People Of 2024: Ari Andonopoulous

  In my travels and life during the year, I have been blessed to be supported, befriended, and on occasion visited by some pretty awesome folks. Sometimes I visited them. (Hopefully they were equally blessed!) I wanted to take some extra space to recognize and celebrate these people at the end of the year. I hope you gain some insight and appreciation for what these people mean to me this year and beyond. 

Ari and I. Image by Ari's daughter, Giuletta

What can I say about Ari to you that would impress you so that you would understand what he means to me? This is what I think of when I think about Ari and how I would approach this post. Ari didn't just make my 2024 better, he has been there for years making my life better. 

I've said it on these pages before, and it bears repeating - Ari is a HUGE Trans Iowa fan and supported me with words and deeds that many people have no idea about. I think about these things and to me, the most important part of Ari's and my relationship is how Ari is there to pick me up when I need it. And this comes from a place of need for Ari, not out of an abundance of cheer. Ari has given to me when he hasn't had a reason to. He could be selfish and stick to his own life, but he chooses to be a giver, and I think this is what I most respect and cherish about him. More people should be like Ari. 

It was a gesture like the one he made this past Spring that reminded me of how thoughtful and kind Ari is. He was able to attend the memorial service for our mutual friend, Wally Kilburg, who died in April. Of course, no one would blame Ari for feeling his own feels and grieving a lost friend. But he thought of me and sent me a memorial card handed out at the service because he knew what Wally meant to me and to all those who had ridden in Trans Iowa. I often look at this image of Wally on my desk from that card and think about him, of course, but it also reminds me of Ari and his faithful kindness. 

And then we were able to spend most of a day together this past August, which was a highlight of 2024 for me. This would be my last trip of the year. I was really glad I had the opportunity to go to Chicago and see Ari. It had been far too long. 

There is hope that in 2025 we will be seeing each other again. Stay tuned on that front.....

People Of 2024: Taiki Sakamoto

In my travels and life during the year, I have been blessed to be supported, befriended, and on occasion visited by some pretty awesome folks. Sometimes I visited them. (Hopefully they were equally blessed!) I wanted to take some extra space to recognize and celebrate these people at the end of the year. I hope you gain some insight and appreciation for what these people mean to me this year and beyond. 

Taiki Sakamoto, editor of "Bicycle Club" and I in Emporia Kansas. Image by Otaki-san

Late in 2023 I received a message from Taiki Sakamoto, a Japanese journalist, who wanted to do a story on the history of gravel cycling. He told me then that he was referred to me by Kai Takashita, the woman who had won her category at the very last gravel event I helped promote called the C.O.G. 100. 

Now, I get occasional requests for interviews and opinions from all over concerning gravel cycling, so this wasn't anything unusual with the exception of Sakamoto-san's request that I help write the story. He also wanted to meet me at the Unbound Gravel event, which he had signed up to participate in and write about for his publication's future issue with a section on gravel cycling.

My part of the article appeared in this issue of "Bicycle Club"

This was exciting for me because it was an international publication in the Japanese language. So, I would not know exactly how it would read translated, but I did get an edited copy of my part of the article in English. 

I did a detailed look at the experience which you can read HERE. 

The day I met Sakamoto-san I was so impressed by his  character and with his efforts to be kind and polite to me. It was apparent every second of our encounter. An example of this was shown at the very end of our meeting.

I thought that Sakamoto-san had left and our meeting was over. Mrs. Guitar Ted and I were kind of spending a bit of time goofing off and then she noted that Sakamoto-san was across the street waving furiously at me. Turns out he had forgotten to give me a gift he had intended to give me. He sheepishly requested that I wait a moment as he wanted to run and fetch whatever it was he had intended to gift to me. Off he ran like a rabbit down a trail!

It wasn't long and he returned with a copy of "Bicycle Club" that I could have to see what kind of publication I was going to be contributing to. It was a thoughtful and incredibly kind gesture, and an unnecessary one, but I was duly impressed.  

Meeting Sakamoto-san was a highlight of 2024 and was eye-opening for me because of the interest that Sakamoto-san said there was in Japan for gravel riding and gravel culture, That Sakamoto-san wanted to get the story from me was an honor. I will cherish the opportunity he gave me and the magazines he sent in August of this year with my contribution in them. 

