Fifty Plus (50+) - Official 50+ Forum Pie Poll!

Ok, we have been messing around with this pie thing for a bit.

Let's take an anonymous poll and see where we are. I chose the 3rd Saturday of September or August arbitrarily.

Majority rules - Comments Encouraged

Do you want wine with that" (Ala Koffee - not Ala Mode) I'll be making wine on both saturdays, 6,000 gallons at a time.

Do you want wine with that" (Ala Koffee - not Ala Mode) I'll be making wine on both saturdays, 6,000 gallons at a time.

We need one more question.

Are you going to Ken's house to eat your pie?

For me its either real Key Lime Pie or Mincemeat Pie.

We need one more question.

Are you going to Ken's house to eat your pie?

If you wish to go a half mile up a 15% hill yes. I will be working at a commercial winery, Chateau St.Jean, Kenwood, CA. While I may be making up to 24,000 gallons a day of chardonnay I prefer the late harvest Reisling we made last year, all 500 gallons of it. I took 2 gallons of the juice home and reduced it to pancake syrup for family christmas presents. Try it yourself with concentrate from a home brew store. The concentrated wort, or unfermented beer, sold at such stores is basically GU energy gel at a tiny fraction of the price.

Ken:

How about educating us on the "concentrated wort" and how it compares to GU. A detailed new thread!

6,000 gallons of wine- and what's his address. With an answer like that that- Let Ken set the date- and we'll all be round- Pie will have to be provided but if Ken is providing the refreshments. I'm up for it.

Looks like the trend is pretty strong.

2. Our pie can be any kind of pie

4. Our official 50+ pie day should be the 3rd Saturday in September (the 15th this year).

6. The pie can be eaten at any time during the day.

8. The pie can be eaten anywhere.

Even numbers appear to be quite popular. :D

Anyone else want to voice their opinion?

...Anyone else want to voice their opinion?

Aside from the fact that I am shocked...yes, shocked!...at your cynical and blatant blueberry pie favoritism, no. :p

Aside to Stapfam: I am surprised that you haven't (did I miss it somewhere?) spoken up for that great British culinary institution, the cream tea. Were I pedaling through the UK (especially the South) that would be a splendid way to sustain myself. Good scones, a proper pot of tea, good jam, Devon clotted cream....ummm. I found it quite addictive on my trips to the UK. Somwhere in this half breed Italian-American there is an Anglophile gene.

Let's see...last time I was there it was a World Cup year and the papers were filled with: 1) the Spice Girls breakup and 2) a star player with an Italian name being booted off the English team and much angst thereby.

None of my trips involved biking alas, but I did do some day hikes and fly fishing in Wales last time.

I mean really, if it's not Coconut Cream it's just pie. Coconut Cream is a slice of heaven. :D

Aside from the fact that I am shocked...yes, shocked!...at your cynical and blatant blueberry pie favoritism, no.
There was a period of time when the pie thing first started that we ONLY discussed blueberry pie - and it was especially from Irma's CAFE'.

Alas, that sweet remembrance from a time not so long ago seems to have been swept under the rug in this lemming-like pursuit of the 50+ Forum to forget tradition and pursue just ANY old kind of pie.

Sigh!

And I reference, from 2-24-06 from GrannyGear - who has now resurrected himself as CrossChain


and, John E., don't forget the blueberry pie part-- eat a lot of it frequently but especially in the middle of long Saturday rides.

Now, just a few months later, the entire 50+ forum is throwing off this tradition so aptly embedded in the 50+ forum by our very own GrannyGear (CrossChain). Must I remind you that CC was just recently awarded the Grantland Rice Award by this very forum?

And, also, it appears as if the 50+ BICYCLING Forum no longer believes it is required to actually eat the pie (of whatever dubious heritage) in the middle of a BICYCLE ride! We might as well be an automotive forum!

Double sigh!

And, it seems, despite Irma's cafe heritage, that any old pie place will do. I think McDonalds sells a cherry something or other! Might as well go there.

Triple sigh!

We started with a potentially rich tradition. We have ended up with generic vanilla (evidently on top of WalMart pie).

Quadruple sigh!

I have it on good authority that Floyd Landis will be celebrating by eating his blueberry pie soon in a quaint cafe'.

1) I think that the pie should be seasonal-even Irma doesn't offer b-berry every week.

2) I like the 3rd sat of sept. as well. Here in Monroe that is the week-end of the Cheese Days Festival where
100,000 come to drink beer and eat cheese.

3) The pie shoul be eaten during the course of a ride requiring somewhat greater effort than that recquired
to ride around the block.

4) Lastly, it should be eaten at a cafe, preferably not a chain resturant. The only exception being if I can convince Skipper's wife to make an elderberry pie in which case all bets are off.

And, it seems, despite Irma's cafe heritage, that any old pie place will do. I think McDonalds sells a cherry something or other! Might as well go there.



