Welcome to Cycling Men of Leisure

Speaker 1 0:49

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 Hello.

Speaker 2 1:03

As always, I'd like to welcome you to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. As always, I'm Adam and once again, lucky for me, I'm joined with my good friend, Mr Michael Sharp.

Speaker 3 1:16

It is lucky for you. Hello, adam, how you doing.

Speaker 2 1:19

I'm good and it is lucky. Buddy, it's good to see you. Yeah, good seeing you, man, it's been about 20 minutes Give or take, just kidding.

Speaker 3 1:41

Anything new? Just kidding. Um, uh, anything new. Um, well, if you happen to be watching us on youtube, my uh office slash studio is a construction zone right now. Uh, but uh, once I get it back, it's going to be new and improved and it's going to be awesome. And the daughter finished up school today, so we had a big party. They had a big party and yeah.

Speaker 2 2:00

You think YouTube will pull me if I say school's out for summer?

Speaker 3 2:05

Yeah, because that's not even close.

Speaker 2 2:11

I think we're good. So is that some baseboard there behind you leaning on the wall?

Speaker 3 2:16

No, that is actually acoustic panels. Oh, I'm putting some acoustic panels in my office too, to even improve the sound quality. Even more.

Speaker 2 2:29

So not only did you buy the fancy microphone, you now are making sure you don't have any loud, obnoxious sounds.

Speaker 3 2:38

Well, against this one wall, Plus, I like the way it looks. So you know, kill two birds with one stone.

Speaker 2 2:46

Yeah, some of the YouTube videos. Actually, you and I were learning how to do a few things. They were always talking about those acoustic panels. That's pretty cool.

Speaker 3 2:54

Well, how about you they?

Speaker 2 2:55

were always talking about those acoustic panels. That's pretty cool. Well, finishing up a pretty big work project for the job that pays me, and thank you. Thank you for the residents of Livingston County who pay me. I appreciate that. I'm really happy to have this project done. To be honest, I actually sent the final email today, which I'll talk about it. I was tasked with like a 6-7 month project of trying to get new software for the residents who ride the bus. I'm in transportation. If this is your first time, I doubt it, but if it is, I'm in transportation. Hey look, you got your viewfinder are. Are you bored or what? Yeah, let me know when you're done. Oh, my gosh, I can see your eyeballs through that. It's really creepy. So, anyways, project is done, I'm happy and ready to move on with my life. I'm done, oh, okay.

Speaker 3 3:56

I apologize, listeners All right.

Listener Spotlight Guesses Revealed

Speaker 2 4:03

Next. Hey, we had some guesses on the listener spotlight. We did, but why don't you give us the clues first?

Speaker 3 4:17

Okay, the clues are as followed for this episode's Listener Spotlight. This community started out in a territory named for a different state in the early 1800s. The early major industry was textiles. The early major industry was textiles. It is home, or was home, to nine Civil War generals, and they were not all from the same side. The town's name changed due to tensions leading up to the War of 1812. And during World War II, the military established a big presence in this community and the final one was this city could have been the inspiration for a well-known Elton John song.

Speaker 2 5:11

All right, I'm going to give you the guesses and order that they came in.

Speaker 3 5:17

Okay.

Speaker 2 5:19

Two minutes after recording, adam Baranski said Huntsville, alabama. Well, but before you say yes, or no.

Speaker 3 5:29

I have no clue how that relates to Candle in the Wind.

Speaker 2 5:33

It's not Candle in the Wind, it's Rocket man, so anyways. So on March 25th, wade Paul said my guess for listener spotlight is Huntsville, alabama. It meets all the other criteria. The hints were pretty vague, though. A lot of places in that area have all the same general descriptions starting about the same time different name at founding, part of the different famous state. And then we got our friend Alex Bell, and Alex Bell gave us someplace else and he says my guess for the listener spotlight is Lexington, virginia. Here's my reasoning for my guess, not necessarily in the order of the clues. The town was originally known as Campbell's ford but was changed to lexington to honor the battle of lexington. Gilbert campbell was operated a ford across the is it maury river? M-a-u-r-y.

Speaker 2 6:45

Maury river um yeah, was an early settler born in sc. Nine generals were born there or in the area, including Stonewall Jackson and Robert Lee. There is a yellow brick road which is leading to the Elton John song. There you go. Learning Center in Lexington. Textiles were a part of early Lexington's history, but not a dominant industry like in other states of the South. Virginia Military Institute, expedited commissioned officers, graduates during World War II. My answer to the first clue may be a little weak. Lexington was in the colony of Virginia and then just last night our regular guest, jeff, said my guest for listener spotlight in Huntsville.

Speaker 2 7:43

Alabama City started out as a territory named for a different state in the early 1800s, which was the Mississippi Territory. Early major industry in the area was textiles Cotton. During World War II the military established a very big presence in this area, the Redstone Arsenal. The town changed its name prior to the War of 1812. The original name was British in origin Twickenham. Nine Civil War generals if I could speak English and slow down were born in or very near this city. Not all fought for the same side Five for the Confederacy and four for the Union. Could have been the inspiration for a well-known Elton John song, rocket man, and Jeff says which is a wise man to say this. My wife actually figured this out, so we have three guesses and for the first time I actually gave up a guess that could possibly be the answer without saying St Louis Missouri. Ladies and gentlemen, mr Michael Sharp, tell us from our guesses, is anybody correct?

Speaker 3 9:00

Adam, you were incorrect.

Speaker 2 9:05

Oh man what.

Speaker 3 9:11

I'm just jacking about you were actually right.

Speaker 2 9:13

Was I really.

Speaker 3 9:14

You were right.

Speaker 2 9:15

Holy.

Speaker 3 9:20

He actually got one right after like 60 of these.

