Flying down a country road with nearly 20 road cyclists in tight Peloton formation takes skill, leadership, and trusting your team with your life.
Every March as the snow melts, the Wausau Wheelers cyclists begin their spring ritual of warm-up rides and finding their “squads” before the season – that “just right fit” of speed and kinship.
But the spring of 2020 had other plans.
With cycling season rapidly approaching and no face-to-face meetups on the books, the Wheelers needed a virtual way to find their tribes.
The excerpt at right is from a weekly series of bios I launched to introduce our leaders to the group.
Old bikes and new horizons
Laurie Fraser, published April 18, 2020, at WausauWheelers.org
There are many things that can make a bike trip an adventure. Bike touring is one of them.
However, bike touring someplace you don’t speak the language takes it to a whole new level. Just ask Aqua ride group leader Scott Wipfli and his wife Barb.
Scott and Barb started cycle touring in 2001. “Some friends asked if we would be interested in a (multi-day) tour with several families,” said Scott.
They didn’t hesitate! They set off with a few other families, including some they’d just met. One couple even had small children “who rode on trailer bikes behind their parents,” said Scott.
For some group trips, riders take turns driving the camp gear to the next site. However, most of their tours have been self-supported, toting camping and cooking gear on their “old bikes,” for up to a week of cycling, rain or shine.
Scott recalls one trip for which his loaded bike weighed in at 75 pounds, “but the challenge can be rewarding,” says Scott.
Over the years, they’ve enjoyed many scenic and memorable tours in the Midwest; biked along much of the “Old Natchez Trace,” an historic forest trail that runs through Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee; and they’ve toured eastern Canada’s Prince Edward Island, with its lighthouses and red-sand beaches.
The most adventurous tours have been to Germany and the Netherlands (without speaking either German or Dutch).
“In Europe, we were fully self-supported; whatever went on the flight was carried on the bike.” Their group biked up to 60-70 miles a day through historic towns, along renowned rivers, and catching glimpses of an occasional castle.
Only one person in the group knew a little German, so they counted on the fact that most Europeans speak some English. There were times though, Scott recalls, that the meal delivered to their table was quite a surprise.
“One fun waitress who was struggling with English tried to describe an item on the menu. She snorted like a pig, so I snorted back and pointed to the item. ‘That’s what I’ll have!’”
And a laugh is the same in any language!
Social distancing has put a temporary hold on their next touring plans, but they are still walking and biking. “Many people have asked how many miles we have this year. To give you a different perspective for this year our elevation gain is 17,602 feet and calories burned is 19,963 as of mid-May, according to the Ride With GPS, the app club uses to plan and post their rides.
Why join the Wheelers?
Scott and Barb joined the Wheelers over twenty years ago.
In addition to build new friendships with common interests, “there’s pie night,” says Scott. His wife Barb got the idea from another club they rode with and decided to try it with the Wheelers group. It’s become a club tradition.
If you’re considering trying the Wheelers but not sure if you’re ready, “I’m certain there’s a group for you,” says Scott. There are seven groups … at all different speeds. Scott’s group averaged around 13 mph last year.
Scott advises a quick checklist before heading out for a group ride: “Check that your tires are adequately inflated and be sure to wear a helmet.” He also recommends front and rear lights and a spare tube.