is uh. So I haven't said so it's legal, but I do have a throttle. Um, so, uh, yeah, I think really I don't know. Yeah, because it's uh, because I built it myself.

Speaker 2: 48:53

Yeah, there's really no way of um, yeah, I mean, somebody just have to take my word for it and and you seem like I mean I just met you, but you seem like if, like a dnr officer pulled you over or wanted to talk to you, just be able to tell them and explain it. I think they're more concerned about people being on, like mountain bike trails with, um, I guess, bikes with the motor bikes motors and everything else.

Speaker 2: 49:18

And even if you're on a regular trail, I think they're concerned when I say regular trail, like a rails to trails. I think they're concerned when I say regular trail, like a rails to trails, I think they're worried about like the family being out on a Sunday and having, you know, the young, young man or young women on a learning, on a learning bike, with you know can't think of right now training wheels, and then you're zipping around at you know, 30, 40 miles an hour. I think that's what they're really concerned about. And so while they were gonna, like, make you apply for a license here and everything but I think they're they've kind of gotten away from that. They're just using more of the honor system and and they're going to mark the trails and, um, go that route.

Speaker 3: 49:54

So I'm sure I think there's. I think there's two states that require you to have a license, if I remember correctly we have.

Speaker 4: 50:04

We have a great, uh, a great bike path system here in rockford. It uh, but we, and like every other city, e-bikes are popular, but we also see a lot of gas bikes and they're, they're not legal on our, on our bike paths and for that very reason, because they can go 35 miles an hour and but they're usually well, they're not. They're not cyclists put it that way yeah, but we have the same thing and they're, they're, they're idiots, if I can say that. I mean, yeah, yeah, it's the jackass, yeah.

Speaker 2: 50:50

Yeah, and, like by me, we have a beautiful trail system and so we have a park called Kensington Metro Park, so the metro parks usually all have some sort of cycling. And then we have we're lucky enough to have another park called island lake recreational area and actually goes under the freeway where the trail you can actually ride like 75 miles with the trail systems without ever touching an open road, and so we're very lucky to have that. But every now and then you do get someone out there. You know, just like I said, you got the family and you know the young three, four year old is is just learning how to ride and then these guys are zipping in and out, and so a lot of times what happens is, if I'm training for something like Bragg or Ragbriar or something like that, we were actually right on the road for a little bit.

Speaker 2: 51:37

The road is an official park road, so there's supposed to be 25 miles an hour park road, so they're supposed to be 25 miles an hour. But if the first beautiful day in Michigan I'm sure the same by you everyone like we got to go outside and everybody gets out of their house and then so we find that riding in the emergency lane there is much better and so but yeah, we're very lucky here A lot of the trains. They've pulled all the tracks out and turn them all rails to trails and so that's unfortunate. Michael actually doesn't have a lot of. I always tease and but you don't have a lot of cycling unless you like put the bike in the car and drive a decent way. You don't have a lot of trail systems by you yeah, I'd have.

Speaker 3: 52:16

I'd have to drive like 20 miles to get to a trail system. What's that?

Speaker 4: 52:23

And where is it that you live?

Speaker 3: 52:25

I live in a small town just south of Kansas City, on the Kansas side.

Speaker 3: 52:32

But, you know, population is like 5,000 people, so, needless to say, we don't have a lot of trails, there's not a lot of roads that go in and out of my town. I mean, we've got a highway that goes one way and a highway that goes the other way, and then there's, you know, not a lot of roads that go in and out of my town. I mean we've got a highway that goes one way and a highway that goes the other way, and then there's, you know, not a lot of other options. So it's, you have to kind of pick and choose when you're when you're riding around here.

Speaker 3: 52:53

How about the Katie Trail?

Speaker 4: 52:54

That is that too far from you.

Speaker 3: 52:56

Yeah, that's over in the Missouri side and yeah, that would be too too far.

Speaker 4: 53:01

OK, and yeah, that would be too too far. Yeah, okay, so that's a nice rail trail. Uh, absolutely, absolutely. Last, you did that last year. Um, yeah, we did last, last summer, last fall. Uh, we did the whole thing. That's an excellent ride.

Speaker 2: 53:15

Oh, yeah, yeah well, I'll tell you what I. I am glad that Franklin put us in touch with you and that you were very receptive to come on. I highly enjoyed talking to you today and I hope that one day our paths cross in physical form and not just in digital form.

Speaker 3: 53:36

So yeah, absolutely, this has been a great interview.

Speaker 2: 53:39

You've had some fantastic stories.

Speaker 3: 53:43

Yeah, I mean it's awesome and I, I totally agree. Hopefully one of these days we'll, uh, we'll be on the, on the road together there well, I'll be, I'll be.