Speaker 2 9:25

Now, be honest, tell the truth. I know you are on this show, did I or did I not say two minutes after recording Huntsville Alabama?

Speaker 3 9:34

You said you did some. Yeah, two minutes after recording Huntsville, alabama, you said you, you did some. You, yeah, you came up with Huntsville pretty quickly. Yeah, I don't know if it's two minutes, but yeah, yeah, it was originally a British name and because of the War of 1812, they changed it. The military moved in and had, asff had said, the uh redstone arsenal. They also had a chemical weapons plant there and also, uh, rocket research.

Speaker 2 10:03

Um was done there.

Speaker 3 10:06

Say that five times real fast yeah, rocket research, rocket research and it was part of the Mississippi Territory originally. So Adam Wade, jeff, well done Must have made it too easy.

Speaker 2 10:23

Well listen, let's be honest. If I got it, Good point.

Speaker 3 10:31

So there we go.

Speaker 2 10:33

Congratulations everyone. So, truth be told, what we? We actually learned a few things, though. So after we recorded, normally we end the recording. Make sure the upload all works out, because it's all uploads to the internet. If you're not, I've never done a podcast. We we use a piece of software that uploads in the background, and and I went on a tangent, and Michael never gives me the answer, which I'm glad that he doesn't and so I said I think it's Rocket man, and you were kind of defiant and said well, how would you just? I mean, he and John had many songs.

Speaker 1 11:07

Well, there's tons of them.

Speaker 2 11:09

And I just kept searching. I'm like, ok, what are, what are cities with NASA? And I told you about the nasa dome in ohio and we learned that was the glenn campbell research center, and so, uh, and then you found something very interesting nasa has a couple, a couple of buildings that they're not going to tell you about. You found those, but that it was like uh, no, yeah, they have some.

Speaker 3 11:31

If you look under, you know, look up nasa and you look up all their locations, there is like two undisclosed locations that are just numbers, yeah, which I thought was very interesting. It's like, hmm, what goes on at number three and number seven or whatever numbers they were, but yeah, it was like just some random, doesn't give a state, doesn't give a town, doesn't give anything, just number, you know whatever. So there's something, uh, something dark going on there.

Speaker 2 12:04

I'm quite sure well, I appreciate all the work you put into it and and as as we've been very transparent before, we get together for a few rough draft sessions of not pre-recording, but we kind of go over the outline and I just kept being very, very cocky by saying, hey, I got this one right and so, for the first time in four seasons, I'll give it to you.

Speaker 3 12:30

Yeah, you were very, very. Yes, this is the right answer. How did you feel when I said it wasn't I.

Speaker 2 12:44

I actually was thinking. I was hoping that alex was correct in the yellow brick road. So hey, I have no problem being wrong. I mean, that's all good.

Speaker 3 12:48

But uh, you got. You got one under your belt now. Congratulations, buddy.

Speaker 2 12:53

Oh, buddy, well, that's pretty good. Well, I know that people highly enjoy the listener spotlight. I know people like to send in guesses, talk about it even when we see our friends, and there's been a couple of recommendations for the website and we've got, we've got, uh, someone working on something for us really cool. So I'm not going to let that cat out of the bag yet, but, uh, something cool for our website coming up. So, um, um, let me move down the list here. We we showed off our big brag team jersey on the website and got a lot of positive responses. So, um, this year, the the jersey. Uh, if you don't know, um, when we go to brag bicycle ride across georgia. If you don't ever ride brag and don't care about brag, I'm sorry, but uh, that's kind of. That's kind of the spotlight for us. It's our first big adventure for 2025 coming up.

Speaker 2 13:59

This year we had someone named Brian Fritz BrianLeeFritzcom, great artist. If you're looking for a picture of your bicycle. He now does cars, birds, all kinds of stuff Very talented. He also does jersey design and he helped us with our jersey. Um, he had a couple different um versions. We had something different from the men and the women and michael kudos to you. Um, you came up with the idea of why don't we become one? So what we did is we have the same color, same theming, and we put the men's logo on the men's jersey and the women's logo on the women's. But if you saw us all in one big picture, we'd all look the same. All is 43 this year, so pretty excited. That is on our Facebook page if you're curious and want to look at it. So thank you, brian BrianLeafRitzcom. Reach out to him if you're looking for some sort of nice piece of art with your bicycle. He can help you out. How's your packing coming, um?

Speaker 3 15:09

uh, it's coming, I'm, I'm, uh, I'm slowly moving, uh, moving in that direction. I have out in my other room over here, uh, a bunch of stuff laid out on the floor. So I'd say, short of actually putting it into the bag, I'm probably 70% done, cool, so yeah.

Weather Technology for Cyclists

Speaker 2 15:32

Yeah, yeah, I'm the same way. So, um, I think I've talked about it, but I did a major basement um remodel. It is perfect for packing for cycling trips. It's got a countertop that's 15 feet long and so I've got all my stuff laid out there and maybe I'm a little bit lucky that my wife is out of town. My wife's taking care of her father in another state, so I think she might kill me if she saw what I did. It's all good, I love you, lauren, but no, she wouldn't kill me. She'd probably understand.

Speaker 2 16:11

But yes, I was, was gonna try to do one bag, one large bag, one. You know I use those roller bags and it's just not gonna happen. Um, I tried and tried to use the packing cubes. I took a. Actually I copied off you full transparency. You had those.