Published in Japan! I never would have thought that would happen.

People Of 2024: Bobby Wintle

 In my travels and life during the year, I have been blessed to be supported, befriended, and on occasion visited by some pretty awesome folks. Sometimes I visited them. (Hopefully they were equally blessed!) I wanted to take some extra space to recognize and celebrate these people at the end of the year. I hope you gain some insight and appreciation for what these people mean to me this year and beyond. 

Bobby Wintle (back to camera) and Rhett Shull playing guitar the night after Mid-South was done.

Mid-South was a highlight of 2024 for me for many reasons, but maybe the "cherry on top" was seeing Bobby Wintle and being able to hang out with him for a bit the day after Mid-South was over. 

This might seem silly to some of you out there, but I often feel like the outsider in groups and when it comes to other people's events I often feel like I really am more of a bother than a "guest". Never mind that maybe some see me as a "big deal" in the gravel community. I just often feel like a third wheel and that I don't fit in. So, when I was drug along with the Northfield Crew to this rented house in Stillwater to witness those Northfield guys cook up a special supper for Bobby, his close crew members, and special guests, I was left sitting and wondering what the heck was I even doing there. 

Now I will add that Bobby had made it plain that he was "so glad I was there", and he said so several times. But being me, that did not register at the time. Anyway, when Bobby had shown up at this special gathering, he took a bit of time to drag me away. We walked a few blocks over to his house, and Bobby showed me around. We chatted a bit, mostly small talk, and then we returned to the party. 

Well, that finally registered with me. I don't know exactly why Bobby did that for me, but I knew that meant a lot to him, and he wasn't kidding around when he said he was stoked to have me there. 

And that really made the trip super special for me. Not that it wouldn't have been so without this experience, but yeah.... It was one of those small things I'll remember for a long time that made me feel really good. Definitely a highlight of 2024 for me. 

Shout out to Rhett Shull here as well. I had a chance to speak with him, he of the guitar You Tube community, and seeing a guy I've watched online for a long time that is a stellar guitar player was fun. Definitely another highlight of 2024.

People Of 2024: Rob Evans

  In my travels and life during the year, I have been blessed to be supported, befriended, and on occasion visited by some pretty awesome folks. Sometimes I visited them. (Hopefully they were equally blessed!) I wanted to take some extra space to recognize and celebrate these people at the end of the year. I hope you gain some insight and appreciation for what these people mean to me this year and beyond. 

Rob Evans (R) and I at Mid-South in March of 2024

First of all, I know this one will come as somewhat of a shock to Rob because he is a regular reader here. (Don't spit out yer coffee, Rob!) 

Anyway, as I stated, Rob is a regular reader here, and I am super grateful for that. However; Rob has been a big supporter of rides I have put on in the past. He was, and is always, very welcoming to me wherever he runs across me. Like at Mid-South, above, Rob grabbed me for an image.  I think he shouted me out several more times, basically whenever he saw me, which was really nice of him.

Mass chaos at Mid-South's oasis. Rob Evans saved my bacon here!

In fact, had it not been for Rob, and the group he was with, Mid-South would have been a lot more miserable than it was. Not that Mid-South was miserable, just that it would have been without Rob's help. Since I had to throw everything for that trip together in a frenzy, I really did not do my due diligence in regard to researching the necessary tactics to complete the event's half distance. So, when I arrived at a mid-course oasis, I had no resupply waiting, or planned.

In steps Rob, who spied me in the throng of cyclists, waved me over, and offered me the opportunity to take from their spread of goodies. I'll tell ya what, those cookies hit the spot and likely saved the day for me. Had this been all Rob had done for me in 2024, it would have been enough to land him here on this list, but there was more. 

Rob taking a picture of the frying pan in Brandon, Iowa during the Victory Ride in June.

Another person who will be showing up in this series, Warren Weibe, set up a ride in June for me to enjoy called the Victory Ride. I did not know who might show up. I figured maybe a few local riders would enjoin in the festivities. I was correct to think this would be true, but what I did not count on was Rob showing up from Nebraska and him bringing his friends with him. This is a several hours long trip, by the way, just to show up for a group ride.

