Des Moines Cycle Club

the prudent devilette will bring a parasol 

hi, there.  tony campagnolo here.  oh, jack told you that “kim west” would be posting here?  inside joke: “kim west” is what we call my “nom de plume,” which is french for “name the feather” which comes from when you first enter show business, and you’re scared like a chicken, and they call you the first name that comes out of your mouth. 

well, it’s been an interesting year, and it’s only just june.  i was just riding along on my bike, minding my own business, and SPLAT i’m [1] helping to open  bike kollective, [2] chasing down bikes all over kingdom come, [3] NOT racing two or three times a week, [4] getting paid to be a race announcer, and [5] i’m on the radio!!

that was some concussion, i’m telling you.  oh, and [6] i’m blogging like i know what i’m doing!  nonsense.  it’s gotta be.  but it sure has been a good time.  i’ve learned a lot about the radio business [i'm already at 1 or 2, on a scale of 100], and it seems to be enough to let me get by until i learn more, and i’m finding that–just as i’ve been saying all along–folks will talk to me, and it turns out to be interesting. 

what i find most intriguing, however, is that i’m getting to know a lot of people who have never known me before–but in a completely different way.  most people, i meet face-to-face.  they know my face, they know my voice.  however, over the past few years, i’ve gotten a bit of notoriety from my blog, “today’s sermonette.”  from there, people will suspect that i am a silly, often irreverent and ocassionally quite irritating stubborn old coot.  some also know that i heckle and taunt people while dressed in a red cape [or some variation thereof] and horns. 

but they don’t know my voice, or what i REALLY look like, with all the crazy garb removed, and not using my devil voice.  but YOU folks–the people who read this dmcc blog–you’ll get the chance [perhaps the first in central iowa] to get a look at the real me:  the tony campagnolo who just comes home, puts on his silk smoking jacket, lights his pipe, and enjoys a glass of single malt scotch [over ice--cubed, not crushed] in the company of my three elegant russian wolfhound-mix dogs.

it’s a quiet life, but it’s just what i need to unwind after a hectic day of pressing the flesh and flashing the pearly whites.  oh well, enough true confessions; my ice cubes are nearly perfect.  ahhhh…

call me up on sunday, will ya?  515.284.5966.  tell me tony sent ya!  it’ll just be our joke!

–tony

Join Kim West this Sunday June 8th at 6:00p, KXNO 1460 am, as he talks with DMCC Interim President Danny Kruzic about what has been happening with the DMCC, what the long and short term goals are and why bigger is better when it comes to bike clubs, plus other issues in the metro bike scene. This will prove to be an interesing interview.

There were 50 + - early morning riders eager and ready for the 12+ - ride to the Saylorville Dam to cheer the Dam to Dam runners to new personal bests after a new record of 5,000 participants. Donuts and orange juice were served at the start of the bike ride. When we got to the dam, had a few minutes, so we gathered into a closer group and introduced ourselves. Several were from Winterset, one from KC, one from Phoenix, Norwalk and then the DM area. When the Dam to Dam run started we hoisted the DMCC banner and cheered the runners on as they went past with high fives and all sorts of chants and support. Everyone then rode the Neil Smith trail back and enjoyed the day in downtown Des Moines around the Nollen Plaza and Farmers Market. What a stunning day and what a way to begin the day. Anyway, the whole event  was a hoot and anyone that missed it missed a fun ride! Plus we got some press in the Des Moines Register.

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