Speaker 2 16:31

These are compressible packing cubes where you put everything in and then you zip them again to suck them down. And even though I did that and I started putting those squished down packing cubes inside the bag, by the time you get all your jerseys and clothes and stuff to sleep. And you know, I'm looking at the I'll let you talk about this later but our charter and I'm looking at their list. I'm looking at bragorglist of packing recommendations, making sure that I knowing from prior times that I put stuff in that I just never use, and going back and forth. It's just not going to work with one bag, so I think I'm going to have two bags that are not this time busting at the seams. I'm still happy with the packing cubes. It's definitely helps for organization and getting everything done. So I appreciate you know you kind of show me that, um, but it's definitely going to be uh, two, two roller bags again, but oh well, yeah, it is what it is.

Speaker 3 17:43

You have to get all the stuff there.

Speaker 2 17:45

Yeah, and you know we bring the, we bring, you know, some podcasting equipment and then and some libations and cigars and all that stuff. So it's like, oh well, this is not going to fit. So then I just kind of succumb to the idea of still going to try to make it minimal packing.

Speaker 3 18:07

Make it a second very light bag. How about that?

Speaker 2 18:11

I like that. That's even better, and we have to make room for our DeBrims. You did get your DeBrim right.

Speaker 3 18:19

Where's that viewfinder thing at? You finished talking.

Speaker 2 18:29

Hey, I know that you're not a fan of DeBrims, but I'll rock it for us.

Speaker 3 18:36

If that's what you're calling it, then yeah, you go for it, buddy.

Speaker 2 18:40

Yeah, oh, where's this my? I forgot about this. Now let me ask you what's your plan for shoes this year?

Speaker 3 18:51

Let it just go barefoot. How about that? No, I've got my shoes packed. I think if if anybody remembers talking about me, talking about it last year, and if you remember, I actually took two pairs of cycling shoes unnecessary, but you know you like to bring up the whole year that I went to Michigan and we did the 165 miles and I forgot my shoes and we couldn't find a replacement shoe. So I was in my feel as all day, uh, which I made it, but um, so then that kind of puts the fear in me and I'm like, oh, so I wound up packing two pairs. I have the sandals and I had the shoes, so, uh, actually two pairs last year, I'm just planning on taking one pair this year, but I am planning on taking one pair, so I will have shoes, good, good, good, um.

Speaker 2 19:43

We always recommend. Derailleurs, did you pack your derailleur?

Speaker 3 19:47

Uh, the derailleurs on the bike. Now, I did pack an extra derailleur hanger.

Speaker 2 19:52

Oh sorry. Sorry, Derailleur hanger yes.

Speaker 3 19:55

Oh, yes, I uh, after a couple of years at RAGBRAI, back to back, where we had people uh on the different text chains that we were on, uh on websites, um, or Facebook pages, and actually at that one place somebody came around to our camp and was asking us because they busted the derailleur hanger. And uh, even though we were at RAGB, Rag Bry and there's I don't know dozen, two dozen bike shops represented there, derailleur hangers are specific to every different bicycle and nobody had one. And ever since that time I carry one with me, it's in my bike bag. So, just in case, Did you update your computer? I'm hoping you'll do that for me.

Speaker 2 20:46

Oh, I usually do. I usually handle those technology logistics yeah.

Speaker 3 20:51

I don't have time for that technology thing. You just update it and then give it back to me and I'll slap it on the bike. No problem, you just follow that route real close I'm out in the middle of a field somewhere going off a bridge that doesn't go all the way across, and you just see me teeter off the end and splash remember, in 2018 and ragbri, my computer wanted to put us out in the middle of a cornfield that one day it seemed like every five minutes.

Speaker 3 21:22

It's like turn here? Well, there's no turn, there's a barbed wire fence and it was wanting us to go through a cornfield.

Speaker 2 21:29

Yeah, I was so frustrated because I had just bought that computer. It was my first and I love by the way, I'm going to mention a name just because this is a cycling podcast, wahoo, but and I'm a huge wahoo fan I mean I use a, I use a hammerhead now, but I'm, I'm wahoo is like the apple of bike computers, custom screens, everything but that original one that I had and maybe a setting that I had on or something. And I was so frustrated because I bought it right before, right before ragpry. It was like turn left and I would say to you, this damn thing wants me to turn left. Like turn left into what?

Speaker 3 22:07

and I was like there there is no turn left and it would just show the route, literally turning left and going through, and you'd like look to your left and there's just this huge cornfield and it's like I don't think that's a good shortcut at all.

Speaker 1 22:20

But didn't you have to send that?

Speaker 3 22:22

back though, and didn't they give you a new one? Or they redid something and then send it back. They were very good on the customer service, I'll tell you what and they got you hooked up.

Speaker 2 22:34

I'm not a sponsor. They're not a sponsor. I wish they were. But yes, I have to say their customer support was without a shot of a doubt. I mailed it to them. I had to show proof of purchase, which was no problem. I was able to do that, and once I showed proof of purchase, they actually drilled a hole through it, sent it back, and then they also sent me the new one. Drilled a hole through it, so I guess I couldn't reuse it.

Speaker 3 23:02

Yeah, and I think, if I remember, remember right and I could be wrong here I think you were a little concerned because we had another ride coming up and you worried you weren't going to get it in time for that next ride.

Speaker 2 23:10

yeah, but you did, I did got it back and, and on that trip it did not take us to a cornfield, although we got some good mileage out of the jokes, like is it going to tell us to turn right in that lake?

Speaker 3 23:20

right there it's pretty hot, so you always hear those stories about people who follow their car GPS and they end up in a lake and it's like, or they end up on a you know a road that just ends in the wilderness, and now you know things like that.

