# The Real Bike Guy


## Posts

- [Audacious? You can’t make this up!](https://therealbikeguy.com/audacious-you-cant-make-this-up/): Bill Humphreys reflects on “The Magic Carpet Ride” that has been his life. Back in 1967 when I was 23, and driving a truck over the road, before C B radio’s, movies and country western songs made the drivers into folk hero’s trucking regulations were not enforced the way they are today. I was a rookie on a 2 driver rig that just kept going down the road. One guy sleeping the other driving. Then when the #1 driver quit out on the road I kept his log book and continued to drive a 2 person schedule illegally. (I was [&hellip;]
- [Racing in Quebec back in the day](https://therealbikeguy.com/racing-in-quebec-back-in-the-day/): My dream of making this Raleigh “A” Team has become a reality and I am feeling sick to my stomach with the pressure surrounding me and the team as we ride some prep races in Montreal a few days before the actual Tour de L’Est stage race starts. I am trying not to flash back to the year before when I was just a long haired hippy riding into Quebec for the first time as part of my bicycle ride from San Diego. It is just a bit too much to believe and I am hoping that I am not [&hellip;]
- [Bicycle Bill before I became Bike Guy](https://therealbikeguy.com/bicycle-bill-before-i-became-bike-guy/): They used to call me “Bicycle Bill” in Sugarbush Valley It’s a long story that includes my bike ride across the USA into Canada at Sault St. Marie and then on to Ottawa, Montreal and up to Quebec City where I entered and finished the longest one day race in North America…..Quebec/Montreal….172 miles. I limped into Burlington VT the next day with flat spots on both rims and was taken in by the crew at The Ski Rack for a few days for some rest and rebuild. I continued on to East Hartford, CT and Old Lyme, painted the family [&hellip;]
- [This is what it has come to:](https://therealbikeguy.com/this-is-what-it-has-come-to/): I’ve had a great life, a crazy life, no regrets, came close to making the big time a few times, and I had lots of success along the way. Now I’m 72, with a great wife and a great 18 year old son, living in a house that my Dad built with his buddies back in 1948 on a lake in Connecticut. Got up this morning at 1:45am, even though my alarm was set for 2:18am. Did my back roller and my 30 push-ups, then had my coffee eggs and toast before climbing in the car and driving 35 minutes [&hellip;]
- [That Travelling Bug](https://therealbikeguy.com/that-travelling-bug/): Travelling Bug Where did this urge to “Hit the Highway” begin for me? I often joke that at age 18 I raised my hand at the dinner table and asked to be excused for the highway, but when did it really start for me? Was it those train trips to Washington D C as a second grader, with my Mom to visit her sister? Maybe the ramblings got embedded by taking the train deeper into the south for longer visits to my legendary Aunt Genies plantation in Bishopville, S. C. Could it be that the cultural shift that took place [&hellip;]
- [A Horse With No Name](https://therealbikeguy.com/a-horse-with-no-name/): “I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name” After a year and a half of riding my bike everywhere and trying to break into the racing scene in California I was totally discouraged and ready to quit racing. I still loved riding but there was no available coaching that I knew of and the local riders of the San Diego Bike Club were not about to share their secrets with the long haired hippy with hairy legs riding the wrong sized bike. I had given it a good shot starting with local time trials on my Supercourse [&hellip;]
- [Could be Chapter One?](https://therealbikeguy.com/could-be-chapter-one/): This might be: Chapter 1 Opening Page When I first heard about an upcoming reunion of my old teammates on the Raleigh Team to be held July 4th&nbsp;weekend it was mid December and I knew then that I had to lose 20 pounds before all of us old farts from yesteryear got together for some “social rides” and trips down memory lane. “Lose 20 pounds for some social rides my wife asks, you guys are all over 60 + years old who the hell cares if your not in top shape any more. You all had great careers what do [&hellip;]
- [Diary Notes from trip 72/flashforward to 73](https://therealbikeguy.com/diary-notes-from-trip-72-flashforward-to-73/): Bike Guy’s Notebook from Ride Across USA &amp; Canada Day #42 August 11, 1972 Sleep on picnic bench in Trois Rivers which is the half way point of a race I am going to ride in one day, 172 miles from Quebec City to Montreal Up at 6am on the road at 7:15am legs are better, tailwind into Quebec City, stop by newspaper, Le Soleil all French speaking, pissed I’ve forgotten mine. I have ridden for so long that now people are speaking another language. Neat town and women, meet 2 riders from Oak Park, MI go to where they [&hellip;]