So, not only did I get to see Rob again, ride with him again, but I met some new folks in the process and gained new friends. This was unexpected and awesome. So, a bonus for me and a definite improvement on 2024 was being able to have Rob be a big part of my cycling life. Thank you, Rob!

People Of 2024: "The Northfield Crew"

 In my travels and life during the year, I have been blessed to be supported, befriended, and on occasion visited by some pretty awesome folks. Sometimes I visited them. (Hopefully they were equally blessed!) I wanted to take some extra space to recognize and celebrate these people at the end of the year. I hope you gain some insight and appreciation for what these people mean to me this year and beyond. 

The "Northfield Crew" that took me in and made my trip to Stillwater Oklahoma a reality on their way out to ride Mid-South

Last I left off with this series I mentioned that Erik Mathy was largely responsible for the whole bike/Mid-South idea. Well, if Erik could be called the instigator, then the fellows from Northfield, Minnesota were the enablers of this idea. At least partially. There was a bicycle welded up by King Fabrications that figured heavily into all of this as well. 

But even with a bicycle made, I was not getting any closer to going to Mid-South without these fine fellows from Northfield. I call them "The Northfield Crew", but they consisted of long time friends Ben Witt, Marty Larson, Justin Michaels, and new acquaintance Michael Lemkuhl. These guys went waaaaaay outta there way to accommodate me, take me in as if I were one of them, and they made me feel wanted there with them. This is especially cool when you realize that this little group had been taking in Mid-South on their own for a few years before this trip. I was a definite "outsider", but trust me - I was never made to feel that way.

Ben Witt (R) and Michael Lemkuhl in the Heywood Ride booth. Image by M Larson.

Again, I spent a lot of time with these guys. Traveling, eating, sleeping, hanging out, and riding as well. There were plenty of opportunities for friction, but that never raised its head, if it were there at all, and that is a testament to these guy's characters. I am forever in their debt!

And as well, I was able to meet with a lot of friends that these guys had made in previous visits to Mid-South, so that was another thing they brought to me. It was an enriching and satisfying experience all around because of this. 

So, shout out to the Northfield Crew! Thank you again, and know that I appreciate you all very much. 2024 would not have been the same without you all!

People of 2024: Erik Mathy

In my travels and life during the year, I have been blessed to be supported, befriended, and on occasion visited by some pretty awesome folks. Sometimes I visited them. (Hopefully they were equally blessed!) I wanted to take some extra space to recognize and celebrate these people at the end of the year. I hope you gain some insight and appreciation for what these people mean to me this year and beyond. 

Erik Mathy photographing my bicycle in Oklahoma back in March of this year.

 A lot of what happened early on this year would not have happened without the major influence of Erik Mathy. I've known Erik for several years, and partnered in a story/project with him at one point in 2016 called "Brian's Ride". 

Well,I hadn't crossed paths with Erik for a bit until I met him and hung out with him at the GCHoF goings on the year I got inducted. I spent most of a day hanging out with Erik and it was a blast! Well, at the end of last year I received a message via Instagram from Erik after he had read my take on an old track bike idea I had run across on Facebook. Erik had an idea he pitched to me. 

From that day in the Flint Hills with Erik in 2022.

Erik is an extremely talented person and he also is extremely persuasive. His idea: Take that track bike idea, have a frame builder he knows weld it up, get myself and these people to the Mid-South event, have me ride the bike there, and Erik would get to write a story about that. It was hoped that this would all be a money-making prospect for Erik as he is a free-lancer. 

This precipitated a stream of messages on several occasions. Ideas were batted around, but even as late as December 2023 I was pretty sure this was all but smoke in the air. January would come, the idea would dissipate, and I'd go on with my life as usual.

But noooooo...... Erik came along at the ninth hour and the idea was revived. Suddenly I was not only getting a new bicycle, but I was planning a trip with about two and a half month's notice from scratch. Just slightly stressful when you don't have access to a vehicle, much money, or a job which you can easily take time off from. 

As many of you long-time readers know, the bicycle did get made, it did show up on time, and the trip to Mid-South did happen. But without Erik Mathy? Nothing of the sort would have happened. So, I owe a big debt of gratitude to Erik. I am thankful for his efforts, and I am thankful for his connections and influence. Without him, 2024 would have been a much duller experience!