To some WJW members (Jeff Payton, for instance), going to BikeFest in Altoona, PA meant racing in the Tour de
‘Toona. To other members, it meant attending the League of American Bicyclists National Rally of Cyclists. To me, it
meant going "home", or at least where I spent the first 22 years of my existence. When I think of Altoona, I think of
George Burn’s book "They Still Remember Me in Altoona". I think of the joke, "Altoona is in a different time zone;
when you go there, don’t forget to turn your watch back 15 years!" I think of Heineken beers for $2. I think of looking
upward and seeing not sky, but mountains, and lots of them. I think of a place where people go on vacation for a week,
and never lock their doors. I also think of my wonderful childhood. But I was here for the National Rally, and cycling,
and climbing hills! The concept of BikeFest 2001 was to combine the Tour de ‘Toona 6-day stage race, having 900+
racers, with the LAB National Rally, having 800+ cyclists, and what do you get? A lot of cyclists and no motel rooms
available!
We, (Anne Tummey, Jim "Jambo" Towson and yours truly), arrived Thursday night at the Altoona Campus
of Penn State. We met a long-time friend of mine for dinner, who, by the way, graciously volunteered to supply lodging
for three ‘Cat 3’ racers from New Jersey that had racing in their hearts but no place to stay. The tavern where we ate
offered a special ‘local’ salad for the evening; mixed greens topped with chicken, and mushrooms, and french fries! My
friend from Altoona was quite surprised when we told her that we thought that the fries were a bit strange on a salad.
She was under the impression that salads were served that way everywhere! The next morning, I volunteered to lead a
non-scheduled ride, but one that would give Jim and Anne a flavor of the cycling terrain, as well as some of the local
railroading history for which Altoona is famous. In other words, we were on a sightseeing trip.
We left the Altoona Campus parking lot, turned right, and began our 3+ mile climb of over 1300 feet! I, being a bit over weight and in
terrible shape, felt it appropriate to lead from the rear. Once on the top, we went to Wopsononock Lookout (‘Wopsy’ to
the locals), and checked out the view (very hazy). Next we rode across the mountain, stopping in Gallitzin to see the
twin railroad tunnels, then onto the Allegheny Portage Railroad Site where canal barges were floated onto train cars,
hoisted over the Allegheny Mountains, and then put back into the canal to complete their journey. This process resulted
in shortening the trip from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh from 23 days to 5 days! Finally, we rode to the world famous
"Horseshoe Curve". The building of the "Horseshoe Curve" put an end to the canals, as it now offered a solution as to
how to move goods from the east to the west, through the barrier of the Allegheny Mountains. It was leaving the ‘Curve’
that we had our first taste of rain, but not too bad. When we arrived back at the campus, a BBQ (by name only) with a
live band was underway. Shortly after eating, we found ourselves all huddled under the big tent, as it started to rain, a
big time rain, one of the hardest and longest rains that I have experienced. Luckily, the free beer had arrived, and the
band kept playing, and all was right with the world. Saturday, our group separated, with Anne, Jim, Peter Ricciardi and
Joe Stud, I mean Stun, doing the 71 mile loop, Bob Smolarek (bless his soul) opting for the 100+ mile loop, Dan
Rappoport taking another loop, while I took the 54 mile trek. All of the rides were okay, but had their flaws (like riding
the final 10 miles on a 4-lane highway!). That night, Anne and Peter went to the water park for "cooling off", while
others attended the Tour de ‘Toona party, offering an opportunity to hobnob with the professional cyclists, chow down
some food, hoist a few free beers, and hear Chris Carmichael (Lance Armstrong’s personal coach) talk about his relationship with the Tour de France
champion.