Older gentlemen and their bicycles
…..Pedal Pushers Online2009, by Darren Dencklau. “Trans America past Sixty”
“The siren’s lure of crossing the U.S. by bicycle is enticing for most anyone who spends a lot of time in the saddle. And although many cyclists consider it, most will not attempt it, fewer still actually do it. Making the journey requires serious dedication, conditioning, and most of all, loads of time, something most of us simply don’t have enough of. The physical challenge is daunting for athletes in their prime and many people wouldn’t consider attempting it well after their “prime” years. Or would they? After all, once a person retires, they have plenty of time to do whatever they want. Right?”
Portions of Bob’s story that follows include Pedal Pusher details (**).
In 2007 Bob Frassinello was beginning to plan a Transam ride with a friend, Mack Ford for an unsupported journey from Oregon to Virginia. The more the ride was discussed the more it was agreed that it should be attempted. Don Stipp was also enlisted in the ride “Allure Libre,” or at their own pace.
The planning was fast, and by June, 2008 the three bicyclists were ready to roll. The plan was designed to accommodate the endurance of “Mature” riders. Don had a pickup with an 18’ trailer that would serve as the cornerstone for a successful trip. Each day two riders would pedal 50-70 miles while the driver would drive and set up camp. It might be mentioned the three bicyclists neglected to train for this ride, so Mack, Frazz, and Stipp began the ride with a dismal level of fitness as they departed from Florence, Oregon heading to Eugene about 60 miles away, by the time they rolled into Idaho several days later the 50—70 daily miles became less grueling. The riders did not subscribe to using the pickup as a “Sag Wagon.” Each morning the bicyclists packed a lunch and took off for 7— 9 hours of pedaling. This accommodated a schedule where each rider bicycled 2 days then drove one; providing built in rest days and allowing each rider to complete about 200 miles per week over ten weeks and reach a total of about 2,000 miles for the trip. **In just over 2 months, the ride concluded in Yorktown, Virginia on July 31.
“We met a lot of people from Europe. They all had the same carefree and positive attitude, like ‘the worst day is still a good day,” Bob explains. “Everywhere along the Northern Tier there are signs welcoming Transam riders. The route curled from Northern Idaho through Missoula, Montana, through Northern Wyoming, via Yellowstone National Park, into Colorado and passes of the Rocky Mountains.
Bob continues: “The Rockies were tough, but not as tough as the Appalachian Mountains still looming hundreds of miles away. We had been warned about them as well as the vicious dogs in the Southern States.” **In Kentucky, the route travels through many rural, off-thebeaten-path towns, their houses sitting directly off the side of the roads, their many dogs seeing cyclists as a food group. One particular dog gained rapidly on Bob, sporting a truly menacing look in its eyes. Bob, unable to get out of his pedals smoothly, due to his understandable fear, fell as the dog closed in. But the cur simply inspected the tangle of man and crashed bicycle; and moved on down the road. Bob will never forget this occasion.
Mack and Frassinello’s friendship centered around bicycling following the Transam ride. From 2008 to the present they ride together a few times each month and during that time they have planned and completed five multi day rides trying out different ride models.
“Local rides, enjoyed by many Ukiahans, are part of the monthly Mack and Frassinello repertoire. Most rides now consist of 20-40 miles, with a foodstop, and including no time limits. The favorites include: Scott’s Valley road Blue Lake to Lakeport and back Old River Road Talmage to Hopland and back, Willits Little Lake Valley loop Mountain House Road Hopland to Hwy 128 and back, Lowgap Road to Comptch, Orr Springs Road- Ukiah to Mendocino, Joe Rodota Trail and other West Sonoma County Trails. Extended Multi Day Rides include:
Big Sur—april 2010
Mack and Frassinello parked their car at Monterey Airport and pedaled to San Luis Obispo, fully packed for an unsupported experience. After only completing about 30 miles down HWY 1, camp was set up at Big Sur with rain falling down. Second Day totaled about 40 miles and camping at Los Padres National Forest.
Third day comprised 40 miles of beautiful scenery along HWY 1 experiencing Ragged Point and Hearst Castle. Camping a third night was not an option— Motel time. 4th day bicycled HWY 1 observing the sea lions and finding our way into San Luis Obispo
Eureka-arcata & Jacksonville, Orego Employed the same pickup and trailer to complete a 200 mile week in Northern California and Southern Oregon.
Coeur d’alene & Hiawatha Trail—june 2013
This ride began with a daytrip out of Pullman, Washington along the Palouse Trail, a 50 mile round trip from Pullman, Washington to Troy, Idaho and back. A refreshing ride in light wind through fields of winter wheat and bog areas where moose grazed. Then up to St. Mary’s where the ride on the Coeur d’alene Trail carries a bicyclist through forests and meadows and into Wallace, Idaho. Next day up to the Hiawatha trail, and down 30 miles of railbeds and train tunnels converted to bike paths finishing the day in the hamlet of Avery, Idaho. This ride included three nights of tent camping, one night on the banks of the St. Joseph River where signs warned—“grizzly Bears Present”. The last day of this journey takes Mack and Frassinello 58 miles from Avery, Idaho along the St. Joseph River back to St. Mary’s, Idaho.
Florence, Oregon & Eugene, Oregon—a 200 mile week—june 2017
DAY ONE >> fresh cool rides in the country surrounding Eureka-arcata, California, onto Crescent City.
DAY TWO >> 40 miles bicycling the Coos Bay area from pine scented forest to the beach for fresh ocean breezes. Days three, four, and five staying in a Florence, Oregon motel bicycling day trips 3040 miles along the north and south fork of the Siuslaw River. Each day offers the best of the Northwest’s quiet rural roads, coastal weather, and scenery every bicyclist can enjoy. Day six and seven take Mack and Frassinello over to Eugene where dedicated bicycle trails provide quiet rides along Oregon’s picturesque rivers, then south to ride along the Smith River and a perfect ending to this ride is a rail trail taking the cyclist east out of Cottage Grove, Oregon.
UKIAH TO OCCIDENTAL TO SANTA ROSA >> This ride takes bicyclists down Old River Road out of Ukiah, down to Hopland, the Mountain House Road to HWY 128 and southeast into Cloverdale. Day two of this trip winds through west Sonoma County serving up rain in your face and steep pitched hills that make the rider thankful to arrive in Occidental. Large servings of raviolis at Occidental’s Union Hotel complete day two on a perfect note. Day three offers up a ride in Sonoma County drizzle into Santa Rosa where Frassinello and Mack catch an MTA bus for a lazy ride home to Ukiah. Mendocino County cyclists often discover the best cycling is right in our own backyard. Ford (78)and Frassinello (76) now intend to continue bicycling as long as they are able to keep the bicycle upright and moving forward.