2008 Subaru Elephant Rocky Cycling Festival

Rider Profiles
Who is riding this year? Share your years of cycling fun with us…submit your picture and profile here! Participants can win gear …submit your picture and profile here!
Team Rise Representing the Rise School for children with Downs Syndrome in Denver, these cyclists are a collection of friends and neighbors who share a common love of cycling with early morning rides (starting at 5:30 a.m.!) before work during the summer cycling season. Some of them have children in the Rise School. On June 1, 57 dedicated members of Team Rise (parents, teachers and community members, including Governor Bill Ritter) will cycle the 65-mile route of the 2008 Subaru Elephant Rock Cycling Festival to raise money for the Rise School and its mission provide the highest quality early childhood education to all children including those children with developmental disabilities. This marks the 6th annual ride for the team! Team Rise, and the training group pictured here, are organized by Rise School parent Greg Holm (pictured in the center next to Governor Ritter). Team Rise receives contributed entries free of charge for the festival and organizes its own pledge drive to benefit the school. Pictured here on a morning training ride are, left to right: Tom Hammar, Eric Van Zytveld, Jack Rife,Howard Fry,Richard Erickson, Bob Shaver (Team Rise), Bill Ritter (Team Rise), Greg Holm (Team Rise),George Human (Team Rise), Rick Petersen, Wayne Dubois, Kirk Framke, Jim Joy, and Clayton Coffelt.
	Team CNI Pictured here with Community Co-Chair Susie Wargin, Sports Anchor with 9News, Team Rise is ready to ride! They have more than 70 cyclists this year raising money to support brain and spinal tumor patients recovery. Left to right: Ken Inghram, Jil Inhgram, Susie Wargin, Luanne Williams, Charlie Wolf, and Kathy Wolf. Community Co-Chair Dr. Edward Arenson (not pictured) began Team CNI several years ago with current and former patients like Jil and Charlie.
Tim and Nicole DeBoom Riding with Team CNI Boulder, CO This athletic dynamic duo from Boulder will ride their first Elephant Rock this year. When friend and CNI Community Co-Chair Susie Wargin asked them to participate, they jumped in with not only their legs and lungs but a percentage of expo sales of their SkirtSports apparel to benefit CNI patients. When not training with her Ironman World Champion 2001 & 2002 husband, Nicole is designing and promoting SkirtSports (http://skirtsports.com/) Biking is a lifestyle for these two. Look for them out on the course riding favorite Felt road bikes. That says a lot given Nicole reports owning more then 50 bikes in her life…so far. Cycling icon? Jim Felt. “He is an innovator and a great man.” Serve Nicole up some French Toast pre-ride. Best ride of her life? “Strangely enough, even the most mundane ride can be the best ride. If your mind is open, a ride can look different every time you do it.” Dream biking vacation- It doesn't really matter where it is, as long as the day is free and the skies are clear! Words of wisdom? If you're not having fun, it's not worth doing!
Brian Miller Highlands Ranch Baby boomer from Highlands Ranch this has ridden the Elephant Rock 5 times. Biking is a lifestyle for this guy who wants to grab a meal at Chipotle pre-ride. This year look for him on the 65-mile route. If he could meet any cycling icon it would be David Millar – “seems like he would be fun to have some pints with!” Dream biking vacation- Touring France. We wonder Brian, does it have anything to do with the abundance of wine? Words of wisdom? “Bring a rainjacket!”
Charlie and Kathy Wolf Team CNI These two baby boomers leave the rest of us no excuses! Charlie and Kathy Wolf are riding their third Elephant Rock event in as many years with Team CNI. His goal is 50 miles...to celebrate his 50th birthday and 50th MRI with wife Kathy at his side. The date of the ride is usually after a major medical milestone for Charlie: “All three ERock rides I've done have been after chemo treatments. I decided that cycling was an important element in fighting brain cancer. Keeping in shape keeps me stronger.” Lance Armstong inspires Charlie’s own recovery; his friends are also inspired by Lance as they wage their own wars against cancer, and Kathy agrees. Kathy has owned 4 bikes in her life; Charlie 3. They are happy to have good quality bikes to ride these days. Kathy’s best-ever ride has been on the ERock, as has Charlie’s. His favorite was three years ago (the first ERock ride for each of them) after the first big battle in his war against brain cancer. “I rode the ERock with Dr. Arenson’s group then as I will this time. Although my tumor has returned and my balance and speech are off, I feel better when I ride...I just ride slower. Right now I'm in the best shape I've ever been! A group of 18 friends from work hiked Quandry Peak; I was happy to be with the 9 who summitted, even though it took 31 hours. This year, we'll take our time with the ride and hopefully complete it.” Their favorite pre-ride meal? “We usually eat a good pasta meal, Kathy gets us well fed.” Kathy also credits a good breakfast on the day of the ride for strength that day. A dream cycling trip? Kathy points to Moab. Her words of wisdom? “Hang in there, you can do it! Even though I had a flat tire last year in the middle of the road, someone came to patch it and somehow I made it back to finish the 8-mile course.”
