IBTS14 9/21 Rochester to Fairlee, VT

In the first blog in this series (9/15) I mentioned this is an “anniversary ride”.  So it’s time to explain.

Dr. Clifford Graves was a Swiss-born surgeon in the US Army during World War II.  The army, being short of transportation, gave bicycles to doctors.  In his book, “My Life On Two Wheels” Dr. Graves describes two situations when he escapes the advancing Germans on his bicycle.  After the war, Dr. Graves spends time cycling in war-torn Europe and meets both English and French bicyclists.    To make a long story short, Dr. Graves, now a surgeon in San Diego,  eventually decides to organize a bike tour.  Letters go out to his friends in the US, England and France.  So 40 cyclists show up at a Vermont town square in September 1964.  With little else than their panniers (saddle bags to you Texans) they take off on a two week tour.  When the ride was over, everyone wants similar events to continue so Dr. Graves forms The International Bicycle Touring Society” (IBTS) with the simple proposition “We all organize and lead tours for each other”. The idea takes off and in the first 20 years IBTS conducts over 200 tours in the US and internationally.

In the early 1980’s Dr. Graves is both diagnosed with prostrate cancer and marries, for the first time at age 68, his office manager. The office manager takes over the club’s administration.  Due to both conflicts in personality and policy, most of the IBTS members rebel and form another club, Bicycle Adventure Club (BAC).  BAC is a going concern with over 800 tours in the past 30 years.  The club has over 50 tours on the books in 2015. So we are on the 50th anniversary tour of Dr. Graves first tour in 1964.  IBTS and BAC are merged once again.

 

NEW ENGLAND CHURCHES ON TODAY’S RIDE

 

I was not looking forward to today’s ride. In the first place, it was listed as the most difficult ride of the tour; 4,700 feet of climbing in 50 miles.  Fortunately, it was only 3,600 or so feet of climbing.  We climbed 500 feet in the first mile (ouch) and over 1250 feet in the first 3.5 miles.  And in the second place, it was supposed to rain.  Well it didn’t rain – the skies were clear all day and it was a glorious day of cycling with many miles on the open road.

BRENDA’s BIOS

KRIS AND CHUCK CARLSON (Dallas, TX) Chuck and Kris have been married 45 years!!!.  Is this longevity a part of cycling or something else? Maybe tandeming!  Chuck was a copy writer  for 27 years, some of these years he was self employed. Kris was with JC Penny company for 36 years and worked in district and regional positions then was promoted to VP and Director of Support Services. They moved to Dallas when Kris was promoted to the corporate office position.  Although they log a high percentage of their biking miles on a tandem they both have done plenty of single bike riding.  Kris has done RAGBRAI twice and Chuck once. Chuck has also ridden Oregon Bicycle Ride (OBR) 7 times. One of his proudest accomplishments was to ride Vatternurndun, in Sweden. This is a one day ride of 300 km with 16,000 riders. It took him 12 hours to complete the ride. But after last year, their proudest ride is Alison’s Sierra Cascades.  Chuck and Kris are the coordinators for the Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts (DATES) and they lead day rides for this group.

 

 

 

 

 

TODAY’S RIDE