In 1897, 20 Black infantrymen cycled through 1,900 miles of snowy mountains and blistering plains to test whether the Army could form a bicycle corps. The grueling journey, which stretched from Montana to St. Louis, was nearly lost to history until cyclist Eric Cedeño decided to follow in the soldiers’ path for the expedition’s 125th anniversary. The 49-year-old completed his feat last July—with some luxuries such as air-conditioned breaks. “They rode in uniforms and carried heavy rifles on their backs,” he said. “These guys were almost superheroes.” As a teenager, Tony Gemignani captivated crowds at his brother’s Castro Valley, Calif., pizzeria by performing intricate tricks with dough, including throwing it 15 feet into the air. More than three decades later, Gemignani has become a renowned “pizza acrobat”—yes, that’s a competitive…
