Once Upon a Time....

....in a town close, close away, there was and is, Canal Winchester.  Two distinct groups of cyclists dominated their respective villages.  The New Albanyites and the Canal Winchesters.  The Canal boys were generally known as.....

....the Rebs, led by not Robert E. Lee but Ric Noland, owner of the "Cyclist Connection".  Ric's fiery personality inspired the cycling Rebs despite the fact....

....Canal Winchester is a gritty, industrial town, much like Appalachian towns of the 1950's.  Once the coal mines closed, most cyclists lost their jobs so having nothing to do but ride, they became fairly proficient with their bikes.  Meantime, the New Albany Yankees, they too were jobless but not because they could not find a job, their inherited wealth, passed on over many generations, allowed them too to ride, a lot.

Being the pot stirrer that I am, back in the 2016 era, I helped create a rivalry.  Which group in fact was the strongest????  I warned my fellow New Albanyers that were they to make that arduous drive to Reb territory, they better be ready for a culture shock.

I negotiated with Ric Noland to agree that weapons would be left at the houses of the Rebs so my northern friends would feel personally safe.  Of course....

,,,returning from the ride one could expect his car to look like the above so I encouraged carpooling in dump trucks or armored vehicles.  Oh, the personalities that went south....

....Luke Russell, otherwise known as the "Big Diesel" came along with Marty, Jon M....oh an endless list of star cyclists.  The ride, about 51 miles with an ascent of the nasty Savage Road....

....ended with a resounding win for the Yankees.  So, all kidding aside, next Tuesday, is Canal's version of their Summer Solstice ride.  The surviving Yankees and the new ones, should journey down and participate.  I'll post the route soon.