No way! Mickey Ds isn't real pie.

I love ruhbarb pie. Sure eating the pie in the middle of the ride would be nice. And the more that I think about it. That should be the way we do it. So we can start a tradition.

Megaman,

Rhubarb pie! During a ride? The middle of the ride would become the end of the ride, at least on the bike! Trade the bike seat for a toilet seat...:D

You guys and your pie! :roflmao:

I'm with you Dnvr. After all, if this is to be an annual rite of 50+rs, then it shouldn't be as easy a pie! I have already scoped out a hidden treasure of a bakery about 22 miles from my door. I blueberry is there, then blueberry it is. I might even stop at one of the two winerys on the way back to sample their wares since I am too far from Ken's pie party.

I'm with you Dnvr. After all, if this is to be an annual rite of 50+rs, then it shouldn't be as easy a pie! I have already scoped out a hidden treasure of a bakery about 22 miles from my door. I blueberry is there, then blueberry it is. I might even stop at one of the two winerys on the way back to sample their wares since I am too far from Ken's pie party.

Well, there seems to be two school of thought about this.

I, for one, am going to establish my own BFN 50+ TRADITION:

I am going to eat my blueberry (if available) pie (or seasonal pie) in a cafe' (or the closest thing I can find to a cafe') on the 3rd Saturday in September in the middle of a bicycle ride of at least 15 miles.

The rest of you establish any kind of "tradition" that you might like!

Anyone else joining me? Please indicate below if you are joining in the tradition above. I will make a list of these tradition folks and post the list in the Rogue's Gallery. I will include pictures of the cafe and/or event and comments on the event and pie on the 50+ Pie Tradition page!

Have a good piece of pie, in any event, no matter which tradition you choose.:D :D

Well, there seems to be two school of thought about this.

I, for one, am going to establish my own BFN 50+ TRADITION:

I am going to eat my blueberry (if available) pie (or seasonal pie) in a cafe' (or the closest thing I can find to a cafe') on the 3rd Saturday in September in the middle of a bicycle ride of at least 15 miles.

The rest of you establish any kind of "tradition" that you might like!

Anyone else joining me? Please indicate below if you are joining in the tradition above. I will make a list of these tradition folks and post the list in the Rogue's Gallery. I will include pictures of the cafe and/or event and comments on the event and pie on the 50+ Pie Tradition page!

Have a good piece of pie, in any event, no matter which tradition you choose.:D :D

Count me in. I am doing 8 to 10 mile rides now, by Sept I should be up to 15 miles. If not I should be able to ride 7.5 or 8 miles then rest while I stand and eat my pie, then the remainder of the required miles.
Now all I have to do is find the right Cafe'.

Oh dear. I believe we have the makings of several "pie jihads" here! :eek:

Blueberry purists vs. "tutti fruitis"

Cafe fundamentalists vs. dining establishment ecumenicals

Fruit pie vs. cream pie

Sweet pie vs. savoury.

Not to mention the furriners who know not of American style pie.

Some other thoughts:

Those of us who live in the great suburban sprawl may find an Irma's style cafe to be unavailable*. Even in small town America those are rare. I used to travel our great state plying my trade and it was a red letter day when a small town had a decent cafe with good pie. All too often, though, the pickings were dismal. These days small town cafe fare all too often seems to travel from the Sysco truck to the deep fryer, fridge, microwave or well greased griddle en route to your plate.

Bakers Square may be a huge corporate chain but they do have good pie (albeit mediocre food otherwise). Do we disdain them nonetheless?

Anyway, I can get behind the idea that the pie should be consumed during the course of a ride, and that it should be consumed while sitting in the pie serving establishment. And that said pie should be an actual slice of pie - not a manufactured McPie.

But beyond that...well, do we maintain that the only "real" 50+ cyclists should ride, say, only carbon fiber road bikes? No! We embrace roadies, hybrids, recumbents and more. Why be overly dogmatic about the vast, diverse universe of pie? Why cast out the voluptuous cherry? The comforting apple? The ambrosial lemon merengue...? Yea, verily, even the mincemeat or chicken pot pie? (Cue "Kumbaya"...):D

----

*In my case, one of the best local pie establishments, an outpost of the superb Grand Traverse Pie Company, is in a strip mall on a major, bike-hostile and dangerous 8 lane highway.

The St Louis area boasts a quaint inn that should meet the most exacting BF requirements. It's located in a berg that I think is called Grant's Fork and advertises foot high pies. Flavors vary depending on the season and the fruit pies, while not actually a foot high, are still pretty deep. They also serve really good home fried chicken but I don't want to get into that. It's about a 15 mile ride from Troy, Illinois so we can ride out, eat our pie, and see who, if any, is capable of riding back.

St Louis is centrally located in the US so there should be no excuses for any 50+ riders to miss the event.

