It was a year in which I once rode 109 straight days (a "ride" being defined as one of at least 10 miles), including breaking my collarbone only 10 days into the streak. And I didn't miss a ride. For the second straight year I went over 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles). I finished with 6,350. But the year would end with incredible sadness.
In no particular order I present my Top Ten Moments of 2013
1. Meeting People on the Trail
I met two groups of young people while riding along the W&OD. In May I met a lost group from the University of Illinois, the Illini 4,000. I rode with them to Vienna before saying goodbye.
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| Riders from the Illini 4,000 |
In July I met a group of young Orthodox Jewish women biking from Miami to New York City with Bike 4 Friendship. When they told me they were riding to Baltimore on U.S. Rte 1 I told them I would take them on safe roads instead. I ended up giving them an impromptu tour of D.C. then taking them through the Anacostia Trail System up to Laurel, Maryland so they could avoid Rte 1.
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| Some of the Bike 4 Friendship Riders in Front of the White House |
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| Shaina Myers |
2. Ride of Silence
I never participated in a Ride of Silence before and don't want to again but I organized one for a fallen cyclist, James Callahan, who was struck and killed by a 17 year old girl while he was riding on the bike path next to the road. I had never met Mr. Callahan but it seemed the right thing to do. Almost 40 riders including his family members joined us for a silent slow 13-mile ride that honored his memory.
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| Stopped at the accident scene where a bagpiper played Amazing Grace |
3. Trexlertown
Labor Day weekend I joined friends from Spokes of Hope at Trexlertown, Pa. to ride on the Velodrome as we honored pediatric cancer survivors. Our featured survivor was Duncan Mitcheltree. As I entered the track his mother, Andrea, called my name. We had met last year at Jake's funeral.
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| Barry, Duncan |
4. Key to Keys
(Multiple Journal Entries)
In April I rode with the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adult's inaugural Key to Keys ride, a fundraiser from Baltimore to Key West. There's nothing like the community of survivors and people who hate cancer who come together with a common cause. And when my group did not get a chance to ride across the Seven Mile Bridge, on Sunday after the ride I did my own solo century ride to and across the Seven Mile Bridge - twice.
5. Salisbury Trestle
My dad had never ridden across the Salisbury trestle at Meyersdale so in July my sister, Betsy, and I rode with the octogenarian from Meyersdale to Rockwood.
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| Barry, Betsy, Dad At the Rockwood Entrance |
6. Mount Washington
I thought last year would be my last time up Mount Washington. Then I met the Gubinski family and they asked me to come back and ride with them so they would have someone to beat. And I complied. My sixth straight year on that climb.
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| Alexa, Barry, Vic, Lucas |
7. 4K for Cancer
An organization that has become close to my heart is the 4K for Cancer. I rode with Team San Francisco on Day 1 from Baltimore to Alexandria; met Team Portland on the Pike to Bike abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike on Day 2; escorted them from Bedford to Ligonier on Day 3; and rode with them again in Muncie, Indiana on Day 17.
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| 4K on Allegheny Mountain at former Ship Hotel |
8. Jeremiah Bishop's Alpine Gran Fondo
Jeremiah Bishop's Alpine Gran Fondo is a beautiful ride and is sponsored by the Prostate Cancer Awareness Project. As a prostate cancer survivor I was invited to ride off the front with pros, Jeremiah Bishop, Joe Dombrowski, Cameron Cogburn and Ben King.
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| Pros on the Start Line |
9. Ride the Rockies
(Multiple Journal Entries)
Ride the Rockies is simply the best multi-day tour I have found. Awesome vistas with screaming descents - four times I went over 50 mph. I rode with six time Tour de France rider, Ron Kiefel, and met George Hincapie, Bob Roll, and Connie Carpenter-Phinney.
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| Ron Keifel, Barry Sherry |
10. Save a Limb Ride
A man grabs my phone as I am looking at Jens Voigt and Ben King and says "jump in - I'll take your picture." And it was none other than Robbie Ventura. At the Save a Limb ride I met Jens, Ben, and Robbie. Too cool.
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| Jen Voigt, Barry, Ben King |
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| Barry, Robbie Ventura |
In Memory of Scott
In August, my friend, Scott Scudamore, invited me to Charlottesville for a practice ride with some kids from the Boys and Girls Club. They were getting in training miles to ride a Century (100 miles) in September and he promised me we would ride up Afton Mountain which "you will really enjoy."
When the assignments were given out Scott was very apologetic because he was asked to mentor the youngest rider on a shorter route than the other kids. He encouraged me to go ride with the other kids up Afton Mountain. I chose to ride with Scott. He didn't quite understand it was more about who you were with than where you were going. It was my last ride with Scott.
On September 22 he was mountain biking at Bryce Ski resort in Virginia when he crashed and broke his neck. Very sadly and unexpectedly, he died from those injuries on December 29.
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| Barry, Eli, Scott You taught me that life is short and to live every moment to the fullest May you rest in peace, my friend. |
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