A Tribute to Bikeboy

Yes, he is my son and I am biased but I want to honor him here on Midlife Bike Crisis.

James came onto the miscene in 2005 at the age of 10. I entered him in the Hines TT and fretted as he rode off on his own for 20K. After he left the start line I jumped in my car to follow him to the halfway point to make sure he was okay. After, I sped back to the start to see him come in. He gave his all on his little 24 inch road bike.

Since then he has been much more than a bike racer. He is an advocate for the sport here in southern Michigan. Anyone who visits his blog knows what he does for our sport. I can't tell how many times complete strangers have come up to him to say they read his blog. I guess he is a rock star of sorts.

His on bike performance has been magnificent. As his coach I couldn't be prouder. Look at the TT times for him against others when they were his age and you'll see he is a special bike rider. His training year begins in December with base training. He works hard on the trainer all through the winter. Recently he discovered nutritional science and has added that to his regimen cutting out many foods that teenagers covet.

Most of all, I am proud of the way he has handled adversity. He has sought to become a man and not just a bike racer. He wants to live a good and honorable life. He wants God to have first place.

Well done James. I am proud of you.