Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar

Charles — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 06:25:00 +0000

It all started about 30 years ago when Charlie Kelly and a few friends decided to preemptively burn a few thousand calories before sitting down to Thanksgiving Dinner. They called it the Appetite Seminar and rode from the town of Fairfax in Marin on their Klunkers, before such things were called MountianBikes, up over Pine Mountain and down Repack back into town. This ride became an annual event, and for a few close friends, is as much a part of Thanksgiving as mandatory face time with the inlaws and drinking before noon.

For this year’s Seminar, I dug my Bell V1 Pro out of storage, pulled on my garden gloves and dress flannel shirt, swung a hiking-booted leg over the saddle on my ‘84 Schwinn, grabbed the bullmoose handlebars and rode back into time. I had packed a tool kit in my fanny pack consisting of a Crescent wrench, Swiss Army knife, a pair of snub nosed pliers, and still had room for a sandwich. No powerfood for this time traveller. I also had bolted an extra cage on the bike for a spare water bottle.

The unofficial count is 900 total riders for this year’s Seminar, which ended as in years past, in a beer garden on Bolinas Road in Fairfax. Much thanks to Marin Brewing Company for providing refreshments for those that got off the mountain by 11:00. I had an absolute blast on the ride, staying in the middle of the group of five riders I started with, and just ahead of the largest mass of folks doing the whole ride. With the recent rains, we were treated to about the best possible trail and weather conditions imaginable. It was a dust free ride that had me alternating between death-gripping the brake levers and just plain letting go in an effort to stay somewhat on top of my Beartrap pedals and somewhat near the middle of the trail. A few other riders noticed what I was riding, and how I was riding it, but most apparently did not. While I had fun unique to the old full rigid bike in some places, for the most part I was just enjoying a group ride with a few good friends. It wasn’t until we gathered at the bottom of Repack til I gave much consideration to old as compared to new technology. Jay, who just got a new full suspension bike, mentioned how he couldn’t believe he used to ride his old bike at all because the new suspension and brakes handled things so much better. As the bikeseller, at first I spoke in complete agreement, then we both looked down at my bike.

The disc brakes, long travel forks, hinged rear ends and computer designed and built tire treads don’t really open many doors for us. They aren’t taking anywhere the old bikes didn’t, or at a much different pace. There I was, at the end of a 20 mile ride, right along side the guys I usually finish rides with when I am on one of my other bikes. I started to question whether anyone really need any more than 5 speeds or a bike that weighed under 40 pounds. And certainly the beer at rides end would taste better to me, getting off my old Schwinn, than anyone riding a titanium steed that day. But then, as they say, I woke up. The next morning I felt like I had gone three rounds with George Foreman. Sore, sluggish, tired, I dragged myself first to the Advil, then the coffee maker, then off to work. I think Jay went out for a ride.

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by Charles

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:35:22 +0000

Thanks for the link, and the website, and for being the instigator of this event as well as some other stuff.

I did use your site as a reference before doing the ride. Got lost in it actually. There’s tons of entertaining stuff there. Glad I didn’t plagiarize any more of it in my article :)

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by repackrider@cs.com

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 02:25:19 +0000

I have a page on my website about the Appetite Seminar.

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by Sterling

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 07:47:20 +0000

Now if only you had a “saftey bike” and could ride down some nice belgian cobblestone roads.

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by Michael Perez

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 06:10:28 +0000

That was almost poetic, Charles. Nice “philosophical” piece.

Passion Trail Bikes, Belmont, CA - specialists in quality bike service and custom-built mountain bikes: Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar

Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by Charles

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by repackrider@cs.com

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by Sterling

"Thanksgiving Appetite Seminar" by Michael Perez