A day off in Erie and meeting "The Best Dressed Man in Erie"

 

As I walked into the bike shop yesterday afternoon to get my bike repaired, the first thing I noticed was an impeccably dressed African-American man who looked to be in his early fifties. He was sitting in front of the repair counter. He had on a black ballcap, a beautifully tailored khaki-colored suit, a natty tie with a tie bar, argyle socks, and freshly polished shoes. I'm sure I said hello to him as I got the details of my bike repairs sorted out, but I can't remember our interaction. 

This morning when I went with Dana to retrieve my bike from the shop, there sat the very same gentleman on the same stool in front of the repair counter. Today he had on a Seersucker suit with a pocket square, a crisp white dress shirt, a stylish tie, cool-looking socks, and freshly polished shoes. 

As I glanced over at him, he was going through what looked like a box of items that had just been delivered to the store. 

I said to him, 

"Excuse me, yesterday when I came in here, you were the best-dressed guy in this place, and now today, you are, once again, the best-dressed guy in this place. Are you the owner?"

He said, "Me, no, I'm not the owner, no. But I'm here all the time. I ride my bike here."

Then the young mechanic chimed in, 

"Yup, he rides here most every day. He rides his bike like 30 miles a day."

I said, "You ride your bike in those nice suits?"

He said, "Yup, that's how I roll. I wear suits no matter what I'm doing. I go fishing in this."

I said, "You're kidding."

He said, "I am not kidding. I had a guy once said to me that I was going to mess up these nice suits by doing all this stuff in 'em. I told him, 'I can tell you I will not! If you knew me, you would know I won't mess up my clothes."

With a serious expression on his face, the young mechanic chimed in again, 

"He is the nicest guy that I've ever met."

The well-dressed man went back to sorting out the items that had just arrived at the store. He then gave one item that looked like a travel coffee mug to another mechanic behind the counter, 

"Tom, this one's for you to put your morning java in. Here you go."

"Thanks, man," Tom said.

I wanted to find out more about the best-dressed man in Erie, Pennsylvania, who just happens to hang out at the Bike Shop on 12th Street. But I had to get back to the hotel with my bike. I have the young mechanic's card. If I get completely bored before the end of business today, I may call him up and inquire more about his besuited bike shop buddy. 

While in the car, driving to and from the bike store, I made small talk with Dana. We discussed our group of riders and how for some of them, the days can be long and overwhelming. He always ended up with a positive comment about everyone. 

"Jean's seat is too high. She looks like she is going to saw herself in half. But she does not want to lower that seat. She had some rough days in the desert, but she has rallied and done well recently."

He did mention that he always takes three weeks off after the tour to visit his son and his family in Bend, Oregon. I can imagine it's a nice respite for him after seven weeks of bike repairs, shuttle rides, grocery store runs, setting up SAG stops, and endless tire changes. He is a very low-key guy who can be hard to read. His demeanor rarely changes. It would be really interesting to hear how he feels about working this tour after the eight or nine years they have done it.  

After retrieving my bike, I met up with fellow rider Joel from Indiana. We ate lunch together here at the hotel and then walked to the Erie Maritime Museum a few blocks away. During our walk over to the museum, Joel mentioned to me his latest concern, the poor quality of the SAG stops. I have no problem with what is offered at the SAG stops. I think they are fine. But when Joel heard I was getting a ride to the bike shop, he gave me $50 and told me to buy as many berry-flavored GU packets as I could find at the store. GU is just what it sounds like, energy gel filled with sugar, caffeine, and other ingredients to give you a boost when you ride. Evidently, they are not providing any more of those packets at the stops. Joel does not like that and feels they should restock if you will. This brings me to what I'll call "The Great Shot Bloks Mystery."

Shot Bloks are like big gumdrops which serve the same purpose as the GU energy gel, to give you some get-up-and-go during a ride. A few nights ago, when Tom, the tour director's son, asked me to have a drink with him, he confided in me that his mother and the staff were convinced that someone had been hoarding the Shot Bloks! 

I was aghast. I said, "Heavens! You can't be serious!" 

He looked at me with steely eyes. Then, sounding a little like Dave Caruso of CSI Miami with a slightly deeper voice, he declared, 

"We think we've narrowed it down to three people."

"You mean three suspects?" I asked.

"Exactly. But I can't tell you who they are."

"I understand.", I said.

He then went on to explain how much money they had spent on Shot Bloks and that his Mom was not going to spend any more on them because she felt she had purchased enough for the seven-week trip. I just listened, nodded my head, and said OK.

The Erie Maritime Museum was very interesting. I learned that during the War of 1812, British warships were sailing on Lake Erie. The US commissioned the building of its own warships for battle on the lake in the winter of 1812. Then on September 10, 1813, Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry’s fleet of nine ships engaged six British warships. After losing his flagship, Perry transferred to a sister ship and led his forces directly into the British line, firing broadsides and forcing their surrender.

And to think I was getting bent out of shape over riding a bike in only two gears. 

Tomorrow we shuffle off to Buffalo.

We actually ride to Buffalo tomorrow, but that doesn't sound half as good.