Chance meetings of old mates you'd forgotten/lost touch with

Last night at the Club monthly meeting/gathering/mothers drinking den I bumped into an old mate I used to ride roadie a lot with 5-6years ago.
Due to one thing and another he’d moved away, family breakup etc. and yet last night he turned up!
1st time I’ve seen him in maybe 5 years, seemed happy as larry and we chatted about the great rides we used to do in the Doli’s BITD..

Blimey, thought I’d long since seen that last of him TBH.

You lot? Had similar or perhaps would like to meet back up with old mates you’ve lost touch with??

Yup. Been trying to find a mate from school that I lost touch with pre-2000, but so far no joy. I still keep in touch with another mate from my time in Alderney despite him moving to the US and it’s good to catch up with him when I get over there.

When I did my apprenticeship at 16, me and another lad both used to race BMX’s, and used to ride together pretty regular. After the 2nd year we did different things and never saw each other again.

He recently got in touch via Friendface. We both graduated onto mountain bikes from BMXs and still ride. He’s over in Liverpool, but he’s been over a couple of times, and we’ve had some good runs out on the bikes, and were instantly chatting away like we only saw each other last week.

Just the gap of nearly 30 years in between rides 😯

You now have me friend finding some old mates I use to ride with back from school days and have not seen for years. Just found out one now runs mtb holidays in Italy, could be interesting 🙂

In my early 20s I did the Inter-railing thing and end up travelling for a couple week with 2 sisters from Wisconsin I met in Florence. Exchanged a few emails in the following months and that eventually petered out.

5 years later I was in New York for work. Stood in Grand Central station doing a bit of sightseeing and I get a tap on the back. Took me a while to register but it was one of the afore mentioned sisters.

One of those “Small World” moments – I’ve often wonder what the odds were on that chance meeting.

Number 1:

Bike ride with a mate ending at a local bike shop/cafe for coffee and cake. There was another friend in there with his family, had a bit of a chat, had another coffee so was in there maybe 30 minutes.

There was a bloke sitting by the window by himself but I didn’t really notice him too much as I had my back to him.

Got up to leave and we were talking with the shop staff by the door. The bloke by the window stood up, came over and said “Excuse me, but are you…”

At that point I recognised him/his voice and blurted out “Simon!”. I’d not seen him for maybe 20 years. He’d stopped at the shop/cafe as he was passing on the way home to Cornwall after visiting his parents. We were just outside Newbury so he wasn’t exactly local. He’d been hanging around as he’d impulse-bought a Ti bike and the shop were just setting it up for him.

Simon was one of my best mates at 6th form – part of a gang of 4-5. He’d joined the Navy after than and we’d not been in touch since.

Number 2:
Two days ago. Specialized Concept Store, Newbury. Wandered in for a browse and out the corner of my eye spotted a woman staff member coming up the stairs. I thought “that’s cool, bike shops need women working in them”. I looked at her and it was my mates ex-girlfriend from about 1995. I’d last seen her in a gym about 10 years ago and never even knew she cycled. We know a lot of the same people though.

Number 3:
Mr Blobby. Had a conversation on here about a frame I’ve got. Got in touch via email. Ended up figuring out we’d been on a MTB weekend together in the Quantocks about 8 years ago with a bunch of mutual friends.

travelling for a couple week with 2 sisters from Wisconsin I met in Florence

You don’t seriously expect to leave it there do you…come on…

Was good mates with a lad who went, on the same train, to our rival school. Saw each other almost 5 days a week for 5 years, we in opposing teams on the big ‘derby’ rugby and cricket matches etc.
Left school, lost touch..
Fast forward 12 years (no contact since leaving school), I get a temporary job with family in Sydney, long way away…walk in to the CNC room and there he was 😯

travelling for a couple week with 2 sisters from Wisconsin I met in Florence

You don’t seriously expect to leave it there do you…come on…

That’s quite another story, probably not suitable for a “family” forum 😉

Mr Blobby. Had a conversation on here about a frame I’ve got. Got in touch via email. Ended up figuring out we’d been on a MTB weekend together in the Quantocks about 8 years ago with a bunch of mutual friends.

… and we must get out for a ride sometime now you are a man of leisure 🙂

Indeed… though I’m on a call about the new job at the moment and I don’t officially start until January!