Short stories:

Charity ride on country roads. Only about 150 riders. I'm with my '87 Paramount, just another rider. A rider on carbon comes up, and says "for my entire teenage and college years, that's all I ever wanted." This draws a mini-crowd, some with the same sentiment. They ride away from me, of course. At the end, free burgers, with chili. A lady comes over, says, "that is the only bike here with silver spokes," and walks away. My riding partner says "dude, what is it with you?"

Charity ride in yuppie country. Probably 650 riders. I'm with my Miami Vice Ironman, polished Vento wheels with fuscia decals to match the bike, gold wrap and saddle, and housing, and pedals to match the bike. I park it at rest stops, and sit back. It continues to be surrounded by female riders, every time. I get more attention than the Fig Newtons.

Charity ride in yuppie country. 500 riders or so. We're going down a hill, and a cute girl is on a Miyata 912, we're gettin' it pretty good down a gradual hill. A couple of us on steel ride up and say "nice bike, glad to see another real bike here.' "My other bike's in the shop; this is all I had to ride," she says. Chagrin. Same ride, we're waiting to start, a guy is there on a Nishiki Prestige, all chrome and beautiful paint, like new. BF's roccobike and I stagger our way through the crowd, compliment his beautiful bike. He shrugs and says "I don't even own a bike; my friend let me use this old thing." Not a good day for the C&V ego.

Charity ride near UNC. I come upon a Centurion Turbo, but it's not labeled, and it's been repainted Carolina blue. The rider had a thread on here where he sent step by step through the complete tear-down and rebuild, even had Carolina blue wristbands on the hubs. BF member lsdmt is there with me; we're on Ironman bikes, and we ride next to him, recounting his thread and the rebuild, step by step. By this time, his riding companions start to move away from two creepy guys. We park at a rest stop, lay down the Ironman bikes, and get something to drink. We get back to our bikes to find two other guys begin to argue with each other about Centurion Ironman bikes.