Speaker 1: 1:30

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: 1:44

Welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. As usual, I am Adam and lucky for me. Once again I am joined virtually across a time zone with my good friend Mr Michael Sharp.

Speaker 3: 1:57

Hello, hello, adam, how are you doing you?

Speaker 2: 2:00

know I'm doing good. Back in the swing of things. Regular work, regular projects. Weather is just starting to break and then we have another chilly day, so almost got the bike outside. I have not yet. I know it's horrible, but I just haven't got it out yet.

Speaker 3: 2:19

Bike. It's a bicycle, I think. I've got one in my garage somewhere, but I think it's hidden behind something. It's a device with two wheels on it.

Speaker 2: 2:28

I've heard of these things. We better know what they are. Our next adventure together is close to 20,000 feet of climb.

Speaker 3: 2:40

It's yeah, but it's not 20,000 feet of climb in one day, true, true, true, true, spread over seven-ish days. True, I'm including Wednesday, the day we don't ride. It makes it sound better for me. True, I'm including Wednesday, the day we don't ride.

Speaker 2: 2:56

It makes it sound better for me.

Speaker 3: 3:02

You know, recently you and I had contact with Savannah and Savannah said I hope you guys are training you know why do people keep asking us this question and every time they ask it they have like a smirk on their face have you boys been training? I think it's like when we're like Define training.

Speaker 2: 3:17

I think it's like men of leisure they picture that we're not doing anything.

Speaker 3: 3:22

I'm training right here.

Speaker 2: 3:24

Yes, oh, look at that, is that a little fire water there, my friend, it might be a little fire water.

Speaker 3: 3:30

Wow, that's neat. Or it might be iced tea I'll let you decide, depends who's watching. Or it might be iced tea.

Speaker 2: 3:35

I'll let you decide. A little iced tea brewed in Kentucky.

Speaker 3: 3:38

It depends who's watching.

Speaker 2: 3:40

That's right. Well, we are glad to be back. Got a lot of nice messages about the Shane Cusack interview, so thank you all for that. Appreciate you reaching out. And a couple of funny comments. Franklin wrote you and I this morning here I was getting ready for work and he was listening to must be traveling or setting up for a brag. Spring tune up, lorde. And he said he said that's cracking me up and it makes me laugh when somebody we know listens to a prior episode that's been out for a little bit, but then they go back and listen. It makes me feel. Makes me feel good.

Speaker 3: 4:21

So oh yeah, and that was a funny story what's the great thing about what we do?

Speaker 2: 4:26

I mean, we can record it and sometimes you could get you know on a different path. I've done the same thing. You know I've I've mentioned many times I like my Dateline true crime when I'm exercising and working out sometimes, and and then you know you get off of a podcast for a while and then you go back and then you can like listen to the three or four or five episodes or whatever, and that's the greatest thing.

Speaker 3: 4:47

Because there's nothing more motivating you when you're on a bicycle or a treadmill than listening to how somebody almost got away with killing somebody.

Speaker 2: 4:56

Well I or a treadmill than listening to how somebody almost got away with killing somebody. Well, I always like to tell my wife that I find that dateline is educational.

Speaker 3: 5:02

So so watch what you say yeah, remember last year I made those comments out of there in front of those people saying I had my ex-wife buried in the backyard or something a couple people get. It was like I know, give me some weird looks. It's like I'm just'm just joking, folks, just joking. And then they're coming back to you and all the time my wife calls me up and says there's police officers in our back with cadaver dogs. What's going on?

Speaker 2: 5:26

No, you're like, let me get my shovel, I'll help out.

Speaker 3: 5:30

Tell them to look in the back. Northeast quadrant X marks the spot.

Speaker 2: 5:36

Yeah, by the way, that is completely a joke. That is false.

Speaker 3: 5:40

Obviously we would never get caught Because I would contact my buddy, Adam, and he'd tell me how to get away with it.

Speaker 2: 5:49

That's right, because I listened to 2020, dateline. I got them all, hey. On a serious note, you know what I'm doing right now. I'm like simulcasting. I'm listening to the Happy Face podcast about the Happy Face serial killer at the same time on Paramount which, by the way, they don't support us but the Happy Face program is on Paramount and Paramount Plus or CBS or whatever. So you're doing it right now as we're talking, I'm listening to the podcast.

Speaker 2: 6:20

Well, not currently, okay, because you made it sound like I'm doing it right now I'm listening to the podcast and then I'm watching the show back and forth. I'm currently not listening to it now, but I am listening to the podcast driving back and forth to work, and then it's frowned upon to watch TV driving back and forth to work, so I watched the program later on, so kind of interesting.

Speaker 2: 6:44

But good news Got to do some, I guess, on the way to work. That's right. Good news we will be able to have shows that people can listen to, which are not about true crime, so not yet, Dun, dun dun.

Speaker 2: 7:03

Hey, you know I noticed I was perusing on the old social media because you know, you and I both try to watch our, our, our pages, our social, if you will Sure. Try to watch our pages our social, if you will Sure and switched over to my personal page which, I have to admit, ever since we started the men of leisure page and the women of leisure page, I pay attention to that more and respond more there. And then I went to my personal page and I saw that the Sharp and Blazer family had a little outing.

