Mr. Big Guy

A few weeks ago, before Ride The Rockies began, I had the pleasure of meeting Randy Gaffney, aka "Mr. Big Guy".

For those of you that don't know, Randy was a top national rider back in the heady days of Ron Kiefel, Davis Phinney, and Greg Lemond.  Randy was every bit as good as those guys but due to an unfortunate accident, never had the opportunity to reign on the world stage.  And that is too bad for all of us because the person I now know is the embodiment of generosity, kindness, and everything we want cycling to stand for.

Randy and I have worked side by side in the pit area of RTR this week.  During that time I have had the opportunity to chat with him about the grassroots movement of cycling back in the day.  He truly was one of the best.  And now, even after fate denied him the opportunity to excel as a professional cyclist outside of the USA, Randy looks back on those days with fondness, not regret.  We can all learn a lot from Mr. Big Guy.  I am truly a fan of him as both a cyclist and a human being. 

So I say this out loud to Mr. Big Guy:  I am glad to have met you.  Thank you for everything.  Keep tearing their legs off!