Christie Cadwell Boulder Wow, another rider who has been with us for 5 years, you guys ROCK! Baby boomer from Boulder will be riding, “My sweet Look AL384”. Biking is a lifestyle for Christie. She completed the Triple Bypass and then returned from the ride the next day by cycling from Avon to Evergreen! If she could meet any cycling icon it would be Lance Armstrong. “He's just so inspirational. Now he's a marathon runner too (like me!)” Favorite pre-ride meal? “Cinnamon roll from Moe's - not too much butter, mostly bread and sugar. All carbs.” Dream biking vacation- All over Southern Europe. Words of wisdom? “Always push yourself physically to do more than you think you can. The rewards are unmatched by anything else. IMHO, this is the key to true lifelong happiness...always achieving more than you thought you could. Great for the body and great for the spirit.”
Nelson Vails Highland Ranch This Baby boomer has ridden the Elephant Rock at least 5 times. He likes to ride his bike from his Highland Ranch home, do the Century ride and then ride-on-home! You go Nelson- no carbon footprint for you! Biking is just a hobby for Nelson and be sure to check him out on his Team CSC bike. Just one of the many bikes he’s owned in his life. Cycling icons? Please, been there done that! Carb it up baby! Pre-ride meal is all about pasta. Best ride of my life? Too many to count! Dream biking vacation- He’ll be living the dream June 1st, spending the day with us at the ERock riding festival. Words of wisdom? Stay out of the gutter, Sit the wheel and shut up if you are on my wheel.
Susie Wargin Team CNI Community Chair 9News Sports Anchor Lone Tree Baby boomer, tree hugger? Don’t pigeonhole our favorite 9News sports anchor! For Susie biking is a lifestyle. Look for her this year on the 65-mile ride supporting team CNI. She’ll be riding her trusted road bike, the 5th bike she’s owned in her life. If she could meet any cycling icon it would be Lance Armstrong because, “I've asked him a couple questions in a press conference, but I'd love to have lunch with him one-on-one and ask more.” Pre-ride dinner? Invite Susie over for a good piece of grilled chicken and a baked potato. Best ride of her life? “Copper Triangle 2007. “It was a great test of endurance and I rode it with my brother Ted.” Words of wisdom? “If you ride a mountain bike in road rides, do yourself a huge favor and buy a road bike. I rode a heavy mountain bike for years on the Courage Classic because I didn't think I could balance on skinny wheels. After I got my road bike, I sold my mountain bike. I'll never get another one unless someday I get into using a mountain bike for what it's supposed to be used for: trails!”
Jenny Bergeron This is Jenny’s first Elephant Rock ride. A hobby rider from Colorado Springs, she will be riding her brand new Trek 7.5 FX WSD that her husband gave her for their eighth wedding anniversary. Wow, now that’s a rockin’ gift! All you guys out there take note! Cycling icon? Who needs um! Best ride of her life? “I hope it will be this one! I have never done a ride like this before and I am excited to see how well I can do! I hope to say Elephant Rock 08 was the best ride of my life and then have many more after that.” Dream biking vacation? Biking all over France, with a vacation at a luxurious spa before returning home.
Alison Torvik Lincolnshire, IL Don’t try to pigeonhole this Denverite! A newbie to this year’s Subaru Elephant Rock, biking hobbyist Alison Torvik will be riding her “sweet Specialized Ruby Comp.” This is bike number 5 for her. Cycling icon? Who needs um! Pre-ride she reaches for Kashi 7 Grain Pilaf with dried cherries. Best ride of her life? Her first (only, so far) century. America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe with Team in Training. Words of wisdom? It's all about not quitting. Stop or coast, but get out and have fun!
Pat Smith Denver, Colorado Profile: I got my first road bike on my honeymoon and finally replaced it 20 years later - that Biopace crank was state of the art; now my knees are happy with a triple! The kid-sized fat tire bike I learned on was twice my weight; after begging for a three- speed my Dad bought me a Columbia and my German grandfather added a St. Christopher bell to the handlebar. My first 50-miler was up and over McClure Pass to the north rim of the Black Canyon during cherry- picking season near Paonia. I have a fun bike collection ranging from Frank the Tank (he comes out for the Moonlight Classic on Team Stego-Sore-A**) to sleek Opal the Orbea. Buy the best seat and bike shorts you can afford and be sure the bike fits you. New or used, get the right one for you! The better you feel, the more you'll ride...and that's a happy place to be, especially in Colorado.
