Nate Dick, the 64-year-old owner and manager of Comanche Self Storage in Estes Park, Colo., last month earned an official finish in the Last Chance 1200K Randoneé, a four-day bicycle ride of nearly 750 miles. The ride went from Boulder, Colo., to Kensington, Kan., and back during Sept. 9-12.
Dick, one of only 33 riders who finished the race, said he believed himself to be the oldest finisher of the bunch. He said randonneuring, a form of cycling competition that follows a defined route varying from 200 to 1200 kilometers in a specified time (90 hours in the case of the Last Chance), tends to attract an older crowd, as younger riders tend to prefer competitions of speed over staying power.
To qualify for the race, cyclists had to place in a full Brevert Series of races at 200, 300, 400 and 600 kilometers. Though Dick has participated in many outdoor challenges, such as climbing the highest 100 peaks in Colorado, he said the Last Chance was by far the hardest thing he has done. His goal was to finish the ride in 86 hours; he completed it in 85.5.
Dick got his start in cycling shortly after he moved to Estes Park in 1983. After starting on a Schwinn Continental, he now rides a titanium-frame Lite-speed.
Dick is now working on a cross-country ride that is done in two-week segments over the course of three years.
Source: Estes Park Trail-Gazette, Do, did, done
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