64-year-old Everett man bikes nearly 12,000 miles a year
When my BikeJournal log surpassed 4,000 miles for 2011 in October, I thought I was pretty hot stuff.
Maybe some younger guys are laying down more miles on their bicycles, but I was pretty puffed for a guy adjusting to the realities of the 60s.
Then I catch this story about Dr. Art Grossman of nearby Everett, Wash. The 64-year-old doctor usually tallies just shy of 12,000 miles of bicycling a year.
Commuting and weekend rides
That's about 230 miles a week, on average. The physician works at his practice three days a week and also teaches bicycling. How does he do it?
According to an interview in the Everett Herald, Grossman's daily commute and side trips average about 20 a day. Then on the weekends he'll ride a century or two.
If the weather cooperates to allow 12,000 miles this year, next he'll shoot for 13,000 miles, then 14,000.
Limits
“There has to be an upward limit. Because there's no way I'm going to be able to bike around here an average of 40 miles a day (for 365 days). That's not going to happen, because with my schedule there's not enough daylight. … I think 13,000 or maybe 14,000 is probably the limit.”
For those familiar with the area, the good doctor likes to ride up to Anacortes, then across the Deception Pass Bridge and down the length of Whidbey Island to Clinton, where he picks up a ferry for home.
“(Whidbey Island) is nice and peaceful, and it's beautiful everywhere on the coast,” he told the Everett Herald. “It's hilly, scenic and pleasant, and you can't beat it.”
Let's hope Grossman has many more miles ahead of him.
Maps and rides
Whidbey General Hospital and Clinics presents theTour de Whidbey every year; the next date is Sept. 22, 2012. If you can't wait until then, check out bicycle maps in Island County. Also see bicycle maps for Snohomish County for bicycling around Everett.
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