The Bicycle Exchange Features Section
While you're there, don't forget to scroll down to read my very own "Wild, Wonderful West Virginia Romp" memoir.
Speaking of the 'Burgh:
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for 4 May 1993, p. A-1: "Jim Delligatti of Fox Chapel invented the Big Mac in the kitchen of a McDonald's on McKnight Road on a summer night in 1967. "He test marketed it in Uniontown, and after customers ate it up, the Big Mac moved to his franchises in Ross, Wexford and Bellevue. It debuted nationally early in 1968."
Sincere gratitude for digging this up for me goes to:
Barry Chad
Assistant Head
Pennsylvania Department
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Bridging the Urban Landscape
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Wednesday, June 11th, 97:
Bikes on Beemers
Um gonna be in Chicago the 26th thru the 29th in this beautiful birth month of mine goin' on right now so could 'cha tell me, where's a guy and his buds to go for sum down 'en dirty fun-uh-un in that great City? My first flight into O'Hare where I'll finally being able to stop saying, "No, not beyond the airport." However the one night I spent in Chicago was the night the only irreverent QB from BYU (Thank god) McMahon and that hard ass from just "dahn 'ne Ahia from the Point in Pittsburgh" Ditka won the Super Bowl. Slept in O'Hare that fateful night due to ice storms in Pittsburgh. And bein' a boy comin' of age with the Steelers of the 70's, I knew that great feeling. We closed every bar in Concourses A and parts of B! I must admit, I have NEVER met anyone from Chicago I didn't like. I'm psyched to see the City. You wouldn't by hook or crook be happinen' to be gracing the Windy City with your presence in that timeframe? If you are and are wandering around Lincoln Park or some old Sons of Lithuiania bar, we'll keep an eye out for yo posse. Pamela is off to "Estrogen fest" in New York, her best friend Jill of her youth growing up here in DC, Jill's mom Geri, Jill's next oldest sister from San Fran and her wife, Jill's other sister Paula from Nova Scotia and a woman named Pat with an uncanny likeness to the character of the same name are off to NYC to stay at the Algonquin, take in "Rent" and take a backstage tour of Sotheby's (Geri won it in a raffle, no doubt a by-product of the energy vortex of this coming together of female energy). I'm hoping they can make it to the Today Show one morning, could be group T-Shirts involved.
Thursday, June 12th, 97:
We've been listening to "Dark Side of the Moon" all week since I read about that odd correlation with the "Wizard of Oz." It was nice being home for my 36th last Saturday. Its great to connect with my folks and siblings, and I'm lucky all there still together and healthy. Mostly I'm lucky they're good-hearted people, lots of love and acceptance growing up blessed me with a centered, free thinking and loving, healthy self-esteem. We saw the mayor of Pittsburgh and got our picture with him. Somethin' 'baht the ole' Hometown. While up there we took in the Thrift Drug Classic a huge USPRO bicycle race thru dahntahn. We're off to Philly this weekend for the next race in the series. At dawn Sunday (race day) we're doing the ride for charity along the race course. Fifteen miles, we do it once, the pros do it ten times. $117K purse so it should be fun!
Wednesday, June 18th, 97:
I still have to get off my duff and write up and scan those wonderful June weekends in Pissburgh and Philly.
To re-live the CoreStates race a little, try these links:
This one is a recount of the race; it has a virtual tour of the course also (once you download the VDO viewer):
CoreStates
Try "Bike Snoopy's" he's the guy who gave me all the info on the race:
Here is the e-letter I sent him thanking him:
_____________________________
Dave,
I wanted to write and thank you personally from my wife Pamela, our friend Donna who we stayed with and my buddy Michael and I for all the gracious help you provided that lead to a WONDERFUL weekend of cycling in Philadelphia!
We got into Center City about 3:00PM Saturday (6/14/97) and settled into Donna's condo just off Rittenhouse Square. We went immediately to BikeLine at 12th/Locust as I forgot my clipless shoes and had to get fitted with some rat-trappers. They were a great help in the shop. We then got coffee at 19th and Locust at some funky place called Xando Coffee and saw Chris Horner tooling down the street with a buddy looking almost like messengers!
We had a great dinner at Rock Lobster at Penn's Landing in the shadow of that pretty bridge that lights up so cute when the train goes across we then grabbed martinis (except for the designated driver, me) at the very cool cocktail bar Continental's.
I woke at 5:00AM Sunday (6/15/97) and roused the ladies by about 6:30 so we got up to the course at about 7:15. What a total blast that was riding on the course!!
Philadelphia is so beautiful. I got only about half way up the "Wall" in my wimpy 38/17 [on 27"] gear before dismounting. My buddy Michael blasted up the Wall twice in 42/19 [on 700C] on his Cannondale R900. I think Pamela and Donna got farther up the hill than I did on their mountain bikes. What a hill! We were in Pittsburgh the week prior and Sycamore street is almost the same level of difficulty but I don't think as long at that grade.
What a blast the downhilling was in Manayunk (the "fall from the Wall") I saw there is a Metropolis bike shop on Main street, that is my favorite shop here in DC, glad you folks got one, too.
We ended up on the barracades right at 21th and Ben Franklin for the men's finish so we saw George H's attack the bell lap right in front of us! It was a great vantage point.
Dave, I wanted to say I was honored to be a guest of such a finely orchestrated event that the grand City of Philadelphia put together. Just like that tree clearing incident on Kelly Drive, [being a Pittsburgh native] I can't help but think if the US Capitol would have stayed there in Philadelphia instead of being moved down here to the swamp of DC, how much better off this country would be if it were run by the can-do Pennsylvania people of Philadelphia. It was so great to see everyone out to support the race, and it was so well organized. The fun ride was FABULOUS, I loved being able to gain the appreciation of the course and ride along behind the pros while they warmed up, especially those Italian pro ladies! ;^D
It really felt like the World Class event it was.
See you next year!
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