Time Stands Still

A 40-year-old me (right) with Jared Miller at the Wooden Bike Classic in Rwanda, September 2006. Image: Jay Ritchey

Last Saturday morning I was washing the side cases from my Moto Guzzi Quota 1100ES. After 9,000 glorious miles of ownership it was time to find a new rider and home for the Italian tractor. As the suds were getting sprayed down the driveway an older couple walked by, both them and their little dog unfamiliar to me as the day’s heat was slowly building.

“Good morning,” I said, hose in hand as I washed off my feet. Phil was meeting at our place in an hour or so for a ride to the coast to escape the forecasted 90-plus degree heat. It was our maiden voyage on the 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 we purchased from George Smith in Martinez a few days prior, and Jean was excited to get back on a proper two-up sport touring bike after we sold our trusty BMW R 1150 RT several months ago.

“Hey, that’s a Moto Guzzi,” the gentleman said as he doubled back toward me. “Haven’t seen that model before. I’m more of a car guy, but the Guzzis always stand out to me.”

As we were making small talk, Jean rolled her lugged steel fixed gear bicycle toward the street on her way to the local Safeway and chatted up his wife, who turned out to be the sister of Tom Ritchey, the prolific bicycle industry personality who grew up in nearby Palo Alto. Tom was an early mountain bike innovator alongside Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze and other Bay Area luminaries, and built a custom steel bicycle for his sister years ago.

“Your brother is the reason we’re living here,” I told her with a smile.