- maybe should have added:

pie can be:

1. store-bought
2. Momma-made
3. homemade

p.s. i vote for strawberry-rhubarb

This is getting way too complicated.

Regarding the two schools of thought, I am going with the DenvrFox tradition.

To relieve the tension associated with the Midterm Exam to be given in my summer school class this morning, I briefly related our BF 50+ pie debate before starting the exam. The 100 young people looked blankly at me and since I related this with a straight face, they weren't sure whether they were allowed to smile or laugh. In my opinion this is simply more evidence that the young have little appreciation for the subtleties of pie, the significance of an international pie day or the merits of trying to 'earn your pie' while on a minimum 15-mile pie ride.

This means it is up to US to debate, vote & determine the ultimate outcome of this important issue without much input from those who are too young to appreciate how important these questions are in the larger scheme of things. Since this is part of the important legacy this generation leaves behind, let us take our responsibilities seriously. Can we meet later today over pie & cafe somewhere locally?

TW

To relieve the tension associated with the Midterm Exam to be given in my summer school class this morning, I briefly related our BF 50+ pie debate before starting the exam. The 100 young people looked blankly at me and since I related this with a straight face, they weren't sure whether they were allowed to smile or laugh. In my opinion this is simply more evidence that the young have little appreciation for the subtleties of pie, the significance of an international pie day or the merits of trying to 'earn your pie' while on a minimum 15-mile pie ride.

TW

Man, you are REALLY hard up for material! :roflmao:

Perhaps a UN Conference on pies and bicycling is in order?

Oh dear. I believe we have the makings of several "pie jihads" here! :eek:

Blueberry purists vs. "tutti fruitis"

Cafe fundamentalists vs. dining establishment ecumenicals

Fruit pie vs. cream pie

Sweet pie vs. savoury.

Not to mention the furriners who know not of American style pie.

Some other thoughts:

Bakers Square may be a huge corporate chain but they do have good pie (albeit mediocre food otherwise). Do we disdain them nonetheless?



I think we each have to try our best, on our bicycle scout's honor, to find the best we can in our own environs!

Baker's Square is owned by VICORP, which operates Village Inns here in Colorado and surrounding states. Verily they do have great pie - in fact, they have received international awards. As I frequent VI's here in Colorado, and as several of their long-term waitresses would give Irma a run for the money, I think Baker's Square is quite suitable. In fact I was considering the VI thing myself!

Ride for Pie Day - should be every day. Recent article on NJ paper (njo.com - search the term "pie") on best pies in the state. Certainly not comprehensive, but a good selection: Melick's Town Farm, Oldwick, Wightman's Farms, Harding, Country Pie Factory, Long Valley, Battleview Orchards, Freehold Township, Terhune Orchards, Lawrence, Wightman's Farms, Harding, Peaceful Valley Orchards, Union Township, Mr. Tod's Pie Factory, Somerset.

Several are within riding distance from my house. I may add a Pie Ride to our club calendar and hit Peaceful Valley Orchards in Union Township - very nice area to ride.

Although I will eat and enjoy any kind of pie( well maybe not rhubarb)...truly Blueberry pie is God's gift to man...right up there with sex and bicycles:D

Okay, I have added a new web page to the Rogue's Gallery.

http://members.aol.com/bfn50gallery/tradition.htm

I will add names as folks express interest

You guys just don't know what you're missing in a good Rhubarb pie. In fact since rhubarb is getting so much sought after around here, about the only place you can get it is in the store. So most likely it's not fresh. My father's aunt had rhubard that she'd give me(as she's done in the past), but someones been stealing it right out of her yard. Well, my wife and I planted two rhubarb plants in our backyard this year to solve that little problem. Even though they are doing quite well, it will be next year until we'll be able to savor the fruit of our labor. And it goes so well with ice cream.

Not far north of me there is an exurban region of fruit orchards (around Romeo, MI). Haven't really ridden up there but there must be a good cafe with good pie somewhere.

I shall have to research possible routes and dining. If there are any other S.E. Michigan riders here who have suggestions for routes and pie sources and would like to get together...

I am going to eat my blueberry (if available) pie (or seasonal pie) in a cafe' (or the closest thing I can find to a cafe') on the 3rd Saturday in September in the middle of a bicycle ride of at least 15 miles.


Please accept my membership/support to the BF Traditional.
There is BLUEBERRY PIE ......and all others!!!!!
There is small town 15 miles away with a Cafe.......we will call a few days in advance to request/reserve BLUEBERYY Pie for September 15.
In the evnt BLUEBERRY PIE is unavailable, we will make a BLUEBERRY pie at home, pack 2 pieces of pie in suitable pie containers, place into trunk bag, and ride 15 miles to enjoy BLUEBERRY pie roadside or lakeside at Lake Darling (16 miles).