What happens when you get 19 Cruzbike recumbent road bicycle owners together in Selma, IN

I’m so grateful for each Cruzbike owner who joined us for the 2021 Cruzbike Ride Retreat in Selma Indiana. We had a blast.

We’ve been reliving the enjoyment, laughter and pleasure of our time together. Next year join us! Our Cruzbike social event of 2022 will be BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia) June 4-11, 2021.

Here is my highlights reel from our weekend in Selma, IN.

Despite getting wet on Friday, the bike ride to the Wilbur Wright museum was a perfect way to get to know the quiet roads and learn a little about the Wright Brothers who, like Cruzbike riders, had rich imaginations and were open to all possibilities.

We also had a great time riding the Ice Cream Ride that turned out to be a No Ice Cream Ride (it was closed). Next time the organizers should call first!

David Byrne and Julie Retka shared their amazing reCycling the world journey with us on Friday night. They collapsed 2 and ½ years into 45 minutes of incredible pictures and stories (David's complete journal with photos and day-by-day descriptions is here). Larry Oslund generously taught us how to clean and wax our chains and as usual Robert Holler was there to help our bikes run smoothly. Thanks to Jeff Moore for sharing Forgotonia beer with us Friday night and David Byrne for sharing various local beers with us Saturday night.

I learned from Brian Goodspeed to look for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows building and the building that sold blocks in each of the small towns we rode through. They were usually the most beautiful buildings in town.

On Saturday some of us rode to see the world’s largest ball of paint.

While I initially thought that was kind of yucky, those who saw it convinced me it might be worth going back and putting a layer of paint on it some day. Many of us rode the quiet beautiful roads to the pie shop. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to eat the Cruzbike apple pie Ken Holzhausen had generously planned on surprising us with. The pie shop was busy and the people working in the front didn’t recognize us as the cyclists who were supposed to get the pie!

We all experienced tail winds on the way out on our Saturday rides and sustained head winds on the way back. Some of the tougher Cruzbikers even went back out to complete 100 miles. Congratulations to all the riders.

Due to the rainy weather Thursday night and Friday night, there was no bonfire and smores, however the Saturday night Drum circle was worth 3 bonfires and a bellyful of smores. We enjoyed drumming together for almost 2 hours and it was strangely wonderful. Thanks to Andrea Hangar for helping us end it with an incredible rhythm.

Sunday most of us had to leave early to head home or to meet various family or friends. Thanks to Jeff Moore and Ken Holzhausen for helping me get one last ride in on Sunday morning before the long ride home to Massachusetts.

I want to especially thank Ken for creating all the ride files. That’s a difficult and time consuming job. All the rides were lovely and I felt like I got to really see a part of the country I have only driven through. Indiana has delightfully pleasant motorists. Thanks too to Jim Parker and Robert Holler who did much of the work to pull this off.

After much discussion, in 2022 we will plan on joining the Bike Ride Across Georgia (BRAG) June 4-11 and make that the Cruzbike social of the season. There was lots of interest in RAGBRAI, and we hope to do that in 2023 or 2024. More information is coming on the BRAG as we hope to put together a team of at least 10 people.

Again, I am so grateful for the humor, flexibility, fun and color you each brought to the ride retreat. It was so good to meet and get to know some new owners and always wonderful to see my faithful friends. I look forward to seeing you in June of 2022 in Georgia.

Warmly,
Maria