Speaker 2 23:34

So do you guys have seasonal roads by you? No, we don't. So in Michiganigan, as you would assume, we have seasonal roads. You know, in the winter it's like april 5th. You know the uh. You can't bring logging trucks down certain roads and they're trying to make sure they firm up the sure it's just. You know different ones, but my first gps was a magellan. Um, this is not for bicycle, just to be clear. It was supposed to be for like backpacking, camping, and then they came out with a piece of software that you could use for your car. We're talking 20 years ago. I was going to say 20 years. I'll never forget that we were heading what we call up north Michigan. We were heading up north and I put the address where we were going and it was 9.30, 10 o'clock at night and just the story that you just told happened to us. It was like get off the freeway, go five miles this way, turn left and everyone's like where are the? I'm like don't worry, guys, I got my GPS, I know right where we're going.

Speaker 2 24:39

I trust technology and I'm standing up for the GPS, don't worry. Don't worry. And sure enough, man, it turns us down this two track and everyone's like all right, this is enough. So, anyways. And then I remember arguing with my father. I'm like I got a GPS. And then I remember him saying, not like a big argument, but him and him saying well, I think that's just a general location. I'm like, no, no, no, it's by satellite. He's like well, I don't care if it's by satellite or not.

Speaker 2 25:09

That is not right, you know someone's satellites a little jacked up you know he's, uh, was a pilot and and you know he was very, you know, map, map driven and, but but now the GPSs are just absolutely amazing, I mean, which kind of leads us to our, our next segment, which is do you use, besides a bicycle computer, do you use any kind of technology for cycling events that you're going on besides, besides the bike computer? And as far, as technology.

Speaker 3 25:43

Would it be more specific?

Speaker 1 25:47

I mean I use a lot of technology.

Speaker 2 25:50

We both do like the radars. That's true, Like I'm more leaning. Like, and do you use any specific apps?

Speaker 3 25:57

Oh, okay, like for weather, yeah, for instance, yeah, um, you know there is a couple that I use especially for weather. Um, I'm very keyed into weather now, especially after your buddy, jeff, saved us in iowa that one year. Um, thank you, jeff ragbrai. Yes, that ragbrai got hit with the uh the tornado um, so, yeah, I mean, as far weather goes, I've always used kind of the weather underground as kind of my go-to app, don't know why, just something my father always used. It's underground. It's underground, yeah, like what do you know, which is kind of weird. It's like what do you know about the weather if you're underground?

Geocaching: Outdoor Treasure Hunting

Speaker 3 26:34

But whatever, the other one that I I uh find very interesting is, uh, radar scope, okay, and uh, now, that is a paid service. It's not much, uh, I think like six dollars a month or something, but uh, you know, it has a lot of great, as the name would imply, radar features. It's got like next rad visuals um, you can monitor hurricanes, like you know, kind of that second by second that you see on tv, uh, that type of thing. You access storm severity. It keeps you up to date if you're in a storm. You know, like the level of severity and stuff. It's very, um, it's very good, uh, when you're in a bad situation. I mean it'll you know you've got up-to-date radar, you know it's telling you exactly where you're at, what the level of the storm is, that kind of stuff. So, um, that one's a good one too. Now also gives good information around lightning data, which, as a cyclist, I can appreciate.

Speaker 2 27:40

So yes, yes, yes, that would be. That would be something you definitely want to know. How about you? Yeah, I do two things, and one is I wouldn't say really download or anything, but my one of my tricks is let's see if I can do this easy for those who enjoy us on youtube. He's giving away his pro tips. Yeah, I'm gonna show you.

Speaker 2 28:06

So this year, the ride for our first adventure starts in rome, georgia, and I'm hoping I can pull this off. But rome, if you want to, I there you go. Yeah, there we go.

Speaker 2 28:20

I I put rome, cartersville, jasper, dawsonville, and I put each city that I'm going to go to as a, as a pre-measured or pre-determined weather location. That way, throughout the week, you know, like, especially when we did brag, bryan put every overnight town in there, georgia, or every overnight town, and and kind of gives me a couple different things. It gives me, uh, kind of like, um, a metric across the state, what I'm expecting temperature wise, and so, like you know right now it's reading right now but it's telling me the high for today in Rome was 80, and so it goes anywhere, for across the state is 80, 80, 76, 77, 80, 83. And so I can see the highs for the week, and then I can also see the lows, and then it shows me the weather, and so it kind of helps me out.

Speaker 2 29:15

And and what? What app do you use to do that? This is actually, I do have an iPhone. You do not have to have an iPhone, by the way, you could use, you know, whatever. I'm sure Android has a, I'm just not familiar with it and I apologize.

Speaker 3 29:31

So you're just using Apple's weather app then?

Speaker 2 29:33

That is correct, and so I just go to my weather app and then I for a city, and then you're able to save it. Matter of fact, I keep Lewisburg on there.

Speaker 3 29:47

As you should. I mean you got to know. I'm getting pummeled with rain.

Speaker 2 29:51

Well, the other night I saw that you were getting 70 mile an hour wind speed.

Speaker 3 29:57

Yeah, we pretty much had a hurricane wind speed yeah, we pretty much had a hurricane. We had shade, over 70 mile an hour winds and heavy rains, and the rain was going sideways and all that. So it wasn't a good time. But it's Kansas that happens.

Speaker 2 30:14

I keep my hometown, I keep Orlando. I like to always see the weather in orlando. It's 94 degrees there today, so very warm down there. But yes, um and the other the other app that I specifically use is windy. Now I want to give credit where credit is due. Um, a few years ago, um, the same gentleman who saved our beep in in iowa, uh, told me about the windy app spelled w-i-n-d-y, just like it sounds. And what windy does is does a few things, but what I like it for.

