Denver 38 Racing

REASON 38 by Larsen Schindler

The reason why I first rode a bike is because I was drawn to the elegant simplicity of my father’s late 70s lugged steel Peugeot.  Technological improvements in bike manufacturing had made the Peugeot’s down-tube shifters feel somewhat antiquated, though to a young teenager wanting to go fast and claim supremacy over local climbs it was a rocket ship. 

Initially I rode when I felt like it.  Soon I was riding to school and back.  Eventually I took an entire week off in between semesters and tore it up along the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  My base fitness gained through years of soccer, swimming and lacrosse made me perfectly suited to cope with the rigors of cycling.  I was an average rider at best but it didn’t matter because I felt strong.

Towards the end of college I had saved enough to buy my first road bike; a 2000 Bianchi Veloce Celeste green and a-typical orange.  Soon after moving to Europe for my first job, my dad bought a bike case and flew to Europe to drop it off.  I don’t think that bike carrier has been used since.  I had a Bianchi kit like the one Ulrich wore during the 2003 TdF.

By now I have learned that riding is more than just the bike.  I am passionate about the sport and its rich history.  I am intrigued with how my body will respond to the previous day’s hard riding.  I am curious to see if my off-season’s cumulative work will pay dividends during the upcoming season.  I enjoy the fact that wearing sweaty spandex in restaurants after long rides is uncool and generally socially unacceptable.  I feel graceless yet powerful on my bike.  I am obsessed with how riding makes me feel.  I am immune from life’s troubles during those moments in the saddle. I am completely at peace with myself riding alone or within the peloton.  These are the reasons why I ride.  

Superior Sacrifice by Larsen Schindler

He enjoyed running marathons and playing soccer.  He took delight in entertaining his family, friends and classmates.  He joined the Army as an officer after his admission into ROTC was declined on the basis of his asthma.  He was not discouraged from doing what he felt was the right thing, despite his father being one of the prominent critics of our nation’s warring notions.  On May 13, 2007 an IED killed 1^st. Lieutenant Andrew Bachevich; loyal son, amicable colleague, and trusted friend.

Andy and I were not best mates.  For three years we went to high school together and were on the soccer team.  Andy was the beaming light in an otherwise dreadful freshman season.  He was the encouraging force who knew how to lighten the mood when everyone was beaten down.  After the game ended in another loss we were on the team bus headed home and soon we were all cracking up.  Uncontrollable laughter broke out as Andy conjured up fictitious stories of his indiscretions.  We all fed off Andy’s inexhaustible energy and we were feeling good.

I’ve never had to forfeit anything in life.  I have a job, my health and supportive friends and family, and personal freedom.  Andy knew he had everything to lose; his career, family, etc. and yet he sacrificed everything for his country.  You may not agree with our country’s foreign policy but to denounce it openly would only dishonor those who have sacrificed everything for the rest of us.  It would dishonor Andrew’s memory.  I have not the slightest inkling of sacrifice, because that only occurs when you love something more than yourself.

Andrew embodied everything that is good in the human spirit.  Thinking of him hurts me deeply but it helps me restore some of my faith in humanity.  You are missed dear friend.  On this Memorial Day weekend at the Superior Morgul Classic I will race in your honor.  I look forward to the day we will meet and laugh again.