- [Spent my last $/Off Season Job](https://therealbikeguy.com/spent-my-last-off-season-job-2/): Determined to stay fit this off season and get a head start on making the Pan American Games team later that summer I had managed to escape another winter as a ski bum in Vermont and got myself back out to San Diego where this whole odyssey started. It had been a tough season with mixed results for me. Having to come back from 5 months off the bike the previous winter (this is another story) had cost me a spot on the Milk Race Team and ultimately a chance to ride the Worlds Championships in Montreal. I had managed [&hellip;]
- [Meeting “Fritz”….South Africa](https://therealbikeguy.com/meeting-fritz-south-africa/): I met Fred Kuhn on that fateful day, 2 years ago when Dave Chauner the two time Olympic track rider who worked at Kopp’s gave me a ride to Princeton. “Fritz” was the grand padrone of the Century Road Club of America and owner of Kopp’s Cyclery in Princeton NJ the oldest bike shop in America. Dave had talked me out of my flight to Belgium the night before I was leaving. I had no contacts in Europe but I was all packed and ready to go with the wrong sized bike, one set of wheels some ragtag cycling gear [&hellip;]
- [From: “The Jersey Project”](https://therealbikeguy.com/from-the-jersey-project/): Most folks who bought my book, “The Jersey Project,” now out of print, (Thank you) thumbed through the pages to look at all the jerseys and remenisce. Then it was put on the coffee table. The next few posts will be the text that came with each page of jerseys, starting with the Introduction. In July of 2010, I took my son to theNetherlands to watch the GrandDepart of the Tour de France withmy Dutch friend of many years, RiniWagtmans.Rini and I had met more than 30 yearsago at the Tour de L’Avenir. I wasworking as soigneur for the first [&hellip;]
- [J P chapter 1 “The Jersey Effect”](https://therealbikeguy.com/j-p-chapter-1-the-jersey-effect/): In Europe, kids grow up puttingon local club cycling jerseys,just like kids in America grow upputting on Little League uniforms.Bicycle racing is ingrained in theEuropean culture, and it wasexpected that these youngsterswould spend time being racingclub cyclists as they passedthrough life.But for those of us Americansgrowing up in the 1960s and early’70s who had somehow discoveredthis little-known sport with theEuropean mystique, slipping intothe wool jersey with embroideredclub name immediately conjuredup a fantasy of riding againstEuropean professionals, the“giants of the road” seen only ingrainy black and white photos inEuro cycling magazines.To us, receiving our first racingjersey from the club patriarch waslike [&hellip;]
- [Club Jerseys](https://therealbikeguy.com/club-jerseys/): Around 1972, in officialrecognition of the naturallyimpoverished state of Americanbicycle racers, who were notallowed to race for cash, theAmateur Bicycle Leagueof America finally allowedcommercial sponsorship ofsanctioned regional clubs. Bicyclebrands were now encouraged tothrow in a little cash along with theequipment they ordinarily gave tovarious clubs.At first, only the club name withclub colors was allowed to be onthese jerseys. Gradually bike shopnames and other sponsors (usuallybike brands) were approvedfor club jerseys. It wasn’t longbefore club teams in Americabegan being referred to by theirsponsors’ names rather than theclub name. But the jersey neverlost its intrinsic symbolic value assomething identifying its wearer asa [&hellip;]
- [Hand to Mouth](https://therealbikeguy.com/hand-to-mouth/): New talent and unknown localswith different jerseys werealways lying in wait, on startinglines from Greensboro,N.C., toFitchburg, Mass. Cyclists whotraveled the Eastern Seaboardfrom Florida to Quebec racedwhere the strawberries werealways ripe while following therobins north.They knew what jerseys to lookout for in each town and citythey raided for prizes and cash.These road warriors would oftenpool their winnings, even if theywere on different teams, whichhelped offset the expense ofstaying on the circuit. Riderssuch as David Ware, Rudy Sroka,Steve Tilford, and Scott Dicksonhad saved money working jobsin the off-season just so theycould go wherever the racing tookthem, while trying to live off theproceeds.It [&hellip;]
