How We Got Our Name

Home

Calendar

How We Got Our Name

Pictures

Cycling Links

Team Breakfast

Maps

BUNGEE BIKE CLUB

HOW WE GOT OUR NAME

Wellllll, That part was kinda easy.

A long time ago (somewhere around 1985) I was in Vail, Colorado driving back from Lake Tahoe with my trusty Fuji 10 speed bike. I had a friend who lived in Breckenridge, Colorado and I thought it might be fun to park my car in Vail and ride my bike up to Vail summit and down to Breckenridge. I knew it would be a struggle reaching the summit, but it was all downhill to Breckenridge from there. So I parked my car (elevation 6500 ft.) and started to ride UP HILL to the summit at 11,800 FEET!!!!. In altitude, that was only 1 mile. In reality, it was about 20 miles UP HILL, and I didn't realize that the oxygen density was 1/2 at 8500 feet!

Anyways, I started out on my trek (journey) and rode up the old two lane highway that I use to drive before the Interstate was built (who said I was old!). It was scenic at first, but became a blur towards the top. Somewhere around 9000 feet (about 2 hours later) I was huffing and puffing so hard that I had to stop about every 20 feet or so. But I was determined to make it to the top and coast down the other side to an ice cold beer.

I was hot and sweaty from the ride, but freezing because of the altitude and drop in temperature. I hadn't seen another rider for awhile, when along came a rider in a bikini (yes, it was a girl), on a hybrid, passing me like I was standing still! (Actually I was). She was smiling and said "have a nice day"!. She wasn't even huffing and puffing!!!! I thought to myself, If I only had a Bungee cord ready, I could hook it on to her bike and mine and she could pull me to the top and probably wouldn't notice. By the time I looked up, she was already gone. I waited by the side of the road for another rider to come by, holding my trusty bungee cord in hand, but I finally gave up and turned around and rode back to Vail. I didn't realize it at the time, but the summit was less than a mile away and the road flattened out after the next turn.

I guess this goes to show, when you think you are beat and the last sign of hope passes you by, DON'T give up, you're closer to your goal than you think.

God bless everyone with MS, I hope your "summit" is near.