At 82, Vince Albert is the oldest Ride the Rockies cyclist — and he will not be stopped

[TomSea]

Excerpt:

At 82, Vince Albert is the oldest Ride the Rockies cyclist — and he will not be stopped
Day 1 of Ride the Rockies took riders from Alamosa to Pagosa Springs and over Wolf Creek Pass in strong headwinds

PAGOSA SPRINGS — At 82 years old, Vince Albert is the oldest rider in the field of Ride the Rockies cyclists, but he’s got the appetite of a 16-year-old boy — especially after a hard day of cycling.
Vince Albert
Gabriel Scarlett, The Denver Post
Vince Albert outside his hotel room in Pagosa Springs on June 11, 2017. At 82, Albert is the oldest rider in the annual Ride The Rockies event. This is his fourth year participating.

So says his wife, Sharon, and daughter Kimberly, both of whom are volunteering at aid stations and supporting him as he takes on the annual bike tour through Colorado.

“He gets done with lunch and asks what’s for dinner,” said Kimberly Albert, 52, laughing. “He loves sweets. Ice cream for sure, and anything my mom cooks.”

Riders began their seven-day, 447-mile trip through southwest and western Colorado on Sunday, riding 93 miles into strong headwinds from Alamosa to Pagosa Springs. The blustery course — particularly at the top of Wolf Creek Pass — was the topic of conversation among cyclists by day’s end.

“Today was probably the hardest day,” ...

...

Albert was a pipe-fitter in Decatur, Ill., for 39 years before he relocated to Arizona with his wife upon retirement. He started running in the late 1970s, around the time the United States was undergoing a running boom. He’s completed roughly 135 marathons, by his count. He cycled when he was injured and took weeklong bike trips from Illinois to the southern U.S. with his son.

“I gained weight, and a guy I worked with started going to the YMCA to work out,” he recalled of his start with running. “So I started going up there. I had about an hour to kill before the exercise class, so I would go run around the track.”

...

Continued: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/06/11/vince-albert-oldest-cyclist-ride-the-rockies/

[roamer_1]

My BIL does 'Ride the Rockies' every year...
I'd like to do this ride with him, sometime.
@Wingnut

[Wingnut]

My BIL does 'Ride the Rockies' every year...
I'd like to do this ride with him, sometime.
@Wingnut

Sounds like a blast.  You should do it. You have to watch out for those oldtimers.  I have found them to be sneaky little shits and like to show off!   Years ago I was doing a  group ride with people of all ages.  I was way out of shape for a ride that long but I figured what the heck it won't kill me.  Of the 400 riders the youngest was 6 and the oldest was 84.  The six year old was on a custom "Tugabug" with a recombinant high back seat with a seat harness locked into his pops bike.  1st couple of days I would pass the little guy and he was peddling his butt off.  Around day 3 I passed him and he was sound a sleep passed out cold in his seat!   

Now the old guy was a different story.  Dude was spry. Looked like Jack Lalanne.  He was riding a 26 inch wheel, geared (maybe 10 or 14 speed) flat bar bike painted army jeep green.  It appeared to be from an earlier decade or maybe 3 decades. Every damn day this cat would fly by me on the climbs like I was spinning squares.  It got to the point where I started to recognize the sound of his sled 30 yards back as he approached me!  Anyway, as I would finally get to the crest I would see him stopped of to the side eating and apple or a banana or a pickle and he would just smile and nod as I passed.   I hated that guy!    LOL 

We talked several times at dinner later in the week.  He was a very nice and a great guy to chat with.

[Mom MD]

Hubby used to ride it years ago   It's a lot of fun and a travelling party but has become quite crowded  There are other trail rides in Colorado in the summer and beautiful scenery to see.   Of course if you are really hard core there is the triple bypass   If that isn't hard enough for you you can reverse it the next day for the double triple bypass