Team Name: NERAC
DOB: 04/04/1958
Hometown: Somers, CT
Residence: Somers, CT
Height: 6-2
Weight: 205
Hobbies: Photography
When did you start racing/riding? I started riding August 2009
Why did you start racing/riding? My son got me into riding and I continued because of the fun and friends I have been meeting. And the conditioning is a great side effect.
What do your mates call you? Anything, except late to dinner.
Name your cycling mentors: My son Adam
Name your favorite ride, to date: North Conway, NH up around Fryburg Maine and back with my family.
Who has influenced you the most in cycling? Adam, Dave, Jill, and the AMC ride group.
Where do you like to ride? I like to ride just about anywhere I can. We take our bikes with us any time we can.
Other than race, what are some of your other bike skills that would make any Mom proud? I just try to keep upright and in one piece at the end of the ride.
How about skills off the bike? I am pretty good about doing most things around the house, cooking for large groups, Sports Photography, organizing events, computers
How would you describe your sense of humor? Immature
What types of comedians do you relate to? Blue Collar Comedy, Bill Cosby, Seinfeld
What has been your finest moment in racing/riding? Going back to all the hills I had to walk last year and riding up them this year.
What has been your finest moment on two legs? Standing in the delivery room when my kids were born.
When you’re not on your bike, what do you like to do? Rving, Kayaking, Cooking for friends,
What foods do you indulge in the most? I don’t like a lot of junk foods and try to eat a balanced diet. Fast food is kept to a minimum and Subway if possible. I do need to get my “Cheese IT” fix every so often and my once or twice a year “Charleston Chew” really hits the spot.
What’s the best perk about riding? The feeling of accomplishment I get form making it to the end and pushing myself a little more every ride.
Describe your best cycling memory: My personal best has to be the weekend in North Conway with my wife and son before he left for his cross country ride with Bike and Build. We arrived on a Friday and setup the camper then hit the Pearl iZumi Factory Store. My wife got some great deals and Adam found where all the tough climbs were.
With this information we of course had to get on the bikes and head out. Hurricane Mountain Road was first on the list. After an easy 5 mile ride from the campground we turned right and started up the mountain. Deb and I stopped about 300 yards up and decided we would enjoy the time alone. Adam went on to the top and came down with the biggest smile on his face. That may have been his toughest climb to date. We continued around town and ended up with 25 miles for the afternoon.
Saturday morning we rode the 40 mile Bear Notch loop and enjoyed the 5 mile climb up Bear Notch and some outstanding scenery. The decent back down to the kangamangus highway was lots of fun and our stop at the swift river to dip our tired feet in the cool water was fantastic.
Sunday was our longest ride at 50 miles from North Conway up and around the Fryeburg, ME area. About 12 miles in we left civilization behind us and were in god’s country for the next 36 miles. All back roads with farms, a few really questionable shacks. The roads were a little rough but at least there was no traffic. We found a great little country store to stop at for lunch and continued our ride back to the campground. About ½ mile from the finish I had a blow out the destroyed my tire. Guess that was better than 30 miles out in the middle of nowhere.
After a great breakfast at the camper we on the bikes and headed out for Cathedral Ledge. North Conway is one of our favorite places to camp and driving to the top of Cathedral Ledge to see the view is always on our to-do list. What made me think riding to the top was a good idea, I will never know. The ride there was beautiful with fairly flat roads. When you turn down the access road you look up and see the mountain right in front of you. The first ½ mile is a nice winding road by some ski cabins and the base of the climb walls. I guess I should have known what I was getting into by the looks on the climbers faces when we passed by on our bikes. The grade headed up, we passed through the park gate, the road turned left, and then it hit me. This was by far the steepest road I had been on. How bad could it be? The road is only a mile long. Well I started up with Adam and got a reality check very soon and I had to take my first break about 100 yards up. Deb and I stopped again while Adam continued up his quest to climb mountains. After a short rest I not wanting my son to continue to show me up I started up again. 5 or 6 stops later and a lot of very funny looks form people in cars passing me I was at the top. Adam had made the climb in 15 min and came back down do meet back up with me. We rode to the top together and then walked out to the viewing area. Thinking back now that moment on the top looking down at the roads we started up on was the high point of my personal cycling. Meeting Adam and the Bike and Build group in Santa Barbara is still my over all best cycling day. Just off my bike.
Your perfect day? Great breakfast, Clean Bike, 70 Degrees, Sunny, a light breeze, friends ands and family with me, climbing enough hills so your legs huts a little in the morning, finishing the ride with a smile.
Favorite junk food? I would rather have a crisp cold apple then any junk food.
Nerac Earth Cycling 