Speaker 4: 53:53

I'll be listening to your podcast to see.

Speaker 3: 53:56

Uh, I'll listen anyway, but uh, I'll keep my ear open for the hell hundred yeah I have been preaching to adam for a couple of years that we need to go down to. I'll keep my ear open for the Hotter.

Speaker 4: 54:08

Than Hell 100. Yeah, I have been preaching to Adam for a couple of years that we need to go down to this ride. It's an epic ride.

Speaker 2: 54:13

So we'll see I'm game. I mean, I think we looked it up one time.

Speaker 3: 54:19

It's in Central Time Zone.

Speaker 2: 54:22

Well, that's an exception. It's in central time zone. Well, that's an exception. I don't know, scott, if you ever heard me tell this story, but I went to Kansas to do a century ride and visit my friend and his family and it was called the Gorilla Century and I hadn't trained a lot, to be honest. But when we got out there we were like 60 miles in on the century and 40 miles left and rain was coming. And he said you OK, and I just not feeling it today, and he's like what do you think it is? I'm like I think it's a central time.

Speaker 2: 54:55

And so since then, like it's a disease, it's been a long running joke. That's why, in the text messaging, getting getting prepared for today and doing show prep, I, yeah, I, I had said to scott I said, well, he's probably sleeping, it's still central time. He said, hey, don't knock on central time.

Speaker 4: 55:09

I'm like, oh man, I made a mistake well, the problem with central time is that they change it.

Speaker 2: 55:17

If they would just leave it alone, it wouldn't be so bad, but it changes twice a year and what's funny is is one of my vendors for where I work is in Arizona and I'm like, okay, they don't change, they don't change at all. So now I'm like, okay, well, they're not open yet. I'm like, well, they were open, now they're not Just whatever. But I wish I would just pick one. I mean, I would personally, being a guy who loves to be active outside, I would. I would choose the option where it's lighter outside, longer, and I know that that may not be the most popular answer, but, uh, I agree, but and then, and then just leave it alone.

Speaker 2: 55:53

Stop, I don't, I don't know why, like the people have all said that for years, and then nobody in power ever makes that change. So, oh well, but anyway, I was going to say we're not going to change it here either. No, not going to happen. Well, scott, I do have one question for you, because we love to help people who listen to us. Have you registered yet for that ride in July where you're collecting funds? Because if you do, I can put the link in, not only the show but on YouTube. And if you haven't registered yet, can I at least open the door for you that when you do register I'll drop the link in our show.

Speaker 4: 56:35

I have registered, but it would be great if there's folks that would like to, to donate to that cause. Um, that money, that money goes to lls. Um, they get donations, uh, for, you know, for every I I pay for my own hotel, um, everything, I pay for all of everything for me, um, and they, they have donations for their rest stops and all that. So all the money that's raised for that ride goes to the lymphoma leukemia society. So, yeah, that would be great.

Speaker 2: 57:17

Perfect. Why don't you when we're, when we're done here? If you don't mind. If, if you have a hyperlink that you can text me, um or email me whatever you prefer, um, we'll definitely drop it into the YouTube. Um, and we'll drop it into the show notes on the podcast. Um and uh, we definitely love to support good causes and and help out those in the vulnerable population. Um, what I do for a living is deal with that on a day in, day out, as an avid listener to the show. You've probably heard Michael tease me or joke with me about working for the government, but I actually help with transportation and help individuals with little help in life who need a little help. We all need help in one direction or another, but it definitely is a feel feel good place that I work for. So anytime that we can spread the love of, of helping those in need, we'd love to support that and put that on there. So definitely, definitely, please send me that um.

Speaker 2: 58:18

Thank you scott, garwick, rockford, illinois. You have been a great guest and I I thank you so much for giving us some of your time this evening.

Speaker 3: 58:27

That's been fantastic.

Speaker 4: 58:28

Thank you, scott.

Speaker 2: 58:29

I love you guys and I'll continue to listen to uh, your show that we appreciate that I was gonna say, that means, that means more than you know. So okay, well, good good thank you, scott, and I'll look forward to the email and I'll I promise you I'll put it on there.

Speaker 4: 58:46

You got it.

Speaker 2: 58:47

Okay, all right, thank you, great Thank you, thank you. Have a good night.

Speaker 4: 58:51

You too Bye.

Speaker 2: 58:55

I'll tell you what Scott was a great interview. I highly enjoyed it.

Speaker 3: 59:00

Man he was and he's had great stories. Awesome, he fits right in as a cycling man of leisure.