Speaker 3: 7:35

We did all that. The Sharp and Blazer family had a little outing we did. Now, I'm glad you brought this up because I wanted to talk a little bit about this. Okay, sir, have you ever been to a Comic-Con? I have not. Okay, if you've not been to a Comic-Con, I suggest everybody going once to experience that whole Comic-Con extravaganza that's going on.

Speaker 3: 7:57

Okay, um, I'm not, as you know, big into comics and trading cards like, uh, you know, whatever those trading game cards are. Um, you know what I'm talking about. Used to play it as a kid. What was that? Magic, the gathering, magic, the gathering and and all those. I don don't really get into any of that, um, but my kids like that. Um, I'm not into anime either. My kids enjoy that. So I went with them this year. I went with them a couple of years ago, but I went with them this year again and, uh, let me tell you it's an interesting experience.

Speaker 3: 8:31

Uh, if you've not been there, basically it's in a convention center and there are just lines, rows and rows of booths selling everything from 3D printed dragons and you can buy, like you know, great looking expensive, like lightsabers and and all of this. You know, comic books and and trading cards and just anything you can imagine. And then they got a whole section that's just dedicated to, like the artist. Like there's a lot of artists who are, you know, doing different comic book series now and you can get them, you know, you can get them to sign something for you and you can talk with them and and that kind of thing, uh, and then they have breakout rooms for the people who are really into it. You know where they've got like different people from shows or something that's you know, answering questions and and different things like that. Um, they have meet and greets with some you know science fiction like actors, um, which is interesting, and although some of them perplex me a little bit, because, like Ann-Margaret was there and I nothing against her, I mean great in Viva Las Vegas with Elvis and she was in the Train Robbers with John Wayne and Grumpy Old man and all that Great actress, but as far as I know she was never in anything science fiction but she was there. I guess maybe you know drawing the there. I guess maybe you know drawing the older crowd can come up and you know, see somebody, they know, or something, but you know they have a lot of a lot of those types of things.

Speaker 3: 10:03

What amazes me the most is the costumes. A lot of people go dressed as different you know anime characters or superheroes or whatever, and you know people really get into it. And then you know, I don't but I don't disrespect folks like that because they probably look at our cycling thing and go, man, these people are really just out there. But I've got to say some of these people are just fantastic, especially the Star Wars people. I mean these people have full-on stormtrooper outfits, the helmets, the communication devices, the blaster pistols, the whole nine yards. There was a full-on Darth Vader in the entire. I mean it looks like he just walked off the Death Star.

Speaker 3: 10:51

But I mean it's just incredible the time, energy and effort these people put in to making these costumes so exact. And what's even more incredible is if you start talking, you know with them when they're out of character, cause they get into character. Talking to them out of character, they can be like, oh yeah, this is uh, you know whatever, and this houses this and this is for this. And you know the Jedis all have the little tunics and the swords and it was just really incredible.

Speaker 3: 11:19

And I, you know there are a lot of great costumes, but the Star Wars people just really, really, really show up and they are very authentic and I was just like really impressed with that. It was like wow. And then of course, you always have a couple of people who are dressed up like Ghostbusters, who are generally really good. I mean have the full photon packs and the green jumpsuits with their names on the little velcro strip and but um, it's, it's. Uh, if you ever get the opportunity, go and it's just worth the the price of admission to people watch, if nothing else, because I, I don't know I'll, I don't know what some of these people are, you know different, newer cartoon or comic book characters and the anime stuff, but it is quite the sight to be seen. So check it out sometime if you get the opportunity.

Speaker 2: 12:07

When you went by and Darth Vader was there, were you like afraid they were going to do a chokehold on you Like no, but I mean these people are like really cool Cause you can say, hey, can I grab a picture?

Speaker 3: 12:14

And they'll going to do a choke hold on you like no. But I mean these people are like really cool because you can say, hey, can I grab a picture? And they'll let you get a picture with them. You know, and like darth vader's doing the hand thing, yeah, you know, and you can stand there next to him and uh, the stormtroopers will stand there with their you know guns and uh, that kind of stuff and they're all get into it and they let you take pictures with them and things like that. And uh, they definitely get into the whole environment of the star wars things. There's a lot of great ones but, like I said, the star wars folks are really 100 authentic and can tell you about. You know what is in darth vader's little belt there and what do all those knobs and things do, and very cool. So I would suggest you check it out sometime I've definitely seen um photographs.

Speaker 2: 12:58

And then do you remember? Um, I went to houston, uh, for um last year a conference, yeah, and they were doing comic comic-con. Um, across from the hotel that we were at there was a starbucks and if I I find this funny because here I was in line for my Starbucks and in front of me was like Chewbacca and behind me was Darth Vader, and I was so enamored with an email from work I'm and all of a sudden I realized, wow, that guy's in a Chewbacca costume. And then the person walked by and they were like that is a great Darth Vader costume and I turned around and I'm like I am surrounded by these people. So it was definitely an interesting thing. And then the door opened up and I was able to look in there and that was my only glimpse of what you're talking about. I've been to other conventions where wedding shows I used to do were rows and rows and then people go down.

