Subject: WV Rally trip (long)
Author: Charles Mullendore
Date: May 29, 2002, 4:23 PM
Post ID: 1710341849
Hi All,
Rode the old '69 Ambo up to the "24th Annual Get Rained On In The Least Scenic Part Of WV Rally" (also know as the Big Country Moto Guzzi Rally) this past weekend. Left Friday at 2:15 PM and arrived in New Cumberland at 7:30 PM after an uneventful and relatively dry 230 mile ride. By relatively dry I mean instead of raining cats and dogs for most of the way, it only rained steadily for 50 miles. Once there, I had some leftover pasta, chatted with a few folks, then retired early to the B&B I booked a room in just up the road. I was quite tired from working all day then riding most of the way against a stiff headwind while dodging crazy holiday travelers.
The next day, I had a nice leisurely breakfast, then rode down to the rally site. I got there just in time to line up for the parade and just behind me was a highly customized purple Eldorado with a V7 Sport front end on it. Way cool! We had a fire truck escort through town, and all the intersections were blocked off by state police - made us feel like VIPS! Lots of kids lining the streets and waving as we passed. Afterwards, I checked out all the bikes (a few other nice Loops - a black with brown Eldo, Pat Galbraith's nice original Eldo, a custom LAPD Eldo built by my friend Ron Zello and now owned by Dave(?) Whitehead of PA, an emerald green with silver frame Eldo in the back of a truck and of course Ralph Poole's early V700) including a Gilera CX (125cc 2-stroke sportbike with single sided suspension front and rear and full bodywork). Yes, I got pics of these which I will post a.s.a.p. Around 2 PM my buddy Dan from Winchester arrived and I helped him set up his tent and get settled in. Ran into Dennis Jones (Hi Dennis!) and went to see what sort of restoration Lynn Crowley ("Mr. V7 Sport") had in his trailer this year. Surprisingly, all he had was a nice Guzzi Robin moped, a Mille GT, and an Eldo he was working on for someone. A mini swapmeet was set up in the fire station parking lot and I bought a good Eldo front fender for $30. Looked rather strange strapped to the back of the bike on the trip home and got plenty of funny looks. Dan and I went for a short ride around the area and nearly got ran over by a psycho squirrel and a couple of deer. Back at the rally, it was time for the Sat. night meal, a nice ham dinner. Then the door prizes were passed out, awards awarded, and 50/50 drawn. Most everyone came away with something - I got an XXL "Speeds Cycle" t-shirt (yeah, that'll fit!) and some Oury grips. Then it was time to hangout, BS, kick tires and digest. The crowd was already thinning out, but we got a couple of good Loop conversations going. Right around 10 PM this fairly attractive, young blond haired gal arrived with a rather large, muscular dude in tow. Turns out the gal was a stripper from the local club "Christie's Cabaret" and was there to hand out free passes! Muscle dude was a bouncer sent to protect her from all of us rowdy biker types! Still tired from the long work week, all I wanted was to sleep. The whole scene had a surreal quality to it - sort of like a "Twilight Zone" episode.
The next morning, I met up with Dan for beakfast at "Wick's", the local greasy spoon. We were out on the road by 10:30, headed south on WV2, then WV67 and WV88 into Wheeling. I'd never been on 67 and 88 and found them to be enjoyable roads except for the gravel on turns deposited by recent heavy rains. From 88 we picked up WV250 and continued south (also very twisty/hilly/scenic) until we split up and continued on separately at the intersection with US50. Dan headed home to the waiting arms of his fiancee and I headed further south on 250 into the arms of adventure....
More tomorrow. Cheers,
Charlie
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