The announcement we have all been waiting for....

Folks, the ride you've been anticipating for almost a year is.... still two months away. Yet, you wouldn't believe
the number of people hounding me about the announcement for this ride. (would you believe ... one?.... well, why not?)

8th Annual HATTARICK - Hockhocking Adena Trail To Athens Ride In the Cold for Koffee
Saturday, January 3, 2009


Hockhocking Adena RailTrail from Nelsonville, OH (Hocking Technical College) to Athens, OH.....and back. Friends, this is the only ride in Ohio that's downhill in both directions. You have to ride it to truly appreciate it's nuisances.

(IF you are 80+ years old, the 'and back' portion of the ride may be waived)

Day Before Ride: Reminder to xxxxxxxxx to come up with a better excuse than last year's for not riding. (Better = more creative) Last year's excuses were pretty lame. Person with "Best Excuse" will receive a pair of SmartWool cycling socks. Winner must be present to win.

Day of Ride:
9:15 - 9:45 AM Arrive at Hocking Tech Parking Lot
Dress for the weather, take extra gloves; if you wear sandals, don't worry, you won't be alone.
10:00 AM Leave the parking lot (preferably on your bike & on the trail)

This is a social ride, not a race. Some riders are talking trash, but it's usually about how little they generate,
composting techniques, how to keep worms alive in winter, etc., etc. Everyone comes prepared to contribute at least one joke, one recipe, and one comment on how they wouldn't have missed this for anything. See what I mean? No trash.

11:30 ish Brunch/Lunch in Athens (Dutch treat)
12:45 ish Leave Athens for return trip (be prepared & count on better, or worse, weather on the way back)

2:00 ish Arrive back at HTC. (pack up, turn up the car heater, go somewhere warm)

If you've never completed a HATTARICK, you should. Otherwise, you can't brag that you did. You can't check it off your list. You birdwatchers know what I mean.

If you have completed one... hey, forgive and forget, okay? And you'll be glad to know, thanks to some savvy investments during the 2008 banking crisis, the HATTARICK remains on sound financial footing. The prizes this year will be double last year's amount.

Remember:
HATTARICK riders are found in that small loop created by the intersection of those people crazy about cycling, and those who are just plain nuts.
The 2008 ride was a perfect example. Although snow was on the ground, the trail was clear, dark, and smooth... like glass... or as they say in Southern Ohio - "black ice". And it was cold; so cold Pete Hill had to wear his winter flip-flops with the shag carpet footbed. See what I mean by nuiance?

I could go on and on, and I'd like to, but I've lost the 'summary' from last year's ride. Here's the list of records for 2007, most were broken in 2008, except oldest rider... at 84 Pete said he'd crested the hill and since his name was Hill, he should know... from here on he was getting younger, so he was 83 last year.
____________________________________
Many records were broken again in 2007, including...
1. Oldest Rider: Pete Hill (84)
2. Coolest Bike: Pete Hill
3. Coolest Sandals: Pete Hill
4. Orneriest: Pete Hill
5. Best Joke: Pete Hill
6. Best Beard: Pete Hill
7. Most Justified Complaint: Rick Holt ("You lent me your gloves last year, why can't I borrow your sandals?")
8. Best retort: Pete Hill ("Cause your STILL wearing my gloves!")
9. Flattest Tire: Rick Holt
10. Most Photogenic: Martha Zinn
11. Least Photogenic: Jim Barrett (the author voted twice to break the tie )
12. Most HATTARICKs Completed: Jim Barrett - 3 (the author is not eligible for this award)

Editor's Note: I have the records from Rick's email.

2008 HATTARICK #7 SUMMARY:
Put another one in the record book folks, this was by far the worst weather, and therefore the best HATTARICK yet!

This one had EVERYTHING... snow and ice on 80% of the trail, sleet, freezing rain, normal rain, wind (mostly mild),
85 year old male in bare feet, beautiful women, brutally handsome men (ok, man, but I already mentioned him once),
black market glove trading, keep off the grass violations, spills and thrills, mechanical failures due to ice, black ice, white ice...
talk about excitement... I.. I.. I could go on, but... really you had to be there, with your glasses fogged up, to appreciate the
experience.

And seven of us WERE there... 3 had never ridden HATTARICK before! And the other 4 eventually admitted they had.
Some photos are below, but some props first...

2008 HATTARICK Awards:
1. Oldest Rider: Pete Hill (85)
2. Coolest Bike: Ray George
3. Coolest flip-flops: Pete Hill
4. Orneriest: Pete Hill (once again)
5. Shortest Ride: Eric Soiu
6. Most Common Sense: Eric Soiu
7. Best Beard: Pete Hill
8. Most ice in the beard: Pete Hill
9. Scariest fall by a rider in a supporting role: Martha Zinn
10. Snazziest Jersey: Andrew Hall

This is the HATTARICK.
If it made sense, it would be called TOSRV, or GOBA or something like that.

Editor's Note: The ride starts in Nelsonville, OH and goes Athens and back. Here is the review from the 2008 ride

Comments

  1. Is this for realz? I want IN! How do we find out more?

    ReplyDelete

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