Speaker 2: 14:06

One of the neatest conventions I ever went to sidebar was a candy convention. When we went to the National Jamboree for scouting At the same time that this guy was at a candy convention and he was able to get all the scouts in there. That was like the best day of my life. I mean that was just like. I mean Topps was there giving away baseball cards because it had the gum inside and then I mean all the. It was the first time I ever had like some of those gummy candies shaped like hamburgers and stuff like that and they were just. I mean we got a big sack and I never forget the scout master for Jamboree said now listen, guys, don't take advantage. We want to. We don't want the troop to look bad. I just remember everyone getting back on the bus having bags and bags of candy. But anyways, that's just a side memory.

Speaker 2: 14:57

You and I talk about scouting a lot, so you know the Comic-Con. I know that Max, your stepson, really enjoys it, gets into it. Oh yeah, and some of those costumes I imagine with a 3D printer has really been very, very helpful to some of those people, cause before you, buying some of that stuff was probably just an astronomical fee to try to try to get some of those things. So now you've gone because of max. Obviously you've gone almost every year for a few years, right?

Speaker 3: 15:28

I've gone just a couple of years out of like the last three Gotcha Gotcha Now, years out of like the last three gotcha gotcha now. Another cool outfit is they literally had iron man in full like metal type outfit clunking through the thing and that was pretty impressive. And they also had like the remote control, like r2d2, that would go around and you know somebody's controlling him. Uh, he's going around, he'd stop and you know you could take pictures with him and stuff like that. But uh, interesting experience. Uh definitely check it out sometime because uh, some of those folks uh very impressive well, um, I have definitely done some star wars things in my life.

Speaker 2: 16:16

I will not lie. I went on a disney cruise. That was what they called star wars day at sea and so, uh, they actually brought some of the um actors I think the original actor who played chewbacca was on and, uh, or at least I think, I don't know, maybe I can't prove that but there was some autographs on some days and some pictures, and then they called it Star Wars Day at Sea. I've done in 2015,. I went to Hollywood Studios before having some of the big Star Wars stuff. They had a Star Wars, you know, festival there, and so I've seen some pretty cool stuff over there. Like you talked about the R2D2 and BB eight, uh, rolling around and, um, so definitely enjoy that. That would definitely be be cool. But I do see, like on TMZ, where they'll show, like the actors that are at comic-con, and I'm like I, why doesn't that jive to me? Like I? Why doesn't that jive to me? Like, sometimes they've had some people that I just didn't understand why, but probably some of them don't make any sense.

Speaker 3: 17:19

It's like, you know, ann Margaret, um, last time I was there they had a Henry Winkler and I get, I guess I get it the. You know, these people are big draws for the older type generation, like, oh yeah, hey, I'd love to, you know, meet the Fonz. He jumped the shark. But some of these actors have never done science fiction. They had other actors there that you would recognize If you watch the new version of Battlestar Galactica.

Speaker 3: 17:55

I don't remember what her name is. She played Starbuck on the series. Okay, that totally makes sense. Jim Beaver was there and if you've ever watched supernatural, um, he is the one that plays. I'm drawing a blank now, but, um, it's all right, he, he's in that show. Uh, the name will come to me here in a minute, but you know, he's got a very prominent part in that and okay, that makes sense too in this kind of stuff. But some of them I just I don't know it, just, yeah, but they've been doing it for years, so I'm guessing they know what the model is and the formula and all that kind of stuff. Bobby, he plays Bobby Singer.

Speaker 2: 18:46

I love Bobby Singer. Jim Beaver plays.

Speaker 3: 18:47

Bobby Singer. He's like the older guy, that kind of like watches out for the two main characters now that their father's passed away and he's kind of heads up a big group of, you know, monster hunters.

Speaker 2: 19:01

I'm going to mention something. Yes, every time I do this I'm kind of jinx myself. But there's a ride that I like to support and it's called the Dawn Farm Ride for Recovery. I say I'm going to jinx myself because every time that I push this ride, uh, it rains, and I'm hoping that this year is different. Um, but it's dawnf ride for recoverycom. There are five mile rides, there's 10 miles, 27, 58 is the most that they have as a serenity right. 58 miles, 30 bucks, but it goes for a great cause. So it's an Ypsilanti, michigan. I know that we normally do things for all areas, but if there's something local, michael and I both agreed that if it was powerful we'd push it. So, dawn Farm Ride for Recovery you want to come out and see me? I'll be there. Unless it's raining, I guess I'll still get my money. Wow, not a real hardcore rider there, are you buddy? Well, listen, if it's raining, I'm uh, I'm out.

Speaker 3: 20:11

So see how that works for you in georgia well, that's a little bit different in georgia.

Speaker 2: 20:19

We take a plane, then we take a car, and then I have no choice. But if my car is in the parking lot and it's uh, and it's raining and I can drive back home, then that's one thing. If I'm trying to go east, or, I'm sorry, west to east, and I have no option, uh, suck it up, buttercup, because there you go so well, um, you had a segment that you thought which I was very intrigued with, that you thought would be fun to talk about. Are we going to do listener spotlight.

Speaker 2: 20:54

Oh my gosh, I almost forgot. Oh, man, I am so sorry. Let me get my voice ready. It's hard to get good health these days, man, it really is. Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for Listener Spotlight, which we actually had a guest, but I'm gonna let you give the clues first.