Speaker 2 30:54

You know, cyclists are always either like a tailwind everybody loves a tailwind, everybody loves a tailwind, nobody hates I mean, everybody hates a headwind. But if you actually can look as your current GPS location, you can actually look anywhere in the world if you want. But for cycling, specifically on the adventures, you can say, okay, I'm in Rome, let's see what the wind's like. Rome to Cartersville, which is our first trip down the road, you can actually kind of look at both and say, okay, well, we're looking at either a storm or wind or whatever. It has a few radar features but more to show you the speed of the wind and everything else, and so I think for cycling now it could be good or bad. I mean, let's be honest, if you're on one of those adventures, you have to go, no matter what, right, yeah, that could be demoralizing if you look at it ahead of time and it's like, wow, hey, we're starting off the morning.

Speaker 3 31:50

We got 20 mile an hour headwinds. That's yeah, yeah. If you see that, don't tell me I won't, just I won't, even though I realize we've got headwinds, don't just you know but if I say you know what, why don't we wait two hours to start?

Speaker 2 32:08

you'll know there's a reason why I'll be like excellent donut bread. If you see me sitting down, slowing down, enjoying a coffee and saying we're not going just yet, you'll know why.

Speaker 3 32:22

You've been on the windy app going ooh, this doesn't look good. Okay, that's fair enough. So no, I mean, you know and there's probably another 200 of them out there that people can use but it really blows my mind nowadays, because of the technology we have available, my mind, nowadays, because of the technology we have available, that if you and I were doing what we're doing now, I was going to say 20 years ago, but I was doing this 20 years ago, say, you know, 30 years ago, even 20 years ago, honestly, you know, we didn't have kind of that immediate access to up-to-date weather. You know, you could listen to a local radio station, you could look in the sky, you could listen to the night before forecast. But nowadays, I mean we've got it. You know, minute by minute, radar is telling us. So I mean it's just really incredible, the technology out there that we have available. And so I would suggest to everybody, regardless of what app you're using, download some weather app. So I would suggest to everybody, regardless of what app you're using, download some weather app.

Speaker 3 33:26

I think Adam's idea is brilliant have the weather for every single day. Stop. I personally don't do it because I have an Adam and Adam does it. So I'll be like so what's the weather look like today? So I just ask him I'll be like so what's the weather look like today? So I just ask him but I think it's, I think it's fantastic and I think everybody needs to to utilize technology to your advantage when you're out there on your bicycle.

Speaker 2 33:50

So, yeah, no, for sure. I mean, and you know, you and I definitely plan these things way in advance and we put a lot of logistics behind it to make sure that we have a better experience by doing it, which would also lead me to believe that if I'm watching the weather 10 days in advance, I don't put a lot of faith in it. But if it's like five days in advance, four days in advance, three days in advance, and I'm seeing the same thing, I may or may not reserve a hotel that's cancelable in the same day or 30 minutes in advance.

Speaker 2 34:25

Yeah, you did that before too, you know and I think this brings up another point.

Speaker 3 34:27

As much as I like to laugh about your de brum and that type of thing, it serves a purpose and I understand what that purpose is. I mean, you're the type of guy that you know you stand too close to the microwave for two minutes and you, you know, got a nice crispy sunburn going that. My point here is, you know, make sure that you're watching the weather, make sure that you are wearing sunscreen or some type of protective garment, and if that's a DeBrim, well then that's a DeBrim. But you know, it's really important nowadays. I went out last weekend to a graduation who has graduations outside.

Trying Full-Service Charter for BRAG

Speaker 3 35:11

I used to take pictures for a photography company when I was in college and we took pictures for all the local colleges and universities around the area and all the high schools, and there was never one outside. I've been to hundreds of them. This one was outside. I had no idea, Didn't say anything on the invitation or nothing, and so it is out in the bright sun and I was out there for an hour and my head was, like you know, bright red. So could have used the brim. Well, I could have, but I didn't.

Speaker 2 35:45

You would look really silly at graduation.

Speaker 3 35:47

Well, my point is, you know, we are in that season, the sun seems to be a little stronger than it used to be. So I'm just saying, you know whether it's a brim, whether it's sunscreen, I would suggest I've started and I you, you know this. Uh, years ago, a couple of years ago, I didn't wear the? Uh the arm sleeves. I do that all the time Now, uh, number one it blocks the sun's sun. And number two, if it gets super hot, you just wet them down and you get a little extra cooling motion. Be at leg things. Just be cautious and be prepared. The sun is out there. Wear the Debrim if that's what's going to keep you from burning, because it can do some real damage. So there's my public service announcement for today, sorry, and now you know.

Speaker 2 36:32

No, on a serious note, I get asked all the time on my sun legs and sun arms all the time, isn't that hot? Yes, I want to be honest. When I'm standing and not moving on the bike, if I'm standing and we're talking, it can get a little warm. I'm not going to sit here and be dishonest, but when you're moving you don't even feel it. You don't even feel it at all. I mean, but normally when you and I we see the sun, we usually find some shade or or something. You know we don't stand out and I'm not a very good piece of corn. I mean, I've turned into popcorn. But you're right, I do get sun burn.

Speaker 2 37:13

I'm fair, fair skin you've been with me on rides before. That's why I wear all that stuff Do.

Speaker 3 37:27

I realize that the brand looks kind of silly and stupid Sure, but that's okay and I'm willing to be. It's got a purpose and even though I I'll admit it, I laugh about it all the time and make fun of it, I understand there is a purpose and there's a serious purpose behind it. So I can respect the perp. I don't respect the hat. I can respect the purpose of the hat.

Speaker 2 37:42

Fair enough, it's my signature. Look, I mean people, I mean when I'm going down the road, I mean remember Savannah and that could be your signature.

Speaker 3 37:51

Look too, but I wouldn't.

Speaker 2 37:53

I cannot compete with team Flamingo. Those guys aren't rag braai. Good point I wouldn't look good in a pink boa, but You're exactly right. Hey, you know, speaking of all this technology and apps and stuff, we always like to introduce other parts of leisure, not just cycling. We've kind of branched out a little bit. Let's talk about geocaching for a second.

