Dr Jerry Klotz and Fred Gooding, for reasons lost to history, went out for a bicycle ride on New Year's Day in1969.
Little did they suspect that this would be the impetus for such a durable and colorful tradition!

Jerry might be riding with Dean, but not with us.

Every year now on Christmas Day we update the Daily Photo on our website to announce the ride's start location.

In the olden days, when Jerry Klotz organized the event, the ride started at seven a.m. or some such unreasonable hour.
When Jerry found himself in Singapore one New Years, riding a century in ninety degree heat, I staged a coup and
decreed a more human "High Noon" start, which has worked out pretty well over the years. Let's be honest. Many of
us overindulge on New Year's Eve. That, combined with trying to find one's way home and locate a bicycle, make Noon
a more workable start for the ketone -poisoned among us.

The weather is quite variable here so we only plan the start place and time. It's a "Show & Go" ride as those who show decide where
to go. On New Year's 1975, for example, the weather was a balmy 45 degrees and all kinds of fit young men turned out.
I got dropped on the way to Belleville. 1978, in contrast, was just below zero with ten inches of fresh snow. We rode
to Nakoma, had a whiskey, declared victory and went home.

Every rider is warmly welcome. The ride is hardly ever fast. Our emphasis is on conviviality at conversational speed
so no one need worry about being left behind.

We'll see you on New Year's Day and bring your camera!

Here are some previous New Year's ride photos:

• New Year's 2002
• New Year's 2001
• New Year's 2001
• New Year's 2001
• New Year's 2001

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Some New Year's Day in the 1980s at a bar in Verona
photo by Bill Putnam

New Year's Day 1991

It's always nice to buy something.

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