Speaker 3: 21:14

Okay, first off, I would like to welcome our new listeners from the Netherlands, portugal, hungary and Belize. I mean, we are getting Hold on, bring it down, bring it down folks. We are getting like 12 to 13 percent nowadays of just, you know, out of the country listeners and that's really cool. So thank you for listening. But in getting to our most current guess, the clues that I gave you on the last episode were as follows um, this town was settled in the early to mid 1600s. It was founded by english settlers. The town's first economy was driven by farming and fishing. Starting in the mid-1800s, it became a recreational destination and in fact it still is today. In 1840, the railroad came to town, which helped spur its growth as that recreational destination. As that recreational destination, the town is named for a location in England and it is one of the oldest towns in the state that it resides.

Speaker 2: 22:38

Hmm, st Louis, no, just kidding. So so close. Yeah, right, no. So I had a gentleman who wrote me. Ironically this was just to me Normally he writes the show, but this was just to me and his name is Al. And Al said, based upon the farming and fishing and the recreation, his guess is Atlantic City, new Jersey.

Speaker 3: 23:06

Oh, okay, I could go along with that. That's a solid guess based upon those two things. Definitely a recreational destination, starting, you know, in the 1800s. Not bad, but I'm going to have to say when did the boardwalk in Atlantic City, is that? Around when it went what?

Speaker 3: 23:31

uh, I don't know for sure, but I know it was around in, I believe, the late 1890s. Okay, I'm gonna say I'm not an expert here, I'm just gonna guess based upon some of the old pictures that I've seen. Gotcha, so it's been around since the Victorian age. I do know that, but sadly, Al was not correct. Good guess. And he is actually very close in location, regionally at least. So are you ready?

Speaker 2: 24:04

I'm ready.

Speaker 3: 24:05

So are you ready? I'm ready. Our listener spotlight community for this episode is Hampton, new Jersey, or, excuse me, hampton, new Hampshire. Hampton, new Hampshire.

Speaker 2: 24:16

New Hampshire. Well, thank you listeners from Hampton, new Hampshire. Thank you all listeners, but this time thank you Hampton, New Hampshire.

Speaker 3: 24:24

That's right. In the 1800s, in the mid 1800s, it started to become a big recreational area because of Hampton Beach, which attracted visitors from all over New England. You know they come spend the weekend and you know at the beach and things like that. So and it's named after Hampton, england because it was founded by a bunch of English settlers and it is actually one of four of the oldest towns in the state of New Hampshire, that Hampton, exector, dover and Portsmouth, portsmouth.

Speaker 2: 25:03

Say that five thousand times in a row.

Speaker 3: 25:04

I can't even talk today. Exeter, there we go. Dover, portsmouth, there we go.

Speaker 2: 25:08

Dover, portsmouth, there we go we're going to give you a pass on that. You, uh, you usually do very well and you usually have to correct me, so we'll give you a pass. Thank you, well, that's pretty cool. Um well, so al wasn't that far off. We shouldn't have given the trombone. I gave him a trombone. I shouldn't have done. You know that.

Speaker 3: 25:26

You know, I mean you just from there you go through, you know, into New York over the Tappan Zee Bridge, a little bit of Connecticut, you know you could hit a little bit of Rhode Island, a tiny bit of Massachusetts, and you're in New Hampshire.

Speaker 2: 25:40

I mean, it's really not that far call to one of the one of my employees, but more of a friend but I because he said to me on his way out today I have a guest. And then I called him before recording and he said no, I haven't had time, I don't have a guest. Well, okay, I imagine, as usual, you'll bookend us at the end of the show with another.

Speaker 3: 26:09

Well, if someone gives me the time, I will. Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 26:15

I love my sensor button, so all right. Well now, getting back to what I was trying to, I was too excited. I was prepping, I was getting my stuff together and that's what I was prepping. I was getting my stuff together and that's what I was getting excited. But you have an idea we are about to embark on some journeys for the summer and you had an idea that I liked.

Speaker 3: 26:44

Well, all of my ideas are fantastic ideas that you like, but I think I know which one you're talking about. We've actually talked about this on episodes before. You want me to introduce this or you want to Sure? No, please. We have often talked about that. We need to make a cycling men and women of leisure playlist. What are Stop playing with? Okay, you gonna focus here hello, right here, yeah, yeah stop pushing the buttons you.

Speaker 3: 27:22

You are the one who pushed the button oh yeah, it's different now that I have buttons. Okay, well, hold on a second.

Speaker 2: 27:31

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. All right, I'll stop.

Speaker 3: 27:34

Okay, so a playlist of, like you know, songs that we, like, we think are motivating to ride with, or songs that are just great to sit around and have a nice little cocktail after the ride perfect I love it now um so I think what we should do before you go too far.

Speaker 3: 28:01

I think this needs to be an ongoing evolution, that we can't just sit here and spend the next 30 minutes throwing out songs. I think we throw out a few songs now, and over the course of the next few months we add to it, and we also ask the listeners and viewers to send in what they think would be good songs, and we'll add those to the list too. I love it.

Speaker 2: 28:23

So basically what we're saying is you and I are going to put a couple of songs out there to get it started and then, if you enjoy the show while riding your bicycle or post-riding your bicycle or possibly pre-riding your bicycle, maybe you have songs that get you pumped up and ready to ride, or maybe you have songs that you like to listen to while riding, that you like to listen to while writing, and maybe there's songs that you like to listen to when you're done and you're relaxing and you're like, yeah, that was a good day of writing.

Speaker 3: 28:54

Turn up the volume so I don't have to listen to Adam oh yeah, happens in my life a lot.

