"Laughter is wine for the soul - laughter
loud soft, or loud and deep, tinged
through with seriousness - the
hilarious declaration made by man
that life is worth living."
Sean O'Casey
I always have such mixed emotions about Medora, the traditional ending of the years Tour de Mad Dog. And this year is no different than the others. Perhaps endings are always like that, this sadness that the tour and easy riding season is over mixed with some relief that week-ends will somehow belong more to me and I can catch up on those things that have been put off. This is the last time I will see many of these riders until winter has passed and spring brightens the world once more, for the one thing that unites everyone here today is their love of the bike. I will be starved for everyone by then. Winter, for me, particularly now I seldom ride outside when it is very cold, often seems an eternity.
It is a large crowd, though perhaps not quite so large as it would have been had weather been more predictable and had I not changed the start time at the last minute, a decision fueled by the memory of the Medora ride a few years ago when there was a cold, dreary rain all day that chilled down into the very marrow of the bones. The following riders sign in: Mike Corus, Jennifer Mutwalli, Paul Rice, Dee Schreur, Michael Kammenish, Debbie Widmann, Brian Corbett, Trisha Torpey, Dominic Wasserzug, Kim Green, William Gillen, Joel Gano, Glenn Smith, Steven Sarson, John Kellebrew, Larry Preble, Amelia Dauer, Thomas Nance, Steve Meredith, John Pelligrino, John Dippold, Steve Puckett, Jon Wineland, Zach Coleman, Dave King, Fritz Kopatz, Bob Grable, Robert Barrett, and myself. I know there are additional riders that did not sign in for some reason and I hope if they are reading this they will do me the courtesy of signing in next year if I captain this ride no matter what club they are representing. I apologize for any mis-spellings as well. I do know there are representatives from four different bike clubs present: the LBC, Ridenfadden, SWI, and Madison though SWI started at 8:30, the original scheduled start time.
Five of the people leave early as they are going to try to complete the Fire Tower Challenge: Jon Wineland, John Dippold, Zach Coleman, Fritz Kopatz, and John Killebrew. All end up being successful. For those that don't know, I started this challenge a few years back and it involves not only completing the Medora course, which frankly is one of the club's easier routes, but also climbing the fire tower roads in Clark and Jackson County. Both are steep and difficult climbs. One other rider asks to leave early in hopes of beating any rain. The rest, other than SWI, pull out at 8:00 a.m. John Pelligrini realizes he has forgotten his water bottles. I give him one of mine and others offer as well. He tells me he may turn around at the first store stop, but I know he won't. As always, he is riding strongly.
The group heads out through the forestry at. what seems to me, a fast pace. I sweep bringing up the rear and hope I got everyone. After the loop, it is obvious that I did not because a large group is waiting and heads out. It is a wall of pink. Most of the riders honored my request to wear pink to support the festival (Medora goes Pink). Some are in pink tutus, some have pink sleeves, some have pink jerseys, some have pink socks, some have pink gloves, some have pink underwear over their shorts, and more. And everyone, or almost everyone, has a huge smile on their face. Yeah, baby, most of us got our pink on;-)
As I ride, I come upon Kim Green, a first time century rider, and assure her I won't leave her behind. I suggest that we do the first half slower than she thinks she can ride and then pick it up the second half if she feels up to it. That is how I ran the few marathons I did and how I rode PBP the second time.
As we ride, I think of one of my best riding buddies, Paul Battle, and how I miss him being here today. This is the first Medora he has missed in awhile and it makes me sad to think he may not ride a century again due to a serious injury at the end of last years riding season. It is odd to become so close to someone merely through sharing a hobby, but riding means spending time together so I suppose it is not really so very strange. Regardless, I miss him today with every fiber of my being. I think of John Fong and Mike Crawford (the first guy to show in a pink tutu) and Tom Hurst and others. So many special people have ridden this ride. What a blessing to have known them and shared the road with them.
We reach the first store stop following the stretch on 31 that is so busy that it troubles me. I have changed the course on Medora numerous times throughout the years due to store closures, road construction, traffic, etc. I can't, however, seem to find a way up the east side that does not involve that short stretch on 31. At least there is some shoulder, I think, and we are in groups. Also, the earliness of the hour helps.
The outside of the store is filled with riders and the sound of laughter reaches me before we even pull in. I love that sound. I read once that adults don't laugh as frequently as children, but you would not know that to be true from this crowd today. (Children laugh 300 to 400 times per day. Adults laugh 15 to 20 and sometimes as few as 4 times daily). Kim asks if she has time to visit the ladies room. Of course she does. It makes me remember when I rode a solo century prior to riding with the club. I rode without stopping the entire time and eating on the bike because I didn't know if they stopped during the ride. I explain to her that there will be two rest stops and a lunch stop on almost every LBC century. I don't know if it was the relief for her that it was for me when I found out, but I suspect it may have been. How familiarity with a routine makes us forget that it was not always so familiar.
Leaving the store, we pass silent houses until we are thrust yet again upon a state road, but this one this time of day is not so busy. And then it is back to back roads. Many of the fields have been harvested and now lay clothed in brown and yellow stubble, rough like a man's face when he is on vacation and decides not to shave for a day or two. The course is not filled with forest or trees, but one can see the coming of fall in those that do line the road here and there. Leaves that have already given up line the roads and rustle a bit at our passing. Others cling stubbornly, shifting from green to yellow and red. At one point, we pass a field of bright orange pumpkins, and I try to soak up the color for the coming gray days. There will be a beauty to the world then, when she lies dull and sepia colored, her lines etched much more starkly, but experience has told me that my eyes will begin to starve for color.