Jil Inghram Highlands Ranch Baby boomer from Highlands Ranch Jil has ridden the Elephant Rock at least 5 times! For Jil biking is a lifestyle. This year look for her with husband Ken on a Co-Motion tandem bike. This is one of many bikes she’s owned in her lifetime. If she could meet any cycling icon it would be Lance Armstrong because “He's such an inspiration and incredible athlete.” Carb it up baby! Pasta, salad and bread the night before the big ride and pancakes with strawberries the day of. Best ride of my life? Probably last year's ERock. Rode the Century for the first time and it felt great! Dream biking vacation- sprechen Sie Deutsch? Germany - along the Rhine, Mosel and Nahe Rivers from Frankfurt to Trier and back. Words of wisdom? Never underestimate your little brother! After I was treated for a brain tumor by the CNI team and seeing the wonderful organization they are, Scot allocated 100 rider vouchers to help CNI in their fundraising efforts. Please check out the CNI link and consider riding for the CNI team. Scot, I think you are awesome!
Greg Dobbs Every time I’ve ridden the Elephant Rock, it’s made enduring memories. But none is more memorable than my Elephant Rock ride in 2001. Why? Because I had a heart attack! On previous rides I thought the burning sensation in my chest was heartburn or acid reflux… So I kept riding. Riding with a friend in the Elephant Rock, I had a similar sensation but stronger. So not long before the first official rest stop, I stopped. I told my friend what I was feeling, but being as ignorant as I am, he didn’t recognize the signs of a heart attack any more than I did. After resting 10 or 15 minutes, we resumed…. and finished the ride. At home that night I told my wife (who was smarter than my friend and I were), and made it to the doctor on time…for a fourth attack right there in his examining room. I barely had time to clutch my chest before he had me in an ambulance and sooner after in surgery. My cardiologist said my heart muscle was strong because of the time I spend on bikes…strong enough to withstand the blood stoppages that blocked arteries were causing. The blockages are a hereditary propensity to develop plaque; both my father and his father had bad hearts. What kept me going was biking. That’s why I ride my bike more than ever--including a couple of ERock rides since my open heart surgery in 2001. I don’t worry that it’s going to stress the heart; I’m confident that it’s going to keep it strong! I’m 61 and ride at the front of a pack these days to keep my legs and lungs strong for rides in Colorado like the Elephant Rock!
Luanne and Marc Williams Hometown: Arvada Marc & I bought our first Univega tandem 12 years ago- and rode elephant rock for the first time three years ago to raise funds for Colorado Neurological Institute. The first year we rode the 65 and then changed to a Cannondale tandem to tackle the 100 mile course (no small feat on a tandem!) Our favorite memory has to be reaching the crest of the last hill on the century ride, a great feeling of accomplishment. On behalf of the CNI patients: I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the riders and donors who support Team CNI as we raise funds to support the CNI Center for Brain and Spinal Tumors. AND a special thank you to Scott and Jil for making this event possible.
Bob Shaver ShaverSport The Subaru Elephant Rock is my favorite Front Range event and certainly is one of my all time favorite rides. My first Elephant Rock was back in 1990 and have only missed a couple since then. My all time favorite memory of the Elephant Rock was last year, when I had the chance to ride with Gov. Bill Ritter…SO Cool!! Word of advise for those new to the Rock. Eat some good carbs the night before and don’t fill up too much in the morning. My favorite ride meal is the night before is a plate of pasta and red wine, and in the morning is oatmeal, a croissant, and a cup of coffee. Hope to see you out there!
Rebecca Heaton Hometown: Hanover, NH My first road bike was a 10-speed Fuji that my mom bought me in 10th grade after I begged and begged and begged. I would go on rides around NH always planning around a stop at the local ice cream spot: I LOVED those vanilla/chocolate swirl cones. My first century ride was Elephant Rock three years ago, and I've been hooked since on long-distance road rides and tours. I love Elephant Rock because it's a celebration of cycling!
Scott Olmsted Event Manager Twenty-One years now, I have been riding bikes! I can remember my first bike, a red Huffy! At the age of 6, I was free. Free to roam the neighborhood, free to ride to school, most importantly, free to just ride and explore. I can’t believe that Twenty-One years has gone by! It almost feels that I have been graduated into maturity of Bicycling riding. I love every aspect of riding bikes – Its fun, challenging, and an all-around good work out! I am a Colorado native, born and raised just south of Denver. This will be my 8th year working the Subaru Elephant Rock and I just love seeing all the participants coming out and riding together as one! Hopefully someday I can join you all!