Speaker 3 38:27

I don't even know what that is. I get cash for being in a certain place.

Speaker 2 38:31

Geocaching, yes actually you get cash and then you see a guy named Geo and he's like hey.

Speaker 3 38:36

Michael hey Geo.

Speaker 2 38:38

Hey, welcome. So for those of you who have never geocached, you're basically using GPS devices and clues and different tricks of the trade to find different caches, if you will, or a certain spot in a certain place and and you know there's books of them you can search for them and these could be out in the middle of the water, where they're like on a buoy, where you have to actually paddle out and then open it up and leave the log. You know that you found this item, um, but you can use all these, these gps and and you know devices to find these. I mean, there's some out on the. I mean, oh, oh, I know one here's. You're gonna like this, okay. So I was told about a cache. I've never done it myself, I'm a very. I'm familiar about it, but I was told about a cache in a library and it's called the Dewey Geocache. Yes, we do.

Speaker 3 39:39

Dewey as in Dewey decimal.

Speaker 2 39:43

That's right, and it says the geocache description Dewey geocache yes, we do, and we have a book on it and hundreds of similar topics, and in this case there's a cache inside of a library and it says this cache will help you learn more about what this local building has to offer and teach your little about how to use it. The geocache has multiple parts, but they're all in the same building, meaning you can only hunt for this during operational hours. Due to the location, stealth is required, as muggles are all about. The website attached has our hours and so then it has a decryption code here and you can just different ways of finding different geocaches. And and I mean there's, they've got, uh, go premium with the geocaching app. You can. You can just go crazy with these things, but so so let me understand this, okay.

Speaker 3 40:36

Basically, they start you out at point a, it's. It sounds a lot like back in the boy scout days, when we did orientation things. Um, we go from one point to the next and then at that point you would go to another point based upon a clue or something, yeah, and then you end at this, this log or whatever, and you sign it.

Speaker 2 40:57

That you you in fact did did find it yeah, and some of them have like milk crates and so they stay waterproof not milk crates, but like a milk jug. So so items stay waterproof or sometimes they're in they're literally are in watertight devices so that you can open it up, sign the log book. Or sometimes they give away things, like people will put little trinkets in there and say, hey, hey, I left something in this cache. You know, they went out and found it and it gets people moving outside a lot of times it gets you hiking.

Speaker 3 41:28

They need to do that for cycling, cycling, geocache, do they?

Speaker 2 41:32

They do do bike. Yeah, they do bike ride with geocaching. Well, we need to do that sometime. Just to say we've done it.

Speaker 1 41:44

Remember when we went to Shoreline in Michigan.

Speaker 2 41:46

I remember we were out to the Dairy.

Speaker 3 41:47

Queen which was not geocaching Dairy Queen, you mean the Dairy Queen we were to like, two or maybe three times I think we were. You can't go wrong with a good bike ride and an ice cream Bikes and blizzards that would be my. That would be a great ride. You ride from one town to the next, not hitting bars but hitting Dairy Queens.

Speaker 2 42:08

Oh man, I'm in, but we saw that van, with the geocache on the back.

Speaker 3 42:16

Well, we actually didn't know what it was. It was geocache, though we didn't know what it was, so I took a picture of it. What was it?

Speaker 2 42:22

It was like one of those little, very weird QR code. It wasn't a QR code, but it was a very similar looking QR code.

Speaker 2 42:28

It was in the shape of something bizarre. Yeah, and it turns out that I found out the terminology it's called a trackable, and so you can actually, uh, people have an app that they can scan, so if they find your vehicle, like hey, I saw this vehicle parked at the st louis arch, and then they take a picture of it and then it says, oh I, I found the same vehicle in chicago the next day, we're like, hmm, that guy must have driven from St Louis to Chicago.

Speaker 3 42:58

I found your white van down by the river.

Speaker 2 43:02

But what I was told would be cool yeah, selling government cheese, but I was told that you could actually put these on your bike. So then if we actually went to each town and we could show a map of everywhere our bike has been, which is like a Strava heat map, but just a different activity that you could do with some GPS technology.

Speaker 3 43:23

So basically you're asking people to stalk you.

Speaker 2 43:27

Well, actually they're always one day behind.

Speaker 3 43:32

Are they Because, when they take the picture, they're not.

Speaker 2 43:36

Well, you don't have to post until the next day oh, okay sounds a little creepy to me, but anyway that I mean that's.

Speaker 3 43:44

You're right. It is a good way to get out outdoors and and do different activities, and I'm not that familiar with it. I know we briefly have talked about it once or twice, but uh, really didn't know that much about it well, depending on how you have your strava and if you have it open posting people, you're doing the same thing I was gonna say people could stalk you.

Speaker 2 44:09

Now that's why some, some people turn the sharing off to only friends only, or I don't care if somebody really wants to stalk me as I ride across Georgia or Indiana or wherever I'm riding.

Speaker 3 44:22

Well then you know, hey, you need a better hobby. But go for it.

Speaker 2 44:28

Well, ladies and gentlemen, you can find him 13 steps down.

Speaker 3 44:31

Money through Friday here, in my basement, in my construction zone. That's where I'll be, so come on by, we'll have.

Speaker 2 44:39

I'll have coffee for you. I'm not going to drink any of it. If you're coming by, could you bring some ice cream there you go. Well, listen, speaking of that is your young lady who is out for the summer, going to be your personal assistant for the summer.

Speaker 3 44:56

You know I don't think. So she's very happy to be out. Uh, she starts high school next year. Uh, I'm surprised we haven't heard her because she's having a sleepover with one of her friends, you know, being the last day and all but um, I don't know. I don't think she'll be my personal assistant, but we do have a couple of activities scheduled that her and I are going to do and we're going to try to get some more just biking around the community, more and that kind of stuff. So it should be, should be fun. I'm looking forward to this summer.