I always wonder about these fields of pumpkins, and I wonder if Steve Meredith would know the answer I seek, but I don't see him the rest of the day. My question is why are there so many fields that lie unharvested? Is this purposeful for enriching fields? Is there some type of government subsidy involved? Because it is not just this year or on this ride that I notice this. And it is often the same with watermelons.
Poor Kim has to put up with my chattering and I hope I am not driving her crazy with my blathering. I ask if she wants to stop at the covered bridge. As I expected, she does, and I snap a picture for her standing in front of the bridge. Since her tires are so thin, I suggest we walk through. And then, shortly we are at Medora. Amelia tells me that the food lines are gone and the tenderloin man is not there. It seems to be there are many more food choices, but I do miss the tenderloin man. Medora is pretty much the only time that I eat a pork tenderloin, but it is not to be. She also says that Larry has said we are going to get rained on, so I try to find someplace quick to grab a bite.
I end up with a hot dog (no line to get these) and an apple hand pie. I later see the chicken kabobs had no line, but oh, well, The hot dogs was okay and like the tenderloin, something I rarely eat. I see Dave and tell him that the Amish have hand pies knowing that he likes them as much as I do. And sure enough, I see him shortly thereafter with a cherry one. I run into the Fire Tower crew and Fritz has pumpkin roll. Kim asks and he says he got it from the Amish booth. She tries to get one but they are out and so she also ends up with a hand pie. I tease Fritz about taking the last of the pumpkin roll, but Kim says the man in front of her bought the last two.
They talk about the trouble they had doing wheelies up the fire tower in Clark. (The second comes after lunch). I can't help laughing and tell them the first time I tried to climb it I failed having the same issue. I say how there is a break after that first really steep section and they laugh and say, "What break?" They also talk about a new sign that was put up on one of the descents from the tower that says, "Road ends in water." I tell them that sign was not there when I descended that road. But that is a story for another day.
We leave town without using the bathroom as a lady tells us how disgusting the one she found was. Personally, I prefer a nice, clean corn field to a nasty port-a-pot. I did not do a good job of ride captaining and ensuring people had left because we are later caught by Trisha, Dominic, and Brian. It is good to have their company and they work a bit on teaching Kim how to ride in a pace line. But mostly everyone just talks and jokes. And I mainly listen being decades older than any of them. I do enjoy it and rib Brian at one point when they are teasing him about calling someone's wife hot. "What are we? Chopped liver?" I tease him.
I talk with Dominic a bit about how heartening it is to see so many younger people on the ride today. He credits Trisha with some of that. Regardless, I love it AND seeing how many women rode. I have had concerns about the Dogs becoming an all boys club when I retire from distance riding and what seems to be the aging club membership.
Jon Wineland is at the last store stop when we arrive. I am surprised though I know he did the Fire Tower Challenge but it is good to have a chance to chat with him. He is leading the Madison Club on a ride to the Bethlehem, Indiana festival next week-end and Thomas Nance is leading an LBC ride to the festival as well. But Jon does not finish with us. He leaves and I will not see him again until pizza.
When we near the end, I get a text that the group is leaving for Good Fellas and pizza. We finish not long afterward and I take a photo for Kim with the rest of the group because first centuries are special. She has ridden hard the entire day and finished strongly. I know she questioned her ability to do it, but she certainly did it averaging over 14 on her first century. I also learn that it is Debbie Widmann's first TMD century. Congratulations.
We all join the rest of the crowd for pizza. I am surprised at how many people have stayed to eat. Dave is elated that they had meatloaf. It turns out that there is all kinds of food other than pizza. There normally is a group that eats after Medora, but this is a large group: fifteen I believe. And once again I hear laughter that makes me smile yet also tinges my heart with a bit of sadness that this is it for 2026. My home repairs have cheated me out of many rides this year, but not out of this. I am complete when I hear Mike tell someone, "What a fun day!" and he is not talking to me so he is not just saying that to try to make me feel good. I will also get an email from Bob saying what a nice day he had and how he had fun. Trisha gifts me with a smile at her obvious enjoyment of the sweets that are offered, particularly Smarties.
Thank you to Fritz for making TMD 2026 a success. Thank you to the rest of you Dogs, and yes, Kim and Debbie, you are now officially Mad Dogs, for the smiles and the miles. I am truly fond of each and every one of you. Thank you to Thomas Nance and Larry Preble for the photographs that will help me to keep this memory. Thank you to those that captained rides this year, particularly those who had no intention of being a finisher and just did it to help. May the coming holidays fill your houses and lives with love. And may spring find you back on the bike in 2027, determined to once again complete the TMD or at least come to Medora. With people like you in the world, life is, indeed, worth living.
Finishing groups are as follows:
Steve Meredith group of 1 2:46 p.m.
Larry Preble group of 16 3:44
John Killebrew
John Dippold
Zach Coleman
Thomas Nance
Robert Barrett
Glenn Smith
Mike Kammenish
John Pelligrino
Steven Sarson
Joel Gano
Fritz Kopatz
Bob Grable
Dee Schreur
Kelly Setger
Debbie Widmann
Amelia Dauer Group of 5 3:50
Eric Baldwin
Steve Puckett
Dave King
Mike Corus
Jon Wineland Group of 1 4:13
Trisha Torpey Group of 5 4:20
Dominic Wasserzug
Brian Corbett
Kim Green
Melissa Hall
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