Steady Progress

After an 8 year hiatus for personal reasons, I purchased a new bicycle on March 26th, 2007. (The picture is me riding that bike on January 1, 2008). I had previously been a cycle commuter and had ridden several century rides. Now, 8 years later, I wanted to pick up where I had left off and perhaps move ahead to fulfill a few dreams I had carried around for some time.

I wanted to get my riding body back (I had allowed my weight to balloon to over 240 lbs.) I wanted to get my century legs back. I wanted to start a bicycle club. I wanted to ride longer and longer distances. All of this would take time, effort, and the cooperation of my wife. I kept moving forward.

Over the next several months I lost the extra weight. I progressed from a long ride of 45 miles to 62 miles to a full century by May 2008. I made new cycling friends and by November 2008 we started River To River Cycling Club which was incorporated as a Not for profit incorporation in the state of Illinois by January 2009. That cycling club is still around and is being ably run by others who have joined the club since.

I also purchased two more bicycles. I had purchased a mountain bike in 2007 which I began turning into a commuter bike. By the spring of 2008 I was frequently commuting to and from Benton where my truck was parked. I managed to get onto local television and the front page of the local newspaper in support of bicycle commuting. By that fall, my truck was moved closer and I was able to sell my car and commit to daily full commuting. In 2008 I purchased a fully carbon road bike which enabled me to keep up with faster riders on group rides (and look really cool in the process.)


By June of 2009 I had kept a promise to myself and had developed the fitness to ride to Metropolis to participate in the Superman Ride for a total of about 170 miles as a one-day effort and in August I rode to Mt. Vernon to participate in the Kiwanis Fun Day Century for a total of over 220 miles on the day.

In 2008 I joined RUSA, a national organization for long-distance riders and began trying to establish a franchise in my home area. By February 2010, I had received certification on a couple of routes for riders, and two riders from out of state had driven into Marion to ride one of my routes. In May and July of this year, RUSA will hold two rides starting out of Marion for their riders to participate in.

And along the way were several smaller goals: I kept changing the components on my mountain bike with a view to using it for long distance riding and in February I rode it for RUSA credit on a 126 mile ride. I wanted to develop the fitness to ride out of my area to ride with someone else in their local area. Last week I rode north to ride with a friend for a total of 140 miles on the day. And so on.

As I look behind me, I'm satisfied with the steady progress I've been making. Not finished - but satisfied. So far.