Speaker 2: 59:07

Oh, I mean card carrying. I think he's ready. There's no membership fee, but if there was, we'd give him a discount, we'd waive his membership fee. That was great from his criminal career that he was able to bike away with no charges. Um, to his, I mean having a stroke and the doctor saying cycling saved your life. I mean, that's, that's it. That's incredible. That is inspiring. Um, he was a wonderful interview. Uh, scott, as a loyal listener, I'm sure you'll listen, as I would listen if I was on a podcast, and so thank you, scott, thank you for your time and a little kudos to Franklin. You were absolutely right, you hit the ball out of the park. He was a great interview. So thank you, franklin as well. Yes, okay. So, that being said, we'll move along. I'm curious you got any? I know that we do big rides together, but you got any local rides by you that you're looking into?

Speaker 3: 1:00:09

I really don't, because my summer is kind of stacking up a little, a little weird. Got some stuff going on that I'm unsure about, don't know how it's all going to lay out, and you know I've got a couple of family vacations and trips planned as well, so haven't really signed up for anything locally. There's a couple I'd like to do, but right now, the way things are going, I have to keep things a little bit open. So we'll see.

Speaker 2: 1:00:37

It's funny like if you would have went like I don't know five, six, seven years ago, I would just been like, boom sign up, boom, sign up. And now I'm the same way. I'm like, okay, now, if I do that, am I going to be here? Do I have anything? I mean, it's like you kind of have to look a little harder. So so I so I'm the same way.

Speaker 2: 1:00:56

But I did pull the trigger on two rides that are local. Yeah, last year you and I did a little piece of part of a show about the Dawn Farm. It's a recovery center, and so if nobody heard that, we'll drop a link for that show if you want to hear that part. But Dawn Farm is a farm, an actual farm, and they, if you find yourself in AA or needing a little structure, that there's like the idea is you're taking care of the animals and and you're occupying yourself by not going out and having you know destructive behavior, and so they call it Dawn Farm Ride for Recovery, and so that's a ride I like to do on April 28th. So if anyone is interested, I'll put a link in the show. It doesn't go to me, go right to them. And they have different lengths. The longest length is 58 miles, and then I think it's like 25, 40, and 58 or something like that. But it's really cool. I mean, part of the registration is you get a T-shirt and there's breakfast and lunch and you actually drive to the farm and a lot of the people staying at the farm are the ones that help you and it's really cool. It's just an inspirational day and love helping out there and traditionally it's very windy. So usually coming back, you ride out and the wind's at your back and when you're riding back to the car you're like, oh my gosh, a lot of wind. So I'm sure that'll happen again. So, usually every year.

Speaker 2: 1:02:41

So, but, and then the other one I did is when you and I are not doing rag brine, there's a ride called one hell of a ride, and it goes through hell, michigan. Um, yes, you've told me about this one, yeah, and so, um, and usually when we go to rag brine, it's the weekend before we go and I don't want to do that century before then going to RAGBRAI, depending on what's going on. And this time I'm wide open, since we're not doing RAGBRAI this year and I decided I'm doing it. So July I believe it's 13th signed up for the century and so we will go out there. Signed up for the century and so, uh, we will, we will go out there. So if anyone in the michigan area wants to join me, uh, I'll uh welcome that. That's through a. I'll find the link for that. Aats, I think that org. So I will, uh, I'll make sure that I ann arbor touring society. Yeah, I think that I'll find it out, but, yeah, um, but, Are you still going to wear your Cycling?

Speaker 3: 1:03:39

Men of Leisure jersey.

Speaker 2: 1:03:41

Absolutely, I did not. Normally, when I go to these places, they have jerseys on the get. I'll get that, so I'll have the jersey for next time or whatever, not this year. This year I'm going to promote the Road Adventures of Cycling. Men of Leisure Love it, but I will have. Men of Leisure Love it, but I will have my Debrim.

Speaker 3: 1:04:02

Very proud. I would expect no less from you.

Speaker 2: 1:04:05

Yeah, gentleman on Monday passed me when we were kind of taking a little break. He said nice costume. And I thought to myself don't hit a stone there, buddy. So, but all good, everybody so uh. But uh, all good, uh. But yes, I will. I will definitely be promoting the, the good cause of road adventures, of cycling men, of leisure, so awesome. Besides that, not, not, uh, not much, continuing the training. And I I did have a little uh announcement. We I put out the call for the Strava Club and I think we got like 20 new people in our Strava Club. Really Awesome, heck, yeah. So that's kind of cool.

Speaker 2: 1:04:50

Our friend Bill is still packing on the miles, usually at number one or two. Bill, you're my inspiration. I will hope that the weather will change in Michigan and we'll be out there more. It'll be good. But that's about it for this show. I mean, I think Scott was definitely the highlight of the show. Don't want to steal his thunder. I loved his story. So the only thing I have to ask you before we depart here is are you prepared for another listener spotlight?

Speaker 3: 1:05:24

Oh, the question is are you prepared for another listener spotlight.

