March - April 2005

Memories of Montauks Past

A little while ago, Glen Goldstein and Ed Pino sent me promotional copy from the 1971 Montauk Century ride. 1971? I had always heard that the first year of the ride was 1979. To find out more, I was lucky enough to chat briefly with Francis Bollag, a past organizer whose name is on the 34-year-old copy we've included. Please read it over. The ride cost $5.00 that year.

Bollag told me that the first rides were started in 1964 by the New York Council of the American Youth Hostels, then located in downtown Manhattan. The first ride had no more than 9 or 10 riders. The ride continued to grow sporadically through the late Sixties, with some years missed. You have to remember that in those days, bicycling was still considering for kids. Adults who went long distances on bicycles were considered a bit … odd. By 1971, though, bicycling was growing as an adult fitness activity. There were more than 80-100 registered riders.

The ride continued to be run informally throughout the 1970s, when the New York Cycle Club was formed. It wasn't until 1979, after NYCC and AYH had gone separate ways, that AYH put a formalized structure into place.

"Originally, we used the Long Island Rail Road," recalled Bollag. "They were taking the old coaches out of service, though. When the newer cars needed scrubbing to be kept clean, the LIRR refused to continue taking bicycles back from the Montauk station." That policy actually continued through 1999, the year the buses didn't arrive and the LIRR took mercy on the Montauk Century. We've made formal arrangements with them every year since.

"There were all kinds of memorable rides when the Montauk Century was run by the Hostel," he said. "Some were wonderful, some were miserable – especially the years that all it did was rain. There was even one year when someone stole the truck. THAT was inconvenient."

Bollag comes from a time when bicycling was much more a statement of freedom, and part of that statement meant that no one wore helmets. While still an active rider, for that reason he won't participate in this year's Montauk Century. Even for old times sake, the rules can't be relaxed for Francis Bollag.

Peter Engel