Speaker 2: 29:00

A lot of people get tired of hearing me.

Speaker 3: 29:04

No, no, no, no, no, no, that's all right.

Speaker 2: 29:08

Doesn't happen, well's all right. It doesn't happen, well, all right. I think I'm going to kick us off by all means. I hope this is going to work. I don't believe that you can actually have a playlist about cycling without the following song.

Speaker 3: 29:42

Good song.

Speaker 2: 29:46

Good song. This is the Push Bike song In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry. Very nice, look at that. I hit the post Now for our YouTube page. We don't make any money and we're not looking to make money, so please do not block us YouTube. So there we go. That is my first recommendation, that the Pushbike song In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry. All right, are you doing another one, or do you want me to do one? No, I'm gonna. You gotta give me some time to get my other one up. Okay, I will try one here.

Speaker 3: 30:39

Okay, uh, classic. Well, I wouldn't even say this is a classic. This is a newer song. Okay, uh, because I want to shake it up a little bit. You know a little the new, little the old, that type of stuff I do live with, uh, with young people and uh, this is a good pump you up song. Can you hear that? I can, yeah, and this is a little panic at the disco.

Speaker 2: 31:12

High hopes okay, all right, so we have. We have two so far in the summertime by mungo, jerry and panic at the disco by who, uh, it's called panic at the disco.

Speaker 3: 31:27

Oh, by who it's called Panic at the Disco? Oh sorry, it's High Hopes.

Speaker 2: 31:31

Panic at the Disco, all right, all right. Here's number two for me, okay.

Speaker 3: 31:51

Oh, classic 1980s.

Speaker 2: 31:55

Now it starts. A little slow for cycling, don't get me wrong, but here it comes.

Speaker 3: 32:02

That's why you can just click that 15-second fast-forward thing. There you go.

Speaker 2: 32:08

Ladies and gentlemen. Peter Gabriel and Sledgehammer Now a lot of people call cycling like the hammer. You know I'm going to go hammer it. And thenedgehammer Now a lot of people call cycling like the hammer. You know I'm going to go hammer it. And then boom, I just picture like pedaling.

Speaker 3: 32:27

Oh yeah, I can go with that. No dancing in the studio, that's a solid one, little Peter Gabriel. Now this next one that I have If you need to get Like really pumped up as you're riding, that big hill is coming up, or whatever this is a good one.

Speaker 2: 32:58

I don't think anybody can deny it oh, acdc reminds me of rag bright when I drank way too much well, I wasn't gonna bring that up, but that's okay, I will.

Speaker 3: 33:12

Uh, they they had an ACDC cover band and the beers were apparently flowing because you were extremely happy and you were out in the front row just going crazy. A little ACDC Thunderstruck, that'll get you rolling On my headphones.

Speaker 2: 33:33

That's coming through a little rough. Let me give you this here Whoa, that was playing very strange. That's a good one, I would agree Thunderstruck by ACG.

Speaker 2: 33:58

Thunderstruck. So there we go, we have. We've got four songs to kick it off. And whatever you enjoy for your cycling experience, please hit us up, send us a message, put it on social or, if you want it to be private, you don't want anyone to know that you enjoy that that one song that you like, that you don't want anyone else to know that you like. We won't mention your name, just say don't mention my name. It can be country.

Speaker 3: 34:31

I mean it can be 1940s swing. I mean, you know, whatever, whatever you're into, we're not just like you know whatever. Whatever you're into, we're not just like you know. This could be the type of songs and we've got a few that we've talked about that would be just good. You know, kick back after it's all over and have a cocktail and relax, type stuff.

Speaker 2: 34:48

So Absolutely, I would, I would definitely agree.

Speaker 3: 34:51

Let's build that list as a community. It would be interesting to see what what we all come up with.

Speaker 2: 35:02

Speaking of our first adventure for the summer, um, I spoke to the executive director of brag, mr franklin johnson, yesterday. Um, we are I'm trying to help him on a, on a project for something for big brag to help out all not just you and I to help out all 1 000 people and so he was reaching out to me because of my transportation side, trying to figure something out, and so I'm helping him on a project I'm hesitant to say what it is until we can perfect it, but we're trying. Um, but he would like to come on. He's literally, as we record this, there at Spring Tune-Up and I'm sad that we're not.

Speaker 2: 35:49

A lot of people reached out and for those of you who took the time to email us and ask us if we were coming, thank you A few is Cricket and Mandy. Um, you know I'm so sorry, uh, jeffrey williamson guys that that that means the world that you would ask us if we're coming, both of us. It's just a. It's. The problem is, is such a it's a 12-hour drive there, a 12-hour drive back a lot of resources, and so we had to look at what we could do, and because we threw in bourbon burn at the end of the season. You know, we had to pick and choose which ones we were going to go to and so, um, unfortunately spring tune-up is not there. But that being said, um, next, next week, franklin would like to come on. He's got a couple of brag updates. I don't want to steal his thunder and I'm excited.

Speaker 3: 36:42

Don't steal his thunder but he is always welcome to hop on Any ride. Directors want to contact us and hop on and tell us about your ride. Absolutely no. It'll be nice to kind of get an update, because we're what? Eight weeks out? Yeah.

