- Written by: Chromo
Mechanics is not my forte. I can change a tire – and that sums up my skills. That’s why when I come across a shop that earns my trust, I stalk them. This goes for both my car and my bike. I didn’t realize I felt the same way about my bike until recently. Now when I say “bike” I’m referring to bicycle. Putting a motor on a bike is just bad news for me – see the first sentence above.
Cycle Fitness was the “go-to” cycle shop in Fairfield County. It was a local bike shop run by Rick Beasley that was the go to place on Route 25 for decades.
Then sadly, the doors were shut permanently in 2015. When I first met Rick, it was to tune up a Giant road bike I purchased back in the mid 90’s. Every time I went in for a tune-up, he would say the same thing, “Do you have hard time getting up hills?” My response was always the same, “I don’t think so. My last bike was a Huffy. Compared to that, this nearly rides itself”
- Written by: Pumper
The Rocky Sprockets are true and bold
We may be tired but we never grow old.
Biking hills and crossing large streams
Living life large, following our dreams.
We ride as brothers through the pouring rain
If we get flats, we don’t complain.
If a Sprocket falls off his bike in the shadow dark
We help him get up and find his tent in the park.
We are honest, brave, and we like to drink beer
At our Sprocket meetings, we are full of good cheer.
We’ve been though tough times, but together we stand.
- Written by: Chromo
Every Summer for over 40 years, the Sprockets select a location, ride to said location, spend the weekend carousing, eating, listening & playing live music, beach combing, and anything that sounds like a good idea at the time that will end up haunting us to our graves. The rides range from 70 – 100 miles each way, leaving Thursday or Friday and returning on Sunday or Monday. When I was a newcomer to the group, having ridden four of the last five trips. Each year I learn something new about my fellow Sprockets, about cycling, and about myself. Our 2015 ride to South Hampton was no different.
What made this trip different from others was the number of flats, and other bicycle mechanical malfunctions experienced – Zero! We did manage to hit traffic though. Rush hour in South Hampton is brutal. For a stretch, we had to walk our bikes on the median as cars and truck yielded no room for us. Words were exchanged.
On a much quieter portion of the ride, we decided to stop for lunch at this beachfront crab shack. We’d been riding for several hours by then. I decided to go with the lobster roll and clam chowder. This turned out to be an unfortunate choice. We only had 20 miles to go by then but that’s far enough for rich milk based products to twist the digestive system into knots Houdini wouldn’t attempt. For the next day and a half, I stayed “close to home.”
During this colonoscopy prep simulation, I did have time to study for a Job interview I managed to schedule the next afternoon. Normally we pride ourselves in reaching stupid at every turn of our weekend. It’s the foundation of Sprocket Logic. However, my brothers in pedals took the time to setup a mock interview. Semi-nauseated, I managed to get through a 2 hour phone interview. Soon after the clam chowder managed to get through me. Time for medication – I mean Celebration. I got the job!
Looking back at the ride, I learned some important universal life lessons. I discovered garlic does not go with everything but Cheetos do, Sprockets have mad job-coaching skills, and Clam Chowder will never be considered a performance-enhancing substance.
- Written by: Axle
My Dad and Mom played a strong role in guiding me to the Career that I chose. Every August 31st I think I of them and reminisce! Specifically, August 31, 1970 was and still is an extremely important “date” in my life!!
On this date I started my very first job in my “Drafting Career” at Mosler Electronic Systems on South St. in Danbury Ct.
As my Supervisor Vinny Sera walked me to my Drafting-Table, I turned around and saw this “sign-post” (Eat a live Toad…) taped to the short wall on my reference table! 
Being a “wide-eyed and very naive” 17 year old who recently graduated from Henry Abbott Technical School, I was speechless with trying to figure out what this meant other than my original thought, “Hahahahahahaha!”