Paul's Cycling Team - 2006

Gary Malcolm

Hi, my name is Gary and I am 38 years old and I’m a bikaholic. It’s been 12 hours since my last ride and the shakes have started to set in. Soon my cravings will overwhelm the more mundane aspects of my life ( such as getting some programming done at work) and I’ll sneak out into the 30 degree rain for a roll around McKenzie View, or a quick hammerfest up Fox Hollow.

In the two years that have passed between buying my first road bike and now training for my second season of racing I have dropped 80 pounds, ridden thousands of miles and even won an occasional race. I have learned to crash (badly), bonk (horribly), and most of all to pass by what I thought were my physical limits of pain and endurance while having a blast every second I’m in the saddle.

A huge part of cycling for me is the competition alongside incredible athletes who drop all the day-to-day troubles and labels of ‘real life’ to just go out and give everything they have to race bicycles. The overwhelming feelings of anticipation, adrenaline, joy and speed are balanced perfectly with exhaustion, fear, and even the occasional disappointment. Is it possible to point to a favorite part of cycling? The last 10 miles of a double century, cresting the top of the steepest pitch on a climb, slinging around downhill corners at 50mph, or just tooling about town picking up groceries when the sun is out and the streets are dry… but I reserve the highest and most thrilling part of cycling for the last few seconds of a really fast sprint when you can look over and see the wheels of the other riders spinning so fast the spokes are invisible and your legs, lungs and brain forget all about the work it took to get right there, to the finish. Awesome.

This season I hope to improve my tree-dodging skills, lose an extra sack of potatoes in flab and win a criterium and a time trial. My goal as a Paul’s rider in the III’s is to be as much of a horse for my hill-climbing teammates as my legs and lungs will allow. I’m already spending way too much time on solo rides visualizing long lead-outs for Bryan, Joel, Wes, Greg and maybe even Piebanga… maybe ;) .

I hope to see you all on the road.