Author Archives: Rich Freggiaro

Sometimes cycling can be a treasure hunt. Over the years along side of the road I’ve found cash, assorted tools (including two very nice Leatherman multi tools worth about $55 new) and the occasional adult novelty item. I leave the latter untouched of course; but the tools and cash I can use. Recently I foundContinue reading “Bicycle Balloting”

Or perhaps ‘line the toe’ with some kind of bandage or padding. Though it is a bit late for that now. If you have been cycling for more than 35 years, you will remember that pedals were equipped with metal toe clips and leather straps to keep your cycling shoes firmly attached. These devices didContinue reading “Toe the Line…”

It was wonderful to get on an airplane and head to France for a week of cycling. Of course wearing a mask for 2 hours at SFO, 2 hours boarding and waiting at the gate and taxiing, 10 hours in the air, 6 hours at Charles De Gaul in Paris, and 2 hours flying toContinue reading “Perfect Pyrenees”

I have just returned from a wonderful week of riding the in the French Pyrenees. It was my first trip to Europe since August 2019 in the Dolomites. Covid put all non-essential international travel on hold for almost two years. I might suggest that cycling in Europe constitutes essential travel, but I doubt the CDCContinue reading “You Need a Pass to Pass”

After a wonderful week in South Dakota, the sad fact is that the journey home was much less pleasant. I’ll spare the details but suffice to say that for 11 hours we had masks on continuously save for a blessed 45 minutes sitting at a table at Smashburger in the Denver airport eating burgers andContinue reading “More Precious Than Gold”

Once upon a time, there was a big celebration in Lodi put on by a group of northern plains emigres called the Dakota Picnic. It seems a lot of people from that part of the country moved to California to escape the Dust Bowl and found paradise with no cold winter weather. So they putContinue reading “Dakota Picnic”

Avanti Nut Company is very much a family business, and 10 days ago its patriarch passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Andy Solari leaves behind a legacy of 6 children and 12 grandchildren, as well as successful farming and walnut processing operations. The funeral in Linden on Wednesday was SRO and then some. There must haveContinue reading “5-Way Split”

Ms. Hermana’s visit got me reminiscing about cherry season and all the years we hired pickers to harvest the fruit. For decades my father ran his own cherry crew without using a contractor. My mother did all the bookkeeping, which was vital since both Dad and I were too tired from the long work dayContinue reading “Primo’s Problem”

Last Wednesday around 5 PM Stoker and I were getting ready for our evening ritual of self medicating with a mood elevating, muscle relaxing beverage in order to watch the news of the day without getting apoplectic. The doorbell rang, and we assumed it was simply another of the endless stream of Amazon deliveries thatContinue reading “American Beauty”

I know two people who attended Yale. One is an economist I worked with and drank bourbon with in another lifetime. The other is a good friend and cycling buddy who is a physician. However I don’t think either of them attended any lectures like this from last April 6: A flyer promoting the lectureContinue reading “Poison Ivy League”