I was in Claremont California riding with Claremont Senior Bicycle Group March 9 -23. Our daughter Emily teaches at a college there, Claremont McKenna. She has a two year old son, Thomas. As you can see from the many other Claremont postings on this site, I have been a regular visitor. This is actually the 5th year.
Wife Kim has never come with me before. She does not ride. But she has just retired and so her time is her own. Grandson Thomas had a second birthday on March 22 and Kim agreed to come to Claremont with me if I would not stay with my normal schedule, February in Claremont and instead delay so we would be present for the birthday. An offer I could not refuse. We flew out on Wednesday March 9, Delta through Salt Lake City and then into Ontario. The exit was again Delta from Ontario through Atlanta on Wednesday March 23.
Many years I have stayed with Emily. She has a 3 bedroom house on campus. But I am jealous of my own coming and going so I have more than once used a motel called the Claremont Lodge in order to get a little “space”. I kept the bike there this year and slep there every night.
A shout out to Mark at Competitive Edge Cyclery in Upland CA. My first year, 2017, I rented from a local institution bike shop, Coates?. I may have the name wrong. Someone will read this and correct me or I will remember. Anyway, in 2018 I called around looking for a new place to rent and Mark just picked me up. He does not rent bikes but he did for me. A couple years later I was able to buy a $1000? bike from him, a yellow Giant! Now I keep it in my daughter’s garage. This year I found it with serious flat tires upon arrival, so I spent Thursday taking the bike to Mark. He fixed it up and no more problems!
I’ll move the rest of the story to separate pages. Of course one for the rides and one for my daily lunch at Back Abby and at least one more for money.