6,220 Miles in One Year!
By now you should be familiar with Ruben Martinez, aka @uncle_rube_dogg. He’s a familiar face in the West Coast SE Bikes Life scene, and in 2020 he put in some serious miles: 6,220 miles, to be exact! And did we mention that he’s 69 years old? We asked him a few questions to see what makes this Sacramento, CA local tick.
How long have you been riding bikes, and when did you start putting in serious miles?
I have been riding bikes for 50 years. I started putting in serious miles about five years ago, starting with the “May is Bike Month Challenge” of 500 miles just for the month of May. Fast forward to 2020 and I rode 6,220 miles throughout the whole year.
Did you have a goal for how far you wanted to ride?
No, I just wanted to see what I could do seriously for a whole year.
What bikes were you riding? And do you do any modifications to your bikes?
No modifications, and I rode three bikes in 2020: 2018 Big Ripper, 2020 Fast Ripper and a 2021 Big Flyer.
Who did you ride with?
Most of my riding was with Damon Dayton and Matt Rickard, as well as various other group rides throughout California. I rode about 1/3 of the total miles by myself, which mostly consisted of neighborhood rides.
How do you find the time to put in so many miles?
I find the time because I’m retired, and I have plenty of time on my hands.
What’s your plan for 2021? Even more miles?
No, not more miles. My goal is to continue riding as much as possible not worrying about how many miles I’m going to achieve.