Speaker 2 45:24

Well, I know that she highly enjoys spending time with you and and, uh, I've been with you a few times, you know, doing homework and stuff. So hopefully that, uh, that last you know, because I know that there's that weird age where parents are uncool and then kind of comes full circle of parents are cool again.

Speaker 3 45:41

I don't know, though I'm pretty cool. I didn't tell. I think I did tell you this.

Speaker 1 45:50

I went on the they needed parents for a field trip last Friday. Oh yeah, you took me to.

Speaker 3 45:53

Fort Scott, fort Scott Historical Society, and I volunteered. It's like you know, I'm a history guy, so I was like, yeah, I'll go if you need help. And so I went and I got to, you know, hang around with some of her friends all day, and you know we saw how they you know the laundress washed the clothes for the fort and how they loaded cannons and how the quartermaster did his job, and so you know I mean, yeah, I'm still, I'm still okay, sort of maybe a little cool Dad.

Speaker 2 46:21

I'm just kidding. How did I do?

Speaker 3 46:25

That was beautiful. I mean, that was like spot on. I love it. Okay, maybe I'm not cool, but I did hang out with a bunch of young people, so it was a. It was a good time.

Speaker 2 46:35

Well, I'm I'm excited that you're spending some of the summer with our adventures, and I'm happy that you guys are spending time together. So, yeah, it's a good time. Moving on, sir. According to our outline, this is your chapter.

Speaker 3 46:51

Oh, this is good. We are going to do something on Bragg that you and I have never done before, and now that's. We've been doing these adventures for a long time now and there are very few things cycling wise when we go on the, especially these week-long rides. That is new for us. I mean, you know we've pretty much seen it all, did it all when you're dealing with week-long rides, but during Bragg, let me stop. Let me go back About three episodes.

Speaker 3 47:25

Four episodes ago we had some gentlemen on, jimmy and Dave from Padres Cycling Inn. We interviewed them. Cycle Inn excuse me, cycling Inn. We interviewed them. Cycle Inn excuse me, cycle Inn. We interviewed them, talked about what they offered and what they were doing this year, because we had met them. We'd seen them a lot of places, but we had met them when we were doing Shoreline last year, wound up at a distillery with them and their crew one evening and had them on the show.

Speaker 3 48:00

And so you and I are going to be participating in a full service charter for Bragg. We have done these things independently. We have done these things with just, uh, just, you know, kind of the partial charter where it's like we get you a ride there, uh, we have a campsite for you every night. But this is the first time we've ever done a full service charter and so we are going to, uh, be with that group and it'll be fun because you know we'll we'll meet some new people and and try out their services and and see what that's like. You realize we are getting to the point where we keep trying these things out and it's going to be hard for us to go back.

Speaker 3 48:50

Yeah, I know, two years ago we got to try out Franklin's snooze box. Snooze boxze box, yes, and let me tell you tried that out for a night and the next night it was a little rough. I was like, oh man, this is not nearly as comfortable as I had last night. So but we're gonna do that. Uh, they're full service. They, you know, set up your tent, have your gear there for you. They take down your tent in the morning, they haul your gear back and put it on a truck and drive it to the next place. They have bike racks and charging stations. I mean, it's full service. So I'm excited about it. I think it's going to be cool and I think that will give us some new, new uh subject matter to talk about.

Speaker 3 49:39

so and then once we've done this, we've pretty much done the whole, from independent basic charter, full service charter, snooze box. We've done it all for sure?

Speaker 2 49:52

no, for sure, definitely looking forward to it. I mean they, you know they have towel service and I'm looking on their website as you're talking, bike racks maintenance, which is good. Um, texting alerts. You need to sign up for their text alerts my friend. Uh, anyways, and then they have a suggested items of of packing as well. So yes it, um, it is a a different way for us to do brag and really excited about that for sure.

Speaker 3 50:22

So it's going to be, because normally we do inside, so we're not doing inside. This year we're going to do this and, don't worry, team, we're going to be easy to find because we've got our little flag. We'll put out front so you'll know exactly where we're at if you want to stop by. So it's going to be a new experience. I like this when we can try new things that we haven't done before no, I am, I am too.

Speaker 2 50:45

um, let's see here going to my list, uh, I'm going good. Um, I'm going to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors, which is Alex Bell, dennis Keeler and Scott Garwick. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 3 51:07

Our ongoing sponsors.

Speaker 2 51:08

Yes, absolutely Appreciate it guys. Let's see here, I believe, unless you have anything. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes, I almost forgot. Um, we are going to ask for a little bit of forgiveness.

Speaker 3 51:24

Um, we've asked you this before. We should ask for a lot of forgiveness, but well, okay.

Speaker 2 51:29

Well, I'll take a little. I take a mile. Ask a little, ask, take a mile. Just kidding, I'm just kidding. We've asked you this before. You've always been so gracious to us and shown your support.

Speaker 2 51:45

This show comes out every two weeks, as many of you loyal listeners know. We know who you are because on day one we see like 150 downloads and then we're like heck, yeah. And so we appreciate your enthusiasm of, of, of listening and and and helping us and along the way, michael is able to find new uh areas and spotlight those. So we appreciate you that we are going to bookend here with us with the listener spotlight. But, that being said, technically we really try our hardest, to the point where we even set aside some other time to make sure we can meet the two-week mark.

