Yesterday I rode 80 miles in the canyons outside Malibu with a bunch of friends. Some I see pretty often, but more that I hardly ever see. I could go into minute detail about how it was a great ride and how much fun I had, but I think I’ll skip that.
What stuck with me the most was how strangely nice it is having these friends that you don’t ever see around and being able to pick up conversations just like you were riding together yesterday. I’ll use Mike Kloser as an example. I haven’t seen Mike for years. Probably over 5 and maybe closer to 10. I rode the last 2 hours of the ride with him and it was great. Of course, I’ve been following what Mike’s been doing since he retired from MTB racing, but we didn’t go into that much. (If you want to see a crazy impressive resume, just click on his name.) We just talked about normal stuff, the ride last year, his son’s MTB racing, etc.
I didn’t hang out with Mike too much when we raced together. The first year I raced MTB bikes, he showed me the ropes of how to change all your cables after every race and how to prepared your equipment properly. But, after that we just raced. But, since we shared so many of the same experiences, it seems like we are sort of “bonded” by that. Maybe that isn’t exactly the correct word, but it seems right now.
Anyway, this ride had a bunch of those guys on it. People that have been riding their bikes for most of their lives and still appreciate it nearly as much now as they did when they competed full time. Those are my people and I truly appreciate it more than I knew. Strange.
Here is the day in pictures-
Walking in downtown Camarillo at sunrise to get breakfast.
Running into Zap nearly first thing when I got to the ride. The ride was a benefit for him and his family.
I think there were close to 600 people riding.
Jimmy Mac following the ride on his motorcycle.
Trivia ? of the day. Name the five riders in this picture that have been my team mates on the Raleigh Team.
I rode the last 40 miles in a small group with Mike Kloser, left, and Don Sutton, right.
John Tomac, Zap and Ned afterwards.
Andy signing posters when the ride was over.
I call centerline violation on the guy in the BMC Racing Team kit in the “Trivia of the Day” photo.
Wow. It looks like a beautiful place for a bike ride-everyday. Makes me wonder why you (and I) still live in Kansas…
Rogers, Lettieri, Hampsten, Brinton…
…oh, and I’m sure that Knickman is in there too.
Finally an answer/ guess. Pretty good one, but you’re off a notch.
Roy, Dave Letteri, Neal Shirley, Hampstein, Thurlow
Sorry to spam here. Apropos of your Gaggle of Geese post, an amazing vid of a murmuration of starlings, enjoy: http://www.adventure-journal.com/2011/11/a-chance-encounter-a-murmuration-a-moment-of-natural-magic/
Very close once again, but no.
John Howard was the fifth guy, not shirley.
I should have known, I road next to john a lot of the ride.
Nope, not John Howard.
I didnt see Dave Britton their, if he was then he was the fifth.
Tomak was there but I didnt think he was on Levi Raleigh.
Still close, but no cigar. It is hard.
Hampsten, Lettieri, Thurlow, Roy and a wild guess of Paul Biskup.
Randy Tinney
Hampsten, Rogers, Lettieri, Knickman and Overend? Did’t Ned race for Levi/Raliegh in 83 or 84.
Scooby?
Nope. Nope. And nope. Only one race. Pretty famous. Easily recognizable.
Kerry- Winner, winner, Chicken dinner- It is Andy on the left, wearing the Ralpha kit, then Thurlow, Dave, Ned and then Roy on the far right.
It is almost mind boggling that all this guys are riding almost 30 years later at such a high level.
Thurlow and Ned still race competitively, but Andy, Dave and Roy are still in super shape and it would only take a few events to get them back into racing form.
It is really a great thing that the guys I raced with when I started, still love the sport this much later in life. It says a lot about the era and the guys.