MIKE MUNK, Tour Leader/Mechanic
Age:
59
Married: (To Barbara)
Home: Prattville, Alabama (Transplanted
Yankee...originally from Indiana)
Occupation: Retired Air Force Navigator,
Cross Country Bicycle Ride Leader, UBI Certified Bicycle Mechanic
Experience: Cycling since 1989
Bike: Custom Roark Titanium
Favorite Quote: "You don't quit
moving if you get old, you get old if you quit moving!"
Second favorite quote: "Your worst day on a
bicycle is better than your best day at the office."
Third favorite quote: "Put the hammer
down now, I can rest when they put me underground!"
Experience: First rode across the country as staff with Cycle America in 1996 upon
retiring from the Air Force. First rode with ABB in '97 and began serving
as head mechanic and leading ABB tours in '98. Has crossed the US 27
times and has led a total of 39 tours with ABB as of 1 Jan 2007.
Started riding in 1989 at 42 years old and started racing at 45.
Since '89, has amassed over 150,000 miles and has medaled at district,
regional, and national levels in Armed Forces Masters, USCF Masters, and
Senior Olympics competitions. Training includes: LABs Effective Cycling
Instructor Certification, United Bicycle Institute's Bicycle Mechanic
Certification, and is a Walden School of Cycling graduate. Four time
National Senior Olympics Gold medalist; currently, the 5K time trial Bronze Medalist (55-59 age group).
Still holds the 50-54 National Senior Olympics record for the 5K time trial
(6:29/29.0 MPH at Orlando FL, '99).
Although cycling is a passion, other interests include golf,
traveling, meeting new people, and playing with this web site.
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BARBARA MUNK--Assistant
Tour
Leader, Logistics Coordinator: Lodging, Food, Finance, and MOM
Age:
57
Married:
To Mikie
Home: Prattville, Alabama
Occupation: Keeping Mike out of trouble is her full time job, but her
grandkids (4) call her "Super Nena!"
Favorite Quote: "Being happy is a personal responsibility."
Heard saying to a motel desk clerk: "Do you want to talk to the man
in charge, or the woman who knows what's going on?"
Experience: Barbara began supporting bicycle tours so she could see
Mike in the summer time. After he returned from his third summer on the
road while she stayed home, she told him if he went again, he had to take
her or stay home himself. She has been a wonderful addition to the ABB
staff as she comes to us with 8 years experience supporting and developing
bike tours. Her basic duties include taking care of the luggage, meals,
motels, and general support of the riders (but mostly, as said before, she
spends the majority of her time keeping Mike in check). You'll see her smiling
face at the SAG stops and while preparing lunches on the road.
She spends most of her time, when away from bicycle tours, being the
perfect mother to her two daughters (Krystal 35 and Niki 32) and grandma
to her 4 grandkids Michael (9), Noah (6), Annaleise (3), and new
granddaughter, Rebekah Joy (2). She enjoys reading, working in the yard,
travel, movies, and her grandkids (all while keeping Mike out of trouble).
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KAREN BAUER,
Ride Leader/Senior Sag Support Specialist, Level 4
Age:
53
Single
Home: Eugene Oregon
Experience: Cycling since 4, touring since
'89 (she was a bit older than 4 by then). I asked her if she'd been riding all her life and she replied, "Not
yet."
Bike: Roark Custom TI
Occupation: Working out and eating bagels
and broccoli.
Favorite Quotes: "It's not the
goal, but the way there that matters. The harder the way, the more
worthwhile the journey." Wilford Thesiger
And "Can I have broccoli with cheese
on the side?"
Karen comes to us with 9 years staff
experience. She has been involved with numerous state and local
rides and 17 cross country rides. She has been with ABB for 7 years and we are proud to have her experience
and personality on our staff. Smile when you see her...She'll have a
camera in hand at the SAG stops or in the support van when she is not
riding.
She
holds a MS degree in Physical Education and has coached US disabled
cycling team at the Paralympics in Atlanta and Sydney Australia. She
has raced tandem at the northwest Burley events and captained a tandem
during the '95 US ABA Masters Disabled Nationals to the gold medal (Set
national record) in the 40K women's tandem team event with a blind stoker.
Placed 6th and 8th in the time
trials and was the SILVER medalist in the 20k road race at the 2005 National
Senior Olympics in Pittsburg PA. Most recently, qualified for the
'07 National Senior Olympics by placing 2nd overall in the Alabama State
40k road race and 5k time trial.
Her hobbies include: cycling, reading, working out, traveling, and
meeting new people (and she plays a big role helping Barbara keeping Mike
our of trouble).
