Every so often we get a comment that’s just too good to leave as a comment. If they really strike the right cord, I like to cut/paste those comments into a new post.
A comment left yesterday by Alan Johnson surely doesn’t disappoint… so I’ve cut/paste it into a post.
Enjoy.
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I’m really enjoying your posts about the old days, especially my old friend Richard Fisher’s. I started as a junior in 1974 with the Phoenix Consumers Cycling Club, and still jump in with the 50+ on occasion (they’re so fast). I raced in over 500 sanctioned events, and won over 100 including 20 state championships. The Eric Heiden story that Jack Quinn remembered is one of my fondest memories. The Turkey Day Classic (started by John Barberi of Phoenix Consumers, who mentored many of us) was traditionally the last big race of the season, and that year it was part of the national point series and on the ASU campus. Many top names attended. Eric Heiden was very popular because of his speed skating medals, and his huge thighs. I was about twenty riders back in the large pack and watched him clip his pedal and go down. Having raced against him in Milwaukee earlier where I saw him do exactly the same thing, I wasn’t surprised. He had a reputation for crashing, and riders on the crit circuit talked of staying clear of him. Still, he was a great representative of the sport. Shortly after his crash, and before the midway double-points sprint (yea, it was a points race!), I launched the winning break with Worlds TTT medalist Mark Frise in tow. Two laps later we were joined by crit specialists Tom Schuler and Ian Jackson. Surprisingly, climbing phenom Bob Cook came accross for one lap before he was ridden off on a sprint lap. We stayed clear, and I finished third.
The most memorable thing about that race, for me anyway, was that it was the first time an Arizona rider raced in a skinsuit. My coach; Domenic Malvestuto of Team Strada, asked his sister Anna to make me a skinsuit based on some photos (no skinsuits were available at that time). I wore it, but being extremely shy, I was too embarrased to get off my bike because everything showed through! I felt naked wearing that suit, but boy was it fast! Now skinsuits are commonplace. I was successful at that level thanks to Domenic Malvestuto who brought advanced coaching and racing tactics to Arizona. He had raced in the world championships for Canada, and is responsible for taking several of us from the district to national level.
A few of the top racers from the 70’s who inspired me are: Bill Anthony and Allan Fenyves (sprinting), John Timbers, Mark and Tim Wilson, Bruce Braley, Doug Braly, Tom Nesdill, Tom Hayes, (climbing), Kark Hoff (time trialing), and Tom Kelly (all around), all great athletes who could give today’s cyclists a run for their money! I’ll always remember fondly my training partners from that time; Mike Lynch, Allan Fenyves, Doug Olsen, Tom Hayes, and many others who like me were products of local clubs and who grew up riding Tortilla Flats, Marana, Mining Country, Mt. Lemmon, and Mormon Lake. I actually have a scrapbook of Arizona cycling from the 70’s.
There’s still a few of us around because of our love for the sport.
I really appreciate the look back in history. Most people around here don’t know much past 2-3 years ago. Thanks for sharing Alan.
Oh what i wouldn’t give to take a peak at those 70’s racing pics. Pls, pls, pls post.
Some old photos would be great. I’ll see what I can do.
Somewhere there is a picture taken before the start of the 1980 Turkey Day race that shows Eric Heiden in a Phoenix Consumer jersey posing with the rest of the Phoenix Consumer team. Eric was working for Schwinn at the time, and Schwinn sponsored the Consumers, so Eric rode both races that weekend wearing a Phoenix Consumer jersey. I can’t find my copy of the picture, but some of the other longtime members of the team must have it. — Jack Quinn
Let’s round up some of these great old photos and get them posted!
I was in the Phoenix Consumers Cycling Club back then, although I was only 8 years old. I raced in the midgets division in that race. I most likely came in last. Around that period of time there was an article in the Arizona Republic or Phoenix Gazette about our club. There was a picture of all of us at the top of the hill of what we considered our starting line in a Scottsdale neighborhood where we used to practice. At one time I had the article because there was a close-up of me on it. i have long since lost track of it. I remember Don Quirren being our coach. I remember the Bookspans and Nel and Joella Harrison are my cousins. I remember the Breathless Hell race being sponsored by Lowenbrau. I remember riding South Mountain and Tortilla Flats and Sunday morning breakfast rides. I remember a race in the Globe Miami area that had copper trophies.
I grew up cycling in Phoenix in the 1970’s and remember many of the names mentioned above. Lost touch with Tom Hayes. Karl Hoff is living in West Virginia, and me up here in Oregon. Does anyone know if Tom is still around?
Mike
I had a ball designing cycling tri-suits during that era.