Speaker 2 52:23

Every Sunday at 4 o'clock Eastern is when we like to release the show. 4 o'clock Eastern on June 8th, when the show comes out two weeks. Yeah, we're going to be traveling home from Bragg. Yeah, we're going to be traveling home from Bragg, but we are going to try our hardest to record, formalize our notes, put everything together, any clips that we've gathered along the way, which we're pretty excited We've got an easier way to get some clips on the road now. So we're really excited about that and we're going to put all that together and we're really going to try our hardest to release the show, uh, on the 12th, on thursday, the 12th. So if you just give us a four-day reprieve, uh, we'd both be thankful, so absolutely we'll be a couple days late, but I hopefully it'll be worth it.

Speaker 3 53:15

That's our, I think it'll be worth it.

Speaker 2 53:16

I think it'll be worth it. Usually we have some good stuff and you know, last year we got to sit down with John EMS, ems motorcycle guy, yeah, and we got Franklin, and so you know what we should do.

New Listener Spotlight Clues

Speaker 3 53:30

We should sit down with, like Stephanie. I think that's a good idea, you know, you know because she's there, she takes all the calls, emails working hard.

Speaker 2 53:40

She's taking all these emails, yeah I mean franklin you know he does kissing babies, hugging women, children gets to go to europe all the time stephanie's left to do all the the heavy lifting.

Speaker 3 53:54

Well, we'll have to make that I'd call the union if I were you. But that's just my suggestion.

Speaker 2 54:02

Yes, I'm looking for the brag union, please.

Speaker 3 54:04

Who's?

Speaker 2 54:04

my union rep. I'm sorry they're not available this month. How can we help you All right? Well, listen, why don't we? Why don't we?

Speaker 3 54:26

wrap this up. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce the next listener spotlight. All right, I've got a good one here for you and I don't know it might be as easy. Apparently, last last episodes was easy. Well, I was glad to see so many people participated and and we had you know, never before have we had three people get the right answer, so maybe it's a start. This community for listener spotlight began in the early 1860s. The name changed twice, not once, but twice, before the Central Pacific Railroad selected its current name in the late 1860s. Its current name honors a native people's chief. Historically, it is best known for a disaster that occurred nearby, and the final one is snow, helped elevate this town into notoriety hmm, pretty easy, huh no well, I'll give you a hint it's not st louis and it's not huntsville well, thank you for the huntsville I

Speaker 2 55:49

mean, I just was thinking that, uh, I'm, I'm gonna give you some. Just hold, hold a straight face, because this is on YouTube as well. Initial thoughts Okay, when you said disaster, I was thinking of the Chicago fires and there is snow there. But I don't think Chicago is an Indian chief 1860s, union Pacific, anyways that's my first Okay. That's one.

Speaker 3 56:24

Well, you know, the great, the great Iroquois leader, chicago, now there, there wasn't.

Speaker 2 56:32

Okay, hey, at least I'm finally giving you some. You know I.

Speaker 3 56:35

I appreciate cause you're stepping up your participation in this, because before it was just like St Louis. I'm going to say St Louis until he does St Louis. So I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 56:48

By the way, I get the same report you do and we do have listeners. In St Louis we have several listeners in St. Louis, I have listeners in.

Speaker 3 56:57

St Louis. We have several listeners in St Louis.

Speaker 2 56:58

I know. That's why I thought you were going to use St Louis a couple times, because it would show there was downloads in St Louis. I'm like, oh, this is in St Louis Because I'm looking at the same report you do.

Speaker 3 57:08

Yeah, well.

Speaker 2 57:10

You can run the report a different way, though I know you can.

Speaker 3 57:14

And you know, sometimes I'm looking at trying to pull things from different areas of the country or trying to pull things from you know. I mean, sometimes I just see cities that I don't know anything about, honestly, and I'm like, hmm, I wonder what goes on in that town.

Speaker 1 57:36

I could just see that in your personal life this is what I picture.

Speaker 2 57:39

This is what I picture. This is what I picture you you're having dinner with your family and you're like did you guys know that? Um, in, in huntsville, alabama, blah, blah, blah? And your daughter's like uh, okay, dad, how did you learn that? Well?

Speaker 3 57:53

well, let me tell you you should listen to listener spotlight. Yeah, but you know, huntsville is the rocket city of America, so that one was pretty good.

Speaker 3 58:08

Yeah, so my family does get a little tired of my trivia sometimes. But honestly, there's a lot of times I will see a town, a city. I'll just be like I'm not familiar with that one, and then there'll be times when I'll go I'm not familiar with that, and then I start doing research and it's like wait a minute, I've been to this place, you know so I will tell you that there was a funny conversation.

Speaker 2 58:35

I was a something organic I was talking to and someone said well, I'm not a narcissistic person like yourself who has a podcast. I'm like Whoa, where did that come from? I'm like, well, okay, good point.

Speaker 3 58:51

We like to laugh at ourselves, so why not? That's right. So there we have it. If you guys have an answer to what the listener spotlight for this episode might be, drop us a line.

Speaker 2 59:06

Well, we are looking forward to our adventure across Georgia, rome to Hartswell, and not so many miles this time. More elevation, 20,000 plus feet of elevation throughout the week. Um, and we've got a lot of our friends we can't wait to see. Uh, to give Franklin's mother, franklin, the executive director of brag, some kudos. I really love the idea of the idea of summer camp. Um, bicycle summer camp and kudos. I really love the idea of the idea of summer camp, bicycle summer camp. I'm I'm behind the scenes. Few people have messaged us about the day that we're doing cart racing, a lot of people who listen to the show. We thank you. We can't wait to see you. We're truly excited. This is this is one we're really looking forward to. So, in that, in that note, I know very soon, excited, this is one we're really looking forward to. In that note, I know very soon, for both of us, it will be indeed a great day for a bike ride Absolutely.

Speaker 3 1:00:11

Thanks a lot, Adam. Thank you, buddy.

Speaker 1 1:00:13

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.