Speaker 2: 37:01

Getting close, yeah, and that means I better get that bicycle off the stand. I have been riding, so have you, which is good, but I've got to get it outside. It's different riding in a room without the wind up against your face and everything else. But what I thought I would do, if it's okay with you, is to give a couple of updates on our brag team. Yeah, absolutely 41.

Speaker 3: 37:31

41 what?

Speaker 2: 37:33

Oh, we have 41 team members, 41 wonderful men and women. You can't just throw out random numbers. 41.

Speaker 3: 37:41

Well, do you want me to fill in the blanks? Okay, 41. We game 41 team members. That's awesome.

Speaker 2: 37:49

What if I said 43?

Speaker 3: 37:52

I would again ask what are you talking about? Why is everything a game with you?

Speaker 2: 37:56

What are you talking about? Why is everything a game? With you, 41 people are official week-long adults. So the rules to get a jersey is you have to be a week-long registration and that you have to be an adult, which you know because obviously you have to be an adult to get a jersey. Just kidding, but that is the rule. You have to be an adult to get a jersey. Just kidding, but that is the rule. You have to be an adult week-long registration writer. But we have two individuals Gary Vaughn, who was on our team last year, is doing Brag Light, he's double booked, he's got himself a wedding to go to as a guest and he is doing Brag Light, and so he decided to purchase the jersey and the other one.

Speaker 3: 38:42

You know he could have, just you know, had somebody simulcast the wedding on his phone.

Speaker 2: 38:48

And just an idea, I'm just I mean exactly, do you promise to take you know this other person to be your other person and you want to? And I always joke when people say they want to get married, cause I'm like, if you want to scream what from the other room? For the rest of your life? Then, then go ahead and join the pool, cause the water feels just fine, I'm glad he's uh, he's splitting the week.

Speaker 3: 39:12

He'll be able to make the wedding and he's going to spend some time with the team, so that's awesome.

Speaker 2: 39:17

The other person who becomes 43, you and I both know who it is. I'm going to keep it a secret for right now. Okay, absolutely, and so. But yeah, there'll be 43. The order went in for the jerseys and 43 are being printed, and so jerseys. That's a big team. It's a big team. We got something cool this year we got. You know it wasn't what you and I originally set out to, but man, it's, it's pretty cool.

Speaker 3: 39:44

What are we talking about?

Speaker 2: 39:45

now Our Jersey, the one that's being ordered.

Speaker 3: 39:48

Oh oh yeah. Um yeah, it wasn't. It wasn't what I, what I was expecting, um, but uh.

Speaker 2: 40:01

I think it'll be cool. I think it's cool. I agree with you, by the way. I was thinking something else, and then we were going back and forth and then when we saw the proofs, it was like eh, eh, eh, eh.

Speaker 3: 40:15

Plus, we were running out of time with the deadline.

Speaker 2: 40:19

That was partially my fault. I was lollygagging from the Caribbean to Kansas.

Speaker 3: 40:25

But you know what? It is a one-of-a-kind. No one is going to have one like it. That's cool.

Speaker 2: 40:30

And the people that I've shown it to, who are cyclists everyone's like. I love it, so that'll be cool.

Speaker 3: 40:38

It's a limited edition too. Limited to 42. Should have numbered them 43.

Speaker 2: 40:46

43, excuse me, that's right.

Speaker 3: 40:49

And can we slap a letter of authenticity to it?

Speaker 2: 40:53

I imagine, as a man who used to run auctions who knows about that, you could probably print us up one.

Speaker 3: 41:00

I could you know, because that, let me tell you, those houses like. I don't even remember what the names are, but you know there are certain organizations, companies out there Danbury, Mint and several others like that which are producing, you know, nice, you know collectible type things and they're collectible. You know the, you know NASCAR series on plates and things like that, and I take nothing away from that. You know they're cool and if you're into that, it's a great thing to to hang on your, you know, put on your shelves or hang on your wall. But, um, you know, they're always like. And here is the letter. They come with a letter of authenticity and they're, you know, signed by the, you know the whoever painted it originally, and they are numbered.

Speaker 3: 41:45

And the problem with that is is, as soon as people, a lot of people, hear that they're like, oh, this is going to go up in value, oh, you know, and I cannot tell you how many times I showed up at people's houses to do appraisals and they were like you got to come in here. I got them all laid out on the dining room table. They are the full collector's set of the Elvis Presley collectible plates. Elvis Presley collectible plates, that's right. I have the original boxes. I bought the wooden thing frame that they fit in and they all have their letters of authenticity and I I had a couple instances where people got angry at me because I was like oh, you know uh you know.

Speaker 3: 42:30

You know they paid, like you know, 20, 29 dollars for them, some, you know, 20, $29 for them, some, you know, 1995, 29, 95, 39, something like that. And I was like, well, you know, they're worth probably about, if you find the right people, 20 bucks a plate and they literally. I had one lady, me and my dad went to this house and we were doing it and she could not show us the front door quick enough. She literally thought that we were didn't know what we were talking about and all this, and I even, you know, I mean I went home and then I sent her an email and I even pulled up some examples of where those had recently sold in, like eBay, the, you know the full set and everything that she had for about what I was appraising them at, and I was like I'm sorry that this is, this is what they're going for. You know this is the market. The market determines the price.

