Mike's Bio
The
following is a rundown of highlights
since I started cycling. If you are interested, it will give you a
little idea of my progress, or lack of same, after I got hooked on this
sport. I started cycling seriously in August of 1989 and since then,
I’ve logged over 100,000 miles as of 1 February 2002.
In 1989, I started out with a $350 Giant Kronos bike that I bought
on a whim and began riding solo around town. I finally hooked up
with the Montgomery Bicycle Club and began to ride with those who were
experienced in the finer points of riding and racing. Since then I've
raced successfully in 8 states, become a cross country ride leader/mechanic, and
won 2 gold medals in the National Senior Olympics in 1999. Since then I've
medaled on 5 other occasions at the national level. My family finally got over the $350 purchase in 1989
(I think now my wife wishes I could find some cycling toys for only $350) and now looks at all
my expensive toys as just part of my midlife crisis. Hey, I don’t have a
bass boat or a Corvette!
If you scroll down you'll find an outline of my cycling career to include
tours, races, bikes, favorite rides, worst rides, yearly mileages,
etc. Thanks for dropping by and I welcome your feedback.
 |
FAVORITE RIDES:
 | Gatlinburg TN to Cade's Cove TN
(Around the Cove and return to G'burg) |
| Blue Ridge Parkway |
| Montrose CO to Gunnison CO |
| Gunnison CO to Salida CO |
| Cherokee NC to Gatlinburg TN via
Klingman's Dome |
| Mercer CO in KY-Harrodsburg area |
| Lexington/Winchester KY area |
| Anywhere west of the Mississippi
River especially AZ, NM, NV, CO |
| Most times, where ever I am that
day as long as I'm on a bicycle :-) |
| Hot Springs to Rapid City
SD...views of Rushmore were spectacular! |
|
|
TOURS:
| BRAG (92, 93, 94, 95) |
| BRAG Tune up (98) |
| Bike Florida (98) |
| Cycle America Cross Country Ride
(96) |
| America by Bicycle (ABB) Cross
Country Challenge (97, 98, 99, 2000, 06) |
| ABB Great Northern Ride (2001, 02,
03, 04, 05, 07, 08) |
| ABB Great Mississippi Ride (98,
2000, 01, 02, 03, 04) |
| ABB Blue Ridge Parkway (99) |
| ABB Cross Country Challenge Fast
(99, 2000, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 07) |
| ABB Cross Country Fast South
(2002, 03, 04, 06, 08) |
| ABB BARNES (2000) |
| ABB Fall Foliage Maine (2000, 01,
05, 06) |
| ABB Fall Foliage (2000, 01, 05, 06) |
| ABB Ride the East (2005) |
| ABB Ride the West (2006, 07, 08) |
|
|
 ORGANIZED CENTURY RIDES:
| Pine Mountain GA (91, 92) |
| Hotter'n Hell, Wichita Falls TX
(91, 95) |
| WC Handy, Muscle Shoals AL (95) |
| Montgomery AL Fall Challenge (91,
92, 93, 94, 96, 98) |
| Dothan AL Century (95) |
| Birmingham Fall Century (91, 97) |
| Six Gaps, Dahlonega GA, (91) |
| Albany GA Century (91) |
| Harmon Hundred, WI (96) |
|
|
WORST RIDES:
| Anywhere in western KS (Sorry
Jayhawks) |
| Townsend MT to Ennis MT (30 MPH,
gusts over 40 MPH headwinds for 72 miles) This ride put to test my favorite saying of
"Your worst day on a bike is better than your best day in the
office." |
|
|
RACES:
| District Road Race
 | Open Category 1992--gold medal |
| Masters Category 1994-Seventh
overall, gold medal age group Alabama |
|
| Montgomery Alabama Community
Challenge Road Race
| 1991, 92, 93--1st |
|
| Toasted Buns Road Race, Cat
II/III/Masters, Moscow TN,
1994
| 4th overall, Masters
Division--1st |
|
| BRASS Road Race, Hendersonville
TN, 1994
| 5th overall, 40+ Division 1st |
|
| Team Triathlons (I just do the
biking)
| Tin Man, Ft Rucker AL--1st
(94, 95, 96) |
| Stroll and Roll, Dothan
AL--1st (94, 95, 96) Set bike course record in 95 |
| Elephant Walk, Destin AL--1st
overall team (95) We had a mixed team. |
| Gulf Coast Half Ironman,
Panama City Fl--3rd Mixed team (Fastest bike split of team riders) |
|
| Military Central Region
Championships, Little Rock AR 1994--1st overall, Cat IV
| time trial--1st |
| road race--2nd |
| crit--3rd |
|
| Military National Championships,
El Paso TX 1992--Silver Medal overall, Masters
| time trial--2nd |
| crit--3rd |
| road race--2nd |
|
| Military National Championships,
El Paso TX 1993--DNP overall
| time trial--3rd |
| crit--3rd |
| road race--flatted |
|
| Military National Championships,
Austin TX 1994
| time trial--6th |
| road race--6th |
|
| Military National Championships,