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DEBBIE TARVIN,
Ride Leader/Junior SAG Support Specialist, Level 1.5
Age:
59
Single
Hometown: Wapwallopen PA
Occupation: Finally Retired
Bike: Roark Custom Ti
Favorite Ride: Where ever I am today
Hobbies: Riding my bike
Favorite Quote: "Life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your
balance, you have to keep pedaling."
This is Debbie's second year as staff with ABB,
and she's ridden with us on 3 previous occasions. We've been
after her to be on staff for a long time and she finally decided it was
time to come join us and retire from her former life...great to have
her...her smile is infectious. She plans on working hard at having
fun now that she's retired. She was heard to say, "I retired from a
9-5 for a 24-7. Let's see...9+5 is 14...24+7 is 31...that's a bigger
number so it must be better right?" Riiiiiiiiight Deb.
Debbie started riding with a kiddie seat on the back and
just kept riding...she still has the kiddie seat on the back of her former
bike. She eventually bought a road bike and started touring.
She loves the outdoors so she is a perfect match for
staff duty...she said she'd even sleep in a tent if we needed her to.
Luckily, Karen needs a roommate.
Debbie has two sons and twin granddaughters.
Many of you may have seen Debbie and didn't even know it...that's her
behind Floyd Landis (in the white hat) during the Tour de Georgia.
Oh, she's the one who didn't see the mike in Floyd's face said "OLN" on
the label. Nor did she realize he was being interviewed after the
Brasstown Bald stage when she waived at her friend who was taking her
photo. So she wasn't trying to be dorky on TV...it just happened.
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JIM BENSON,
Mechanic
Age:
49
Single
Hometown: Lincoln VT
Favorite Quote: Sometimes I get lost in
thought and my brain is a really big place
Occupation:
Recreation Technician
Bike: Specialized Roubaix
Favorite Ride: The one I’m going to do
today
Hobbies: Reading, Tour de France,
collecting maps
Jim has over twenty years of
experience leading bike tours in the USA, New Zealand and France. He
started with Vermont Bicycle Tours in 1983 leading trips and working in
operations at the Bristol HQ. He led the first tours in New Zealand for
VBT in 1988 and later served as Technical Project Manager at their Beaune,
France office in 1993-94. One of his most memorable rides was the La voie
de la Liberte, an 11 day tour in 1994 commemorating the 50th
anniversary of D-day and the liberation of France by the American and
Allied Forces. The route started in Normandy and followed the path taken
by the liberators through western France, Paris, and finished in Bastogne
Belgium,
His winters are spent working for
Middlebury College at the Rikert Ski Center, the training facility for
Middlebury’s Div. 1 ski team. In addition to daily operations his main
area of responsibility is the maintenance and preparation of the ski
tracks and has been the “Chief of Course” for several NCAA Eastern
Championships and National Championships. In 1980 he was selected to be a
Course Steward at the Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.
Jim also works with Vermont Ski Safety
Equipment, conducting hands on workshops designed to teach ski mechanics
proper binding installation, release testing procedures, and ski tuning
and repair. These workshops held each fall and sponsored in part by the
major ski and binding manufacturers, are an important training tool for
the certification requirements of those manufacturers.
This is his fourth tour with my crew at ABB. If
bikes need TLC, Jim's your man...we probably won't use his ski expertise
this trip.
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JEFF LAZER,
Ride Leader/Junior SAG Support Specialist
Level 1.49 and Luggage Handler
Expert Grade.
Age: 54
Single...but not for long
Hometown: St Paul MN
Occupation: Independent contractor
Bike: Custom steel Wyganowski
Favorite Quote: "No matter where you go, there you are."
Favorite Ride: Anywhere with "Mike."
Jeff took his 20 year old $100 hybrid bike
down from the rafters to ride from St Paul to Chicago on an Aids Ride.
Survived and has never looked back. Eleven years later after six
more Aids rides, many other charity rides, 6 days in the Rockies, and two
ABB rides, he needed another challenge. Staffing a ride! He
just finished co-leading the Mississippi Ride and has now joined us for
the North Ride. We're really excited to have Jeff on our crew, he's
highly motivated and can't wait to get at least an entry level rating to
his duty title.
Jeff is getting married during the ride to
his honey, Sondra, who will be joining us in Mankato MN. Jeff has
one son named Grant.
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SONDRA PUTNAM
RIDE LEADER and
Jeff's Helper Level 1.
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MEET
THE ABB STAFF
Came to ABB in 2001. The voice on the other end of the line
when you call to sign up or have a question.
Responsible for marketing, advertising, and all materials sent out to the
riders. Coordinates motels, meals, and other tour logistics.
Been with the organization since '93. Responsible for accounting
and creating all documentation that leaves the office. Not to be
confused with Karen Bauer (the one that eats broccoli).