Speaker 2: 43:22

But yeah, we don't like your kind and you can show yourself to the front door, so I always laugh when somebody brings up you know, the, the, you know letter of authenticity. I love it, I do they still. Uh, I I hate doing this to you because normally we try to pre-plan it for the show, but sometimes things come up organically. I remember when I lived in Southern Illinois they had a magazine called Fingerhut. Oh yeah.

Speaker 2: 43:51

And those Danbury Mint things that you're talking about, like the Monopoly plates, and you could get one of 12 and all those. Does Fingerhut still still exist? Do you think?

Speaker 3: 44:01

well, uh, finger hut existed at least up until probably five years ago. They may still exist, okay, but I know they were in existence five-ish years ago because I think they moved away from like a lot of the the collectible tchotchke type stuff and had moved into kind of more mainstream stuff. I think they're still around in some form. They are still around.

Speaker 2: 44:27

Fingerhut has a website looking for deals. They got kitchen items, furniture, shoes.

Speaker 3: 44:35

What can I get for a full set of Elvis Presley presley collection plates?

Speaker 2: 44:39

okay, let me take a look and see if they have the letters of authenticity. I'm gonna see if they sell plates. They do have plates. They, oh god, they have a lilac stoneware dishware. I mean it is like, oh, can I share my screen? I know this is totally organic, but I gotta see, can I share my screen? Hold on one second share screen.

Speaker 3: 45:00

I want to do it sounds like the plate set, like my grandmother would have had oh, I can't.

Speaker 2: 45:06

We don't pay for that level, which, by the way, that's a ridiculous level. I mean, we pay a decent chunk of change, but to go to that level, like it almost triples it. But, um, all I can tell you is they are like purple, purple, purple. Elma, lilac field, 16 piece stoneware dinner set. So, yes, well, I mean, we just went down the train rabbit hole there, but you know, I don't see.

Speaker 3: 45:32

I don't see collectibles, because I remember when I was, when I was oh yeah, they were big and and I wish I could remember some of the other companies dan barry Mint sticks out of my head. There's a lot of them and there's still a lot of them around today that are doing like these kind of things. I got one right up here, like you know, like the collectible coin things, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 45:58

I just went to danburymintcom just to see they still I mean, they have coins and currency.

Speaker 3: 46:07

Now I will say the coin that I just showed you is a Nebraska Cornhusker coin. It's the size of a silver dollar. There is a letter of authenticity. It is a limited edition. It's numbered but it actually does contain, you know, 90% silver. So even if somebody doesn't like the Huskers, you can still hawk this right now for, like you know, 25 bucks for the silver that's in it.

Speaker 2: 46:45

We'll get out of the rabbit hole after this. But so I have spoke about a gentleman that I golf with Loren's uncle and I enjoy his company. He's a numismatist and he always tells me that like coins from the Danbury Mint and places, like all those Disney coins that aren't really like, they're just like plated and stuff, he's like they're junk. Stay away from them, you don't need them, you don't need that in your life. He's like they're not worth anything. And so I think obviously for a collector of Disney things it would be different, because they liked it, because it's Disney, but he's looking at it from the value of the value.

Speaker 3: 47:22

It's like they silver plate, they're worth whatever. Somebody's willing to pay for it, which isn't going to be worth much, um, but like coins like that that are, you know, minted with 90 silver, um, you know you still have the silver value, but yeah, the the plated stuff is look nice if you've got the full array of the mickey, mickey and mini, uh, you know, set.

Speaker 2: 47:48

He gave me. I'm a bicentennial baby. He gave me a bicentennial proof set, which was a really really cool gift it had all the From the US Mint correct From the.

Speaker 2: 48:01

United States Mint. Yes, okay, yes, okay. That was a very neat gift. It was all the coins and he had found one and he likes to go to coin shows and stuff and so he wanted to give it to me. I thought that was pretty cool. So, anyways, all right, we'll get back out of the rabbit hole. I mean it's close to being Easter, right? I mean, yeah, we boy, there's got to be a bunch of people just like.

Speaker 3: 48:28

Sent us completely train wrecking on that one, but that's okay well listen.

Speaker 2: 48:33

Our last like three or four shows have been like an hour hour and a half. Why don't we um go into our, our favorite segment? Unless you did you have anything else. I don't think I had anything else, okay. Well, in that case, ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for listener spotlight all right, got a good one now.

Speaker 3: 49:00

This is one I've been wanting to do for a long time, because the listeners from this people have been listening from this community from, probably, show number three, okay. So I mean they they're hardcore and they're you know they're. There's listeners there every, every single episode. Okay, um, here's the uh, here's the hints. This city is named for a community in Alabama. It's not in Alabama. It's named for a community in Alabama. Ok, the railroad came through this area in 1902 and the city was platted in 1903. It started out as an ag community, but later it developed coal mining, and I will even go a little further to help you out. This is coal strip mining, not like the coal cave mine type things.

Speaker 2: 49:58

What is strip mining?

Speaker 3: 50:00

I don't know. Strip mining is where they just come on the surface and they start removing stuff, and have you ever seen pictures of them? They're like these huge, massive holes in the earth where they just remove the first layer, get rid of it, remove the second layer, and they basically create these huge holes that these big trucks can drive down in and just take it layer by layer by layer, until they get down to the veins of of coal or you know, whatever they might be looking for, typically it's coal, um, and that's how they get it out, as opposed to, you know, whatever they might be looking for, typically it's coal, and that's how they get it out, as opposed to, you know, actually blasting in the side of a hill and you know doing the, the actual mines.

