The Been-There-Done-That Jersey, Paris-Brest-Paris, and Tourists

As some of you may know, Felkerino and I are big fans of the wool and try to regularly infuse it into our cycling attire.  However, when the weather takes a turn for the toasty, we both switch to the light synthetics.

While I favor the mono-color synthetic cycling jersey, Felkerino seems to like wearing his various Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) jerseys.  I generally find that event jerseys are not my fashion, but perhaps if I had ever ridden PBP, I would want to wear that jersey, too.

I thought about how I prefer it when Felkerino wears his other non-event jerseys, as I find them more attractive, but I did not say anything to him about it because I know he loves his PBP souvenirs.

Felkerino rode me to my office (he is so chivalrous like that) and let me buy him a cup of coffee (so chivalrous?) before I meandered in to work.  As we parked our bikes outside the coffee shop near the White House Plaza, we heard a woman say, “Did you ride Paris-Brest?”

I about fell over.  I have never heard anyone ask Felkerino about his PBP jersey.  How many people randomly come up to you on the street and ask you about randonneuring?  Who was this woman?

“Yes, I’ve ridden it,” Felkerino replied.  “Have you?”

“No, I haven’t,” the woman replied.  “But my son has.”  She pointed to her son, who had not noticed her stop to chat with us, and was continuing toward the White House Plaza.

What?  I thought.  That certainly doesn’t happen every day.

It turns out the PBP ancien was Fred Heiselman, who rides with the Ohio Randonneurs.  He rode PBP in both 2003 and 2007, and hopes to return in 2011.  Fred and his family were vacationing this week in Washington, D.C.   How serendipitous that we all converged at 8:30 a.m., in the exact same spot!  Running into this Ohio Randonneur on the morning commute made my day.

I am so glad Felkerino wore his PBP jersey.  Now I see why people like wearing their been-there-done-that jerseys.  Not only are they good for the warmer weather, but you never know when you might run into a tourist who might have been there with you.