epicRIDES - Virtual Rides/Real Training
May-11-2010

True Love on a Bicycle Built for Two

Post written by Chris. Follow me on Twitter 11 comments

This is a guest post from my buddy Joel Ankeny. Joel told me this amazing story about his great-grandparents and I thought it would be great to share with all of you.
“Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do
I’m half crazy all for the love of you
It won’t be a stylish marriage
I can’t afford a carriage
But you’ll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two”

Almost every cyclists knows these lyrics from the Harry Dacre song “Daisy Bell”.  On September 18, 1934 my great-grandparents brought this song to life on their wedding day.  My great-grandfather, Adam Preisinger, came from a family of well-known cyclists – all of his brothers and sisters raced.  He served as the chairman and secretary of the Century Road Club Association (CRCA – Still in existence today as the biggest cycling club in the USA) in the 1930‘s.  Later in life he officiated many of the races at the Lake Clifton, MD track.

So it would only be obvious that on his wedding day that bikes would somehow be involved.  It was decided that he and my great-grandmother, Mrs. Frances Boarman, would ride a tandem bicycle from their home to the church and back.  The best man and matron of honor, Mr. and Mrs Iglehart (Mr. Iglehart was secretary of the Century Road Club of America at the time) also rode a tandem while the rest of the party, another thirteen people, rode single bikes.  It must have been quite a sight to see the two tandems and thirteen single bikes leaning against the church wall.  It was such an odd sight that several Baltimore newspapers ran stories in the evening paper’s about it.

It’s been 76 years since my great-grandparents wedding, but four generations later the family is still racing.  I never had the opportunity to speak directly to my great-grandfather about bike racing back in the day as Alzheimer’s claimed his life when I was only 7.  But I would like to think that if he were still here today watching me race my bike, he would be proud of how I’ve carried on the family tradition having had modest success in both road and cyclocross racing.   When the day comes that I finally tie the knot, you can best believe it will be on a “bicycle built for two”!

If you enjoyed this post, follow Joel on Twitter and check out his blog The Adventures of Captain Crunch for more cycling goodness.

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13 Tweets

  1. CptCrnch said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: Guest post from @CptCrnch: An amazing #cycling story about his great-grandfather. Definitely worth the read: http://bit.ly/daDAy8

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  2. Tweets that mention True Love on a Bicycle Built for Two | Zen on Two Wheels -- Topsy.com said,

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Chris Spagnuolo  and Joel Ankeny, Vitor Santos. Vitor Santos said: RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: Guest post from @CptCrnch: An amazing #cycling story about his great-grandfather. Definitely worth the read: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 [...]

  3. Cmdr0 said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: Guest post from @CptCrnch: An amazing #cycling story about his great-grandfather. Definitely worth the read: http://bit.ly/daDAy8

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  4. s2_art said,

    @lambsimon a photo for you RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  5. teeheehee said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  6. greggscycles said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  7. CptCrnch said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  8. BriceShirbach said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  9. rick_vosper said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  10. velorambling said,

    Too good! RT @rick_vosper RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

  11. dgenphoto said,

    RT @ChrisSpagnuolo: This is cool: A wedding party on bicycles way back in 1934: http://bit.ly/daDAy8 #cycling

    This comment was originally posted on Twitter

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