Speaker 2: 50:34

Like a rock quarry, like like.

Speaker 3: 50:36

Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 2: 50:38

Okay. Exactly like a rock, quarry Perfect, I did not know, and these things can get massive.

Speaker 3: 50:42

So not great for the environment, I will say that. But today this town is part of a larger suburban area and it is one of the largest is located within a native people's reservation oh so coal strip mining reservation named after a community in Alabama. I think if you really really think, you can start putting some of these pieces together.

Speaker 2: 51:44

I'm actually I'm trying to think a couple of different things. I'm trying to think a couple of different things. I'm trying to think of, like, native American areas that could have, but it has to have production right, mm-hmm.

Speaker 3: 52:01

But you got to look at not all Native people reservation and I call them Native people because you know I'm trying to be you politically correct please, please, I mean uh they're not all just like out in the middle of nowhere. You got to keep that in mind.

Speaker 3: 52:20

There's a lot of states where they are, you know, in and amongst heavily populated places. Because a lot of times when you think reservation, first thing that comes to your mind is the old West movies and you're thinking you know, oh, out in, you know Arizona and New Mexico, and you know, on the, the desert, you know that kind of thing. That's not the case.

Speaker 2: 52:43

Right, because then they have a casino. Just kidding, well, but I just watched Vegas Vacation and I tell you what, man Clark, I got a place we can go to Four, seven.

Speaker 3: 52:59

They got some different games.

Speaker 2: 53:03

I like when he's looking at them, he's looking, he's looking, he's looking and he's like think of a number. Well, I appreciate all the work that you do. I know that a lot of people who I associate with in person, who listen to the show. They always ask me like, do you have a book of facts and figures? And I said no, no, I think he really enjoys doing deep dive where it's not so blatantly obvious. I think he likes to do that just to add to the show.

Speaker 3: 53:35

So appreciate you doing that no problem, so we'll find out when you want me to insult you by saying st louis uh, you can go ahead. I was, I was waiting for it.

Speaker 2: 53:48

I'm not going to do that this time but, that being the case, I always enjoy spending time with you. A couple things we both made a promise about a derailleur hanger. We have travel coming up. As a matter of fact, I looked at Delta today, looking at something for our trip in January which led me to our flight for Atlanta. If you are traveling with your bicycle, I'm thinking about all the people who are going to Spring Tune-Up this weekend. I think about people who are traveling for Big Bragg, for Ragbri, which, oh, by the way I almost messed up.

Speaker 2: 54:28

Ragbri is going to another state. They are.

Speaker 3: 54:33

I've done six of these. We've always just stayed in Iowa, but they are cutting out for a brief period of time to a different state, which is kind of cool Minnesota, minnesota.

Speaker 2: 54:44

But if you're doing any of these trips, there's a little, of course, this is going to come after the Spring tune-up.

Speaker 3: 54:52

Spring tune-up, yeah, but it'll be good advice for anybody though.

Speaker 2: 54:56

It's good advice. I don't care who you are, no matter what, that's just good. Derailer hanger we're talking about, like a hook-looking piece of metal for the back of your bike. By the way, shop local. Don't go on Amazon. Go to your local bike store if you can, if your bike store sells your local parts.

Speaker 3: 55:18

Well, my bike store sent me to Amazon.

Speaker 2: 55:21

so Well, that's why I was trying to defend you, but I mean no, no no, yeah, if you can buy local, please.

Speaker 3: 55:27

Well, that's why I was trying to defend you. But I mean no, no, no, yeah, if you can buy local, they're not expensive. No, they're 20 to 30 dollars. The only problem is is you have to find the one that fits your bike. There's and that's the problem Brailer hangers comes in all different shapes and sizes and, based upon not just the brand but also the model of your bike, there's slight variations. So that's what makes it so hard. If you go on a ride, a multi-day ride and we've seen it at least two or three times where the derailleur hanger has busted, and then they go to the mechanic and the mechanic's like I got three, but none of them fit that bike, and then people are running around and sending emails and trying to find somebody who can come up with that particular derailleur hanger. So for sure, that's what makes it difficult. It's not like a rim, it's not like, you know, a cleat for a shoe.

Speaker 3: 56:23

Oh yeah, I mean, you might not get the rim you want, but you can get a rim. You know what I'm saying. You know, it's not like a seat post or a cleat for your shoes or pedal. It's very specific to your bike and that's why it's hard to find one. If you break it, yeah for sure I'm going to spend the $20.

Speaker 3: 56:44

Yeah, put it in your bag and carry it with you. It's very thin, doesn't take up much space. But let me tell you probably never need to use it. But if you do, show up to the mechanic and go, I need that fixed, and he'll go, I don't have that part, and you'll go, that's okay, I've got it right here.

Speaker 2: 56:59

The boys of leisure told me to buy it, so I have it.

Speaker 3: 57:03

Them there, boys at Leisure, said I need it more Alec, dennis and Scott.

Speaker 2: 57:09

Your donation is much appreciated, so thank you so much. Very much so, and with that being said, very soon for me and I think, very soon for you, it'll be a great day for a bike ride.

Speaker 3: 57:22

It will indeed.

Speaker 2: 57:24

All right, buddy, have a good day.

Speaker 3: 57:26

You too.

Speaker 1: 57:26

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.