Little Rock AR 1995--overall Bronze Medal, Masters Div
| time trial--3rd |
| crit--1st |
| road race--4th |
|
| Alabama State Senior Olympics,
Montgomery AL 1998 (50-54 Div) National Qualifier
| 5k time trial--gold medal |
| 20k road race--gold medal |
|
| National Senior Olympics, Orlando
FL 1999 (50-54 Div)
| 5k time trial--gold medal
(National 50-54 record--6:29/29.0
MPH Avg) |
| 40k road race--gold medal |
|
| Florida State Senior Olympics,
Kissimmee FL 1999 (50-54 Div)
| 5k time trial--gold medal |
| 20k road race--gold medal |
|
| New Hampshire State Senior
Olympics, Manchester NH 2000 (50-54 Div) National Qualifier
| 5k time trial--gold medal |
| 20k road race--gold medal |
| 40k road race--gold medal
|
|
| National Senior Olympics, Baton
Rouge LA 2001 (50-54 Div)
| 5K time trial--silver medal |
| 40K road race--gold medal |
|
| Alabama State Senior Olympics,
Montgomery AL 2002 (55-59 Div) National Qualifier
| 5K time trial--gold medal |
| 20k road race--gold medal |
| 40k road race--gold medal |
|
|
National Senior Olympics, Hampton Roads VA
2003 (55-59 Div)
|
5K time trial--bronze medal |
|
10k time trial--4th place |
|
40K road race--gold medal |
|
|
Alabama State Senior Olympics, Montgomery AL
2004 (55-59 Div)
|
5K time trial--gold medal |
|
20K road race--gold medal |
|
40K road race--gold medal |
|
| National Senior Olympics, Pittsburg PA 2005
(55-59 Div)
| 20K Road Race--9th |
| 5K Time Trial--bronze medal |
|
| Alabama State Senior Olympics, Montgomery
AL 2006 (55-59 Div)
| 5K Time Trial--Gold Medal |
| 40K Road Race--Gold Medal |
|
| Alabama State Senior Olympics, Montgomery
AL 2008 (60-64 Div)
| 5K Time Trial--Gold Medal |
|
|
|
BIKES I'VE OWNED AS AN ADULT:
| Bridgestone Tour Master |
| Giant Kronos |
| TREK 1400 |
| TREK 5200 |
| TREK 5500 |
| F. Moser Ti |
| TREK T-200 Tandem |
| TREK 750 hybrid |
|
|
 BIKES I HAVE NOW:
| Roark Custom Ti road bike |
| Roark Custom Ti time trial bike |
| Santana Team AL Tandem |
| TREK 8000 Mt Bike |
| TREK Fuel-90 Full Suspension Mt Bike |
|
|
FAVORITE SAYINGS:
| Your worst day on your bicycle is better
than your best day at work! |
| If you need a kickstand, you
aren't riding. |
| Get your bike and strap on your
helmet...it's showtime! |
| Life's too short to ride a Huffy. |
| You don't quit moving when you get old, you
get old when you quit moving. |
|
|
TRAINING:
| League of American Bicyclist's
(LAB, Road 1) Effective Cycling Course 1997 |
| LAB Effective Cycling Instructor
Course 1997 (ECI #579) |
| Walden's School of Cycling 1999 |
| United Bicycle Institute --
Professional Repair and Shop Operation -- Mechanics Course (Mar 03) |
|
|
YEARLY MILEAGES:
| 1990--6968 |
| 1991--6570 |
| 1992--8026 |
| 1993--7002 |
| 1994--7709 |
| 1995--8150 |
| 1996--10,277 |
| 1997--11,292 |
| 1998--10,133 |
| 1999--8430 |
| 2000--6875 |
| 2001--7865 |
| 2002--8119 (Milestone --
First 100,000 in February) |
| 2003--8429 |
| 2004--9324 |
| 2005--7012 |
| 2006--7368 = 147,414
8671 Average |
| 2007--8324 = 155,738
8652 Average |
|
|
FASTEST CENTURY:
| Pueblo CO to Lamar CO--3:54 (OK, I
had about an 8 MPH tailwind all the way, but I still had to pedal!) |
|
|
FASTEST SPEED ON A BICYCLE:
| Descending off the Blue Ridge Parkway--65
MPH Weeeeeeeeeeee Hawwwwww |
| I-80 in Nevada--58.5 |
| Albuquerque NM to Las Vegas NM--45
MPH (The first two were downhill, but this was on the flat while
cruising. Yep, had a NICE tailwind that day) |
|
|
LONGEST RIDE IN ONE DAY:
| Birmingham double metric--135.4
miles (They said it was a "little" long) |
| Sweeping a Cycle America day--11
1/2 hours in the saddle...boy did my butt hurt! I think the
distance was only about 75 miles...new meaning to the term Pokey Mon! |
|
If you've gotten to here, you need to get
a life. :-) Haven't I bored you enough?
I enjoy both participating in and
teaching the sport of cycling as a certified League instructor. Hope to see you on one of our cross country
rides someday. I'm sure you'll love the experience. Check out the
Cross Country Tours section or read about life on the
road in the Journal section. Then if you decide to ride with us, check out
the Cross Country Tips section to prepare for your adventure. Keep the
rubber side down...Mike
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