What is it like to ride a bike with Parkinson’s disease? Doug paints the picture in a poetic essay. My Left Foot By Doug Bahniuk How do you describe a body part? My left foot is a rumba dancer: wiggling, twisting, curling to its own syncopated beat. It is a rebel. While its right partner happily spins away pedaling a … Read More
Taking a “Clarity Break” – Why I Ride The Rockies
My wife asked, incredulously, “So you’re actually PAYING to do this crazy ride?” I’ve been married 26 years and have known my high school sweetheart 37 years, so I’m used to her candor. “Well, I might ride again with somebody like Lance Armstrong”, I say (pre-scandal, and you’ll have to read the whole post to get that story.) So why … Read More
Cycling in Alabama
Cycling in Alabama? If you tried it, you’d love it! Alabama is truly a beautiful state with immensely varied geography, elevations from sea level to 2,600 feet, deep forests to open prairie, mountain rock outcrops, and tons of country roads along rolling terrain perfect for cycling. And water – so much of it – that one fifth of all the … Read More
Show Me the Money
“I don’t feel like a finely tuned athlete,” commented my husband recently in regard to RTR. I don’t either. I have actually caught myself thinking on more than one occasion that I will get into shape ON THE RIDE. Of course I know that is not how it works. The past month has been dedicated to one thing, fundraising. My … Read More
Let Me Help You Help Me
Maybe you would legitimately ride 473 miles through the Rocky Mountains alone. You’d pack gear on your bike and water upon your back. You’re a mechanic, survivalist, and (be honest) a total loner. If so, great. But I’m afraid we’ll have nothing to talk about over coffee, you and me. I couldn’t ride past my own driveway if my husband … Read More
The Seven Deadly Sins of Ride the Rockies
[Or How I Learned to Love the Ride and Forget the Rest] Over the course of my first Ride The Rockies, the same lessons kept smacking me in the face from time to time and I thought that I – now the seasoned vet – would shed some light on what you (next year’s rookie) can expect to encounter and … Read More
Crossing the Line
The joy of finishing Ride The Rockies was tempered by the thoughts of people working on fire lines in the state. Closing ceremonies acknowledged their work and commitment. The final day concluding in Colorado Springs brought an expectation of more cars, more traffic lights and a more urban experience. It turned out that the ride ended quickly on the west … Read More
Learning from pace lines
If there’s anything we’ve learned in the past week, it’s that there’s nothing like a good wind to make everyone go a little paceline-crazy. And it has become a treasured concept to me, the idea of sharing among people who may not even know each other. It’s no longer about the lone cyclist — it turns a group of strangers … Read More
My favorite bike schwag on RTR
As you all know, I do love to bling out my bike. One of the things I love about Ride The Rockies is that I get to see how 2,000 other people decorate themselves and their bikes. Here are just a few things that made my day so far this year.
Lesson Learned from the Road
Surviving Disaster: On Wednesday morning, Mike (a fellow Fort Collins resident) and I met in front of the high school and headed up to route to meet his buddies from year’s past RTRs. We were going to head out in a 4-man group and tackle Wolf Creek Pass together. I had met two of them a few nights earlier. They … Read More
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