Information coming soon!
Just of few of the many people you'll be riding with.
DEAN'S TEAM | Portland/Bend
Dean Barbier was so fond of cycling that every time he bought a new bike he convinced his wife Lynne to let him keep it in the bedroom. Many of his friends and family credit Dean with being the reason they started cycling.
But on February 11, 2006, the day before he was to ride the Worst Day of the Year Ride, Dean passed away of a heart attack while riding his bike. April Martin says, "He loved his bikes so much that when the paramedics found him dead he was still clipped into the pedals"sitting upright - he didn't even fall over. His friends like to joke that he wasn't actually deceased until the paramedics removed him from his bike.
So at the 2007 ride, over 30 of those friends and family came together to ride in Dean's honor. The group says you can expect to see them out there every year.
Dean's motto in life was "Live, laugh, love and live life to it's fullest because life can be too short". Life was too short for Dean, who was only 44 when he passed away. He felt healthy: he was a body builder, a cyclist of 22 years, a mountain biker and the life of the party. What Dean didn't know was that he had a hereditary disease.
Dean got people riding. And when we hit the road with other riders, he always assured them he'd wait for them at the top of the hill - though he was known to ride back down to check in on his slower companions, then ride right back up to the top.
The group of friends and family who rode for Dean was comprised of riders of all ages, many of whom don't usually ride bikes. Some were a little nervous to be on their first long ride. "We're doing it for him," one of them said. "And to support Lynne." Also on the ride were Dean's three children: Dean Jr., 21, Darren, 19, and Danielle, 16. On the back of the matching sweatshirts the group wore: "I'll wait for you at the top of the hill".
AMY MAYBERRY | Seattle
Amy joined the ride in 2007 and this is her story.
Amy Mayberry is a busy pre-med student at University of Washington. Her schedule doesn't permit her to ride her bike very often, but she's coming down to Portland to ride the Worst Day of the Year Ride.
"I originally started biking with my Dad, Walt Mayberry, and do rides with him every year such as Cycle Oregon The Weekend, the Portland Bridge Pedal, Reach the Beach. My Dad told me about this ride, which he has done in the past, and I decided to come down to Portland to ride with him." Amy, who is 20, is looking forward to the Worst Day of the Year Ride as a way to spend some time with her dad - and take a rest from the stress of med school.
Amy says she considers Seattle a fairly bike friendly city and loves to take advantage of the area's day rides, such as on Bainbridge and Vashon Islands. "I'm used to doing rides with my Dad in the suburbs of Portland so Seattle is much busier but also has some beautiful rides."
Look for Amy and Walt out on the ride! There just two of the 1,500 riders that will be out there, and Amy another one of the many people who are coming to Portland from outside the area.
JOHN SANGSTER | Salem
John joined the ride in 2007 and this is his story.
John Sangster is riding the Worst Day of the Year Ride for the second year in a row - with his daughter. It was her idea that they ride together last year. John, who is 62, also likes the Monster Cookie ride put on in April by the Salem Bicycle Club.
As a regular all-weather bike commuter, John is not at all afraid of the Worst Day of the Year Ride's potentially terrible weather - he's prepared: "I use a combination of Burley rain pants and a Nike rain jacket. I also use a balaclava, gloves, and booties."
John is retired from the Oregon Department of Transportation and now works for Scott's Cycling and Fitness in Salem. Most weeks he clocks about 40-50 miles or riding. He likes riding in Salem, but wishes it could be more like Portland "Cycling in Salem is not as good as Portland or Eugene. The bike routes are not truly connected from one end of town to the other. You have to use the streets and be and effective and cautious cyclist."
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