Senior couple takes on 100K route to Pinnacles
During a bike ride from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to
Baton Rouge, La.
– yes, a bike ride – John and Bonnie Whisler were stopped by a
stranger driving by in her car.
”
We weren’t the typical college-aged looking kids,
”
Bonnie recalled,
”
and she wanted to know, ‘How old are you guys?’
”
I just kept thinking, ‘I don’t think we look old.’
”
Senior couple takes on 100K route to Pinnacles
During a bike ride from Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to Baton Rouge, La. – yes, a bike ride – John and Bonnie Whisler were stopped by a stranger driving by in her car.
“We weren’t the typical college-aged looking kids,” Bonnie recalled, “and she wanted to know, ‘How old are you guys?’
“I just kept thinking, ‘I don’t think we look old.'”
That was approximately 10 years ago.
John, 69, and Bonnie, 74, have been cycling for the more than 20 years now, and while those age-old quips still come and go – “Have you seen a psychiatrist?” and “Are you crazy?” are just a few of the questions they’ve been asked – the Seaside couple continues to hit the pavement and continues to find a love for cycling, a love of accomplishment.
“It’s a great way to see the country,” John said.
Joked Bonnie, “Road kill, up close and personal.”
The couple will be able to sample some of the scenic surroundings of San Benito County next weekend in the first Condor Classic Bicycle Ride on Oct. 11, a brand new bike ride that will stretch from the San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister all the way to the Pinnacles National Monument and back.
Although online registration is closed, cyclists can still sign-up the day of the event, and choose from a 100 Mile Flight, the Centennial Challenge (100K), the Cienega Valley Wine Trail (40 miles) or the San Juan Valley Ride (20 miles).
Having trekked from Minnesota to Louisiana along the Mississippi River already before, though – a distance of approximately 1,500 miles – next Saturday’s Centennial Challenge should be a piece of cake for the Whisler’s.
“Well, no,” John laughed.
The Centennial Challenge will be 100 kilometers, which is just shy of 63 miles, and is listed as a moderate to strenuous ride, according to the Condor Classic’s Web site.
But really, if it isn’t strenuous, it isn’t work. The Whislers cycle 15 to 20 miles a day when they’re not even training, and up the mileage from 70 to 100 miles a week when they’re preparing for an upcoming event.
“But there’s got to be some hills, some work,” Bonnie said. “Otherwise, it’s not a real bike ride.”
Hills are what make the wheels go round, and for the Whislers – who sport a rather active family as their son Charles also competes in cycling events – it’s all about crossing the finish line.
“We just want to finish in a reasonable time,” says Bonnie.
Bonnie competed in the Best Buddies Charity Ride in September of last year, a 100-mile journey from Carmel Valley to the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. The two of them previously did the Steinbeck Century event, cycled roughly 1,500 miles from the southern part of Germany to Paris one year, and even biked from the west coast to the east coast on three separate trips: from Seaside to Minnesota, from Iowa to New York, and from New York to Maine.
“We can do the ride because we’ve been riding for a long time,” says Bonnie. “We understand the mental toughness and you have to understand that with a lot of riding.”
They understand it, all right. Sometimes when the two go out for dinner and a movie, they bike it. When John goes to play golf in Pacific Grove, he bikes that, too.
“We enjoy riding and as long as we can still do it, we’re gonna still do it,” says Bonnie. “And we can still do it.”
“The physical conditioning makes you feel really good,” added John. “You can eat a lot and not gain weight.”
John rides atop a composite bike that’s equipped with a Univega frame, while Bonnie is riding a Gary Fisher. Both of them use mountain bikes for their comfort, but will switch out the bulky off-road tires for more pavement-friendly ones before the start of next week’s race.
And while you may not see them at the top of the leaderboard next Saturday, that’s probably fine by them.
“We enjoy the rides. It gets hard at times, but we enjoy the accomplishment,” says Bonnie. “Downhill’s are great.”
The Condor Classic Bike Ride
The first Condor Classic Bike Ride will begin at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister and stretch to the Pinnacles National Monument, looping around and returning back to the golf course.
There are four rides to choose from, including the 100 Mile Flight, the Centennial Challenge (100K), the Cienega Valley Wine Trail (40 miles) and the San Juan Valley Ride (20 miles).
The event takes place on Oct. 11, and although online registration is closed, those interested can register the day of the race. Check-in is at 6:30 a.m.
Cost is $55 per person, $15 for kids under 7, and includes a T-shirt and an end-of-ride barbecue. Proceeds benefit the Pinnacle Partnership.
For more information, log on to: condorclassic.com.
