Making A New Friend At The Wildife Refuge

Just when I thought I would stick with riding my reliable Specialized Roubaix road bike I switched back to the Surly Pugsley fattie this morning for a 40-mile single-speed, steel-frame, ultra-fattie tire ride to Pelican Island wildlife preserve.

Along the way, I took a micro-detour off A1A to the Atlantic.

The nation's first wildlife refuge is usually a sleepy, serene place of trees, high grass and a few scattered trails.

But I met another bicycle lover -- a guy Tom who builds bikes out of Boca and enjoys chatting with people while biking 7 mph on a grassy trail rather than racing.

His company is Stradalli

We chatted easily about bicycles. He makes carbon-all Ultegra bikes and is doing well.

We plan to bike more Sunday morning -- and I might even see him at Interbike in Vegas next week.