Speaker 2: 1:05:27

I don't get them right anyway. So I mean, but I'll give it my best shot.

Speaker 3: 1:05:31

Okay, I'm ready. Yeah, I've got one tuned up here, all right St.

Speaker 2: 1:05:36

Louis.

Speaker 3: 1:05:36

No, just kidding. Listener spotlight. Here are the hints.

Speaker 2: 1:05:41

Here I'll do my best I can For the next one. Now time for listener spotlight. Thank you, You're welcome.

Speaker 3: 1:05:49

This town was founded as a military fort by the Spanish.

Speaker 2: 1:05:55

Oh, wow, okay.

Speaker 3: 1:05:56

So that's going to kind of limit some areas. It is a giant in the temporary tattoo industry.

Speaker 2: 1:06:08

Wow, temporary tattoos. Now is that like the giant, like you mean, like they make it to? I'm just kidding, go ahead, oh geez.

Speaker 3: 1:06:20

A notorious gangster was captured in this town.

Speaker 2: 1:06:25

Oh, wow.

Speaker 3: 1:06:27

It is well known in the US cycling world.

Speaker 2: 1:06:36

Hmm.

Speaker 3: 1:06:38

I got one more.

Speaker 2: 1:06:38

Go ahead. Hmm, I got one more. I feel like I feel, yeah, well, on that one, I feel like, because I don't watch tour de france and all that stuff, I may not have a good answer, but go ahead well, there are a lot of teams that do not participate in the tour de france.

Speaker 3: 1:06:53

So just so you know oh, okay. And here's a good one Ansel Adams. You know who he is, being a former photographer, yeah yeah, black and white landscapes beautiful stuff. He played a significant role in what has now became its vibrant art community or scene, whatever you want to call it. So there you go. What's your guess?

Speaker 2: 1:07:26

My first guess is this is another spotlight of something out of the country. Okay, I immediately went to Puerto Rico when you first said it, but then I started second-guessing myself. It's not St Louis.

Speaker 3: 1:07:48

It's not St Louis.

Speaker 2: 1:07:55

Yeah, I'm trying to think of the places I've traveled in Spanish.

Speaker 3: 1:08:00

Should my mind be thinking Spanishanish forts well, it was founded as a military fort by the spanish. Now you got to understand. If it's in the united states, you have to understand what territories were controlled at one time by spain. Clearly you have florida, you know texas, you've got, uh, all the ones that were in the you know the gadsden purchase, like arizona, new mexico, southern california, um, and that's just in the us, you know. I mean, they were also spanish, were also in new orleans, louisiana area, but then you do have all the islands, the the Caribbean that were under Spanish control, and a few South American countries.

Speaker 2: 1:08:44

And that's kind of why I was asking you like should I be thinking of, like a Spanish fort? Because I'm thinking I have been a gentleman who loves to lollygag around the Caribbean and I've been to a lot of forts, I mean. So that's why I'm kind of thinking, and I've been to a lot of ports, I mean. So that's why I'm kind of thinking.

Speaker 3: 1:08:59

You keep thinking and you'll find out in our next episode what our community is for our listener spotlight.

Speaker 2: 1:09:08

Well, that's fair. I just wanted to see if I could actually have somewhat of a better shot this time, because I obviously blew it last time. I said St Louis and you're like Dublin, I'm like how far away could you be? I mean, I blew that yeah.

Speaker 3: 1:09:23

I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah, you did blow it, so anyway, we'll find out.

Speaker 2: 1:09:27

I've got a little teaser for our next episode. Okay, what is it? We are going to start a new segment for next episode. Okay, that sounds fun. We are going to start a new segment for next episode and then the teaser is this idea is not original to to you or I or our show, but I think it's. I think it's valuable and I think it pertains to having a show like we have. Okay, we are going to call it, let's open the mailbag.

Speaker 3: 1:10:01

So oh, that sounds good, because now we are actually starting to get quote unquote mail.

Speaker 2: 1:10:08

We and and we're responding to you. We already have some mail, but I'm saving it. I want to get a couple things so we can have some context and we'll leave it at that. So the next time you and I get together, we're going to open the mailbag. Oh, that sounds like fun. So on that note, sir, on Monday for me it was a great day for a bike ride. And hopefully, sir, now that your cold is going down the river and it can go as far away from you as it needs to go, because you don't need that anymore- Nope.

Speaker 2: 1:10:43

It's by you.

Speaker 3: 1:10:44

Great day for a bike ride.

Speaker 2: 1:10:46

Perfect, my friend. Thank you so much, thank you.

Speaker 1: 1:10:50

Thank you for coming along with Adam and Michael on Road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure. If you have enjoyed this, please subscribe to the show on the podcast app of your choice.