A "Hall Of Famer"

 Note: Today I interrupt the regular blogging for a Special Announcement:

 When I started riding bicycles I wasn't thinking I'd ever be a racer, a writer on the subject, a reviewer of things, or "famous", whatever that meant. I just wanted to ride my bike and I loved doing it. I always felt like cycling was a big part of keeping me sane and, well.....alive. 

So, when I got the chance to be a part of a bicycle shop late in 1993, I was thrilled. I not only had a job again, but I had a job doing things with cycling. My goal was to someday- somehow -give back to this activity I loved that I felt I owed a big part of my life to. 

I loved fixing bicycles, and I loved helping people out by doing that, spreading knowledge, and advocating for things that would enhance cycling like trail development and eventually sharing what I had learned from immersing myself in cycling via the new "world-wide internet". That eventually led to my reviewing gig, and not long before that,  a new job at a bike shop where I met Jeff Kerkove. Then a new chapter of my life opened up.

As you dear readers know- that story is being told here, every Sunday in my "Trans Iowa Stories" posts. But at first, Trans Iowa was just another way for me to extend my "giving back" to cycling. I had no further schemes for what we were doing to be anything but a venue for endurance cycling 'nut-jobs', as we lovingly referred to them as, to have a shot at doing an event we'd never heard of and thought was cool. 

Then one thing led to another and now this: I have been selected to be inducted in the inaugural class of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame this June. I got an email confirmation yesterday.

Some say I was a 'shoe-in', or that there could not be a Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame without me in it. To you- if that is you - I say thank you!   

I don't know.....this is weird. But I will just say that apparently I gave back to cycling enough that people figured I should be recognized for that, and if that is close to the mark, then I am happy that I made a difference. That was the goal all along for me. 

But I also want to point out that I feel strongly that if you were associated with my events- any of them- and if you helped me out either by volunteering or by sponsoring my efforts, then you all are coming in this Hall of Fame with me. I could not have done any of this without any of you. 

So, congratulations to you! This is as much about you folks and companies that helped me out and assisted this gravel cycling thing as it is me. You are a Hall of Famer!

Note: The rest of my Gents Race recap will appear tomorrow.