interview

[CorsairMac]

Answer: Paul Sherwin - I would Love to hear his storys about when he was a pro rider. Some of the glimpses he offers now just sometimes amaze me!


Question: How often do you eat on long rides? Do you base it on time re: every hour, or distance re: every so many miles??





(PS: this is fun - thanks for starting this!!)

[massbikebabe]

I eat probably every hour+ or so. Went out real early this morning after being sick from bad sushi yesterday and I totally bonked. My poor son had to witness my demise at mile 8...my question Has anybody ever had such a bonk where you are not sure if you should throw-up or pass out???

karen

[Adventure Girl]

Answer: I've never passed out while riding, but I have thrown up. But it wasn't because of bonking. It was a gag reflex after swallowing a bug. The sequence was: Swallow bug -- Gag -- Vomit -- Rinse... All without changing my cadence!

Question: What's the worst injury you've had while riding? How long did it take you to recover?

[Trek420]

A: I've never been injured riding but had a sore shoulder that occured elsewhere (Aikido) took about 6 weeks of gentle stretching to feel good on the bike.

Q: Veronica, why oh why have you never tried apricots? Also could apply to anyone else if there's a delicious food you haven't had till now.

[betagirl]

Answer: I'm the type that tries anything once before I decide I don't like it. So I can't really think of anything that I tried recently that I was afraid of. Apricots I love, but I can't eat them (upsets the GI system).

Question: What's the strangest place you've worn your bike clothes into, either before or after a ride (or if you just like to wear them out)?

[Trek420]

A: on a Southwest Airlines flight from La to Oakland after the AIDS ride. Bikegoddess who was with me at the time had her bike shoes on, I changed shoes but shorts, jersey...

Q: What's the oddest thing in your under-the-seat bag?

[Veronica]

Q: Veronica, why oh why have you never tried apricots?

I grew up very poor in Maine. I don't know if there were apricots in the grocery stores, but even if there were my mother would not have bought them. I tried dried ones once and wasn't terribly impressed so never considered fresh ones until Sarah brought some from Bubba's tree.


New Question: If you had to compare yourself to one of the this year's Tour riders, which would it be and why?


V.

[betagirl]

A1: Group. I push myself harder. Unless I've had a bad day, then nothing brings you back to the level like a nice solo ride.

A2: Iker Flores, cuz I'd be in last place

Q: Have you ever called in sick at work to go ride your bike?

[Lynne]

Q: Have you ever called in sick at work to go ride your bike?

A: Not yet...(that doesn't mean I don't think about it every single solitary morning when I wake up!!)

Q: For you competetive types, what was your first race like and did anyone place last?

[Trek420]

Veronica "I grew up very poor in Maine. I don't know if there were apricots in the grocery stores, but even if there were my mother would not have bought them. I tried dried ones once and wasn't terribly impressed so never considered fresh ones until Sarah brought some from Bubba's tree."

I grew up poor myself, I didn't know it till I grew up and did the math. My parents had a chicken farm in Sonoma County till the bottom dropped out of the market and they got "real jobs". Between what we raised and grew and traded with our neighbors ("we'll give you two sheep, we get half a steer") we ate VERY well. We had a small orchard, my Mom still cans some but I now know we were not well off at the time.

One thing my parents said was the reason we supported the farm laborers strikes is that we earned what they did, only difference was we owned the land.

My first job was in the nearby dried pear factory and I'm still not too keen about them. Dried apricots are kinda iffey: they can be really bad or pretty good. Good thing to do is stick 'em in a little port or sweet'ish wine (non alch is fine) and they plump up really nice.

[bikerz]

Q: what's the weirdest thing you've seen on the side of the road/trail on a ride?

A few weeks ago, riding along the San Francisco Bay trail, I almost ran over a large reddish-orange fish on the sidewalk. (it was thiiiiis big! ) I swerved just in time, and managed not to end up in the bay myself. Seemed pretty far for a fish to jump out of the water on his own, but maybe he just couldn't take it anymore and decided to end it all...

New Q: What is your favorite memory from riding bike as a kid?

[emily_in_nc]

Answer:
Question: What's the worst injury you've had while riding? How long did it take you to recover?

A: Broke my pelvis in three places from a crash this April. Had surgery to put a plate and pins in to stabilize the bones. Still recovering but am riding on the trainer indoors, going to the gym and walking (slowly and with a bit of a limp) without crutches now!

New question: What do you do to prepare for and/or deal with loose dogs when you (road) ride? (My accident was caused by two dogs.)

[KkAllez]

A:

New question: What do you do to prepare for and/or deal with loose dogs when you (road) ride? (My accident was caused by two dogs.)

I try and plan ahead, any road we haven't ridden on and there is a farmhouse coming up I imagine they have rottweilers and make sure I have legs to sprint, plus plenty of gears left. So far my only threat is this tiny dachshund, which I fear more will be run over by a car when he comes out to try in vain to catch us. Oh, and this is really bad, but I put Ben between me and the approaching house-with-unknown-dogs.

Q: do you prefer riding solo or in a group?

[CorsairMac]

Q: do you prefer riding solo or in a group?

Solo - I've ridden solo for so long I find it difficult to ride in groups and I end up getting cranky! LOL I have 2 very good friends I ride with sometimes but I really enjoy my solitude on the bike!

A:
New question: What do you do to prepare for and/or deal with loose dogs when you (road) ride? (My accident was caused by two dogs.)

If I'm alone I stop the bike and talk to the dog. Tell it to go home. I don't move unless the dog just will not back off and then I try walking away very slowly and in a non-threatening manner. If the dog will not back down I start yelling Really Loudly for someone to come and get this frigging dog and I pull out my water bottle and squirt the dog. If I'm with friends, the ex-pro racer puts himself closest to the dog and squirts the dog with water while the 2 women (me and my friend) sprint past.

wow----and now my question?????

If money were no object - what bike would you have and why?

[Veronica]

If money were no object - what bike would you have and why?

This one



All that lugged steel!

If you could tour anywhere, where would you go?


V.