Newsletter - 2004 Archive

BC Randonneurs Cycling Club

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Harold Bridge's early contributions to Alex Stieda's cycling career is one of those things that many of have know about without knowing the details. Wim Kok message to the discussion list (April 26, 2004), and Harold's response, helps shed a little light on this interesting piece of history. Alex Stieda... Harold & Joan From Wim: Leafing through last Friday's Edmonton journal, I noted an article on page B3, headlined: "Cycling champ takes to the airwaves" It was about Alex Stieda. In reading the article, I came across this little newsworthy tidbit and I quote: It was a newspaper route that developed Stieda's cycling legs. "As a kid I'd cycle to hockey practice at 5 a.m. with my gear over my handlebars," he said. "It saved my mother getting up." He later cycled in the summer to stay in shape for hockey and was befriended with Harold Bridge, a neighbour and the BC Bicycling Association president. "He lent me a bike and I began cycling with more purpose," said Stieda. "I crammed at SFU in the fall, cleaned sewers in the winter and cycled with clubs in the summer." That must have been in the late seventies. So wherever one goes, history follows. From Harold: Poor old Alex, He is in his forties now & his memory shows it. It was my then wife, Joan, who was President of what was then the Bicycling Association of BC. I think I was Editor of the newsletter. Although I lent him my 1954 custom built racing frame I think it was Joan's words which encouraged Alex. He was complaining about spending too much time on the bench at ice hockey & she suggested that if he was to get into cycling in a short time he would be traveling the world. He started Junior track racing in 1979, won all National titles except the road team time trial (silver) & went to Buenos Aires as part of the Canadian team for the Junior World championships. He finished 5th in the individual pursuit, put out of the quarter finals by one Greg LeMond I think.

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