Some guys just don't age, and Kause is a perfect example. For over 25 years he has been doing the River Ride, and has watched riders come and go, but he is still here - sporting the latest in cool euro team fashion and occasionally sticking it to the best, while giving everyone advice.
-Tom Boonen approves this message.
I first started riding back in 1986. I had some friends that lived 4 houses down . They were Sean Co and Brian Co. Their cousins had come from LA to visit. Their names were Allen and Almarric Lim. Yes this is the famous Allen Lim from labs. Anyway they had brought these really cool bikes , I think Arraya and Nishiki back in the day. My bike was a red Torelli . So they had come for the weekend to ride.
We had heard about this river ride thing and decided to check it out. Previously I had ridden a small group ride with Jess Polakoff , Sam Giles that he hosted twice a week for people whom wanted to learn to ride in groups. We had ridden down from Carmichael and ride started at 10am sharp. I was totally stoked to ride.
We rolled in and as I pulled up there were my idols. 7 eleven team. Andreau ..McKinley, Brady, Nitz it was so cool. I was going to get to ride with the best. We rolled out slowly through downtown ,by blue diamond almonds, down 16th... to Northgate.
As soon as we passed Chevy's on the river it was on.
Pain, pain pain.
Fast, furious but it was the adrenaline that kept me going. Sprint was at county line and McKinley lit it up. Sprint on way back was at Chevy's and that was nuts.
Funny thing was, there was a Sacramento Bee photographer who got a shot of the aftermath of the crash. I'm standing in background adjusting my bike and McKinley has his arm in air smiling after not crashing.
We rolled back and Mr Nitz said, "So kid what ya think?"
I said "a few more of these and I might want to race." My first river ride experience and a real pro actually spoke to me. We got back to shop and then rolled back to home.
I was beat but at the same time so addicted to riding simply because everyone was so cool. It was like riding with a bunch of my best friends and I knew nobody. Everyone was helpful, understood I was new and showed me and told me where and what to do. That's just the way it was back then. I could learn a lot from those days, skills were taught, handling ,riding, etiquette. It was the way it should be now. That was my first river ride. Thank you to all that made that day one I will never forget.
One of my favorite memories of the Saturday Ride was when Scott McKinley had a crash prior to ride in a race. He lived on I think D and 24th. Anyway we were riding by his house and out he comes with his bars flipped up because of a back injury after the crash.
He still slaughtered the field.
That following Tuesday night river ride he was there and same situation, handle bars bull horned but one small problem. Halfway through the ride there was a crash. Two city guys bumped and went down.
I followed over the top and went down...McKinley was behind me and because of the skills he had was able to push through crash with no.problem.
Great times..great rides..
and.
A lot of talent back then.
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