- [Regional Club Sponsorships (jerseys)](https://therealbikeguy.com/regional-club-sponsorships-jerseys/): The sponsor’s name acrossthe front and back of thecycling jersey was the significantdifference between us as racingcyclists and the mainstream teamsports in this country. It gave us,a loose-knit group of individualswho didn’t always work and playwell with other kids, an identitythat would fuel our passion inthe unceasing struggle for thatEuropean connection. Moneywas never the issue. With theaddition of cash sponsorships,clubs’ access to prestigious racesaround the country became morecommonplace, resulting in a higherand faster level of competition aselite cyclists from different regionsbegan to challenge each other.This wave of regional clubsponsorship produced pressure forbetter racing results and mediaexposure from the bicycle industrysponsors. [&hellip;]
- [The Boys of Summer](https://therealbikeguy.com/the-boys-of-summer/): The Boys of Summer Friday, September 16, 2005 My son Ian and I just this minute got out of the lake. We swim every night when I get home, if he is not playing with friends. We started this ritual last fall. He would get off the school bus from kindergarten and say, “Let’s go swimming!” We would splash around for a while; Ian taking “shark rides” on my back. We were hanging onto the last bits of summer. Eventually I had to go in first and convince him that it wasn’t cold, until he waded in slowly and then [&hellip;]
- [Precious Time is Slipping Away](https://therealbikeguy.com/precious-time-is-slipping-away/): Precious Time is Slipping Away I lost two friends this week. Two friends from back in the day at my old prep school in Maine back in the 1960’s. I had not seen either one of them in over 40 years, but they were friends never the less. Guys that I figured would always be there. That I could call on at any time for a beer and some great conversations about our days a Bridgton Academy and how our lives went after that. Well that time is gone, there won’t be another chance, and I’m feeling bad about it. [&hellip;]
- [53 Years Later](https://therealbikeguy.com/53-years-later/): 53 Years later my son is at Bridgton Academy By Bill Humphreys Do the math and my classmates could’ve had their grandchildren already pass through BA by this time. So I was a late starter, let’s just leave it at that for now. I had been back to the chapel to address the student body on two occasions over the years and never thought for a moment that I would have a son attending Bridgton Academy. It wasn’t until recently that I stopped having my once a year dreams (nightmares) that I was stuck back in Bridgton study hall. I [&hellip;]
- [Typical Day Behind the Wheel](https://therealbikeguy.com/typical-day-behind-the-wheel/): Over the Road Driving A Typical Day Up at 3:30am to see snow and sleet had been coming down for a few hours while I slept at a truck stop in Eastern Ohio. I made a quick breakfast in the truck with my coffee maker and micro waved oatmeal before hitting the road towards Louisville, Kentucky. Arriving on the outskirts of Columbus, Ohio just a little ahead of commuter traffic I spotted several small accidents where cars had skidded off the highway as I headed South on the 270 By-Pass. Dark and foggy with the snow continuing I made my [&hellip;]
- [Me &amp; the Donkey My current form on the Bike](https://therealbikeguy.com/me-the-donkey-my-current-form-on-the-bike/): Me and the Donkey My current Form on the Bike I’ve been riding up the Town Woods Rd hill at the beginning of my rides for 47 years and each time up feels different. There was a time, maybe 14 years ago when I could keep it in the big ring and dance all the way up to the top by the little farm that has a couple of goats and a donkey. My pulse rate would be somewhere around 147 or so, as I sat back down in the saddle and took mental notes of just how good or [&hellip;]
- [Tour de L’ Avenir 1978](https://therealbikeguy.com/tour-de-l-avenir-1978/): Tour de L’ Avenir 1978. First Time for USA Sitting on the grassy hill overlooking the Velodrome at Kenosha Wisconsin while watching the Track national Championships Eddy B comes by to ask me if I am interested in being the Soigneur for the national team at the Tour de L’ Avenir which is starting in about 4 weeks in France. He asks if I can pay my own way over to Divonne Les Bains once there my expenses would be paid for by the race organization which is the same outfit ASO, that owns the Tour de France. I was [&hellip;]
- [April 1973 Central Park Over Slept.](https://therealbikeguy.com/april-1973-central-park-over-slept/): Overslept! Cannot believe in 2 years of getting up early for races I finally did it. Still raining out, but it stopped for awhile and I got out for 2, 1/2 hours and wrote&nbsp; 50 miles in my training diary, but there were no computers at this time, so I was over guesstimating. I felt good but the rain caught me for the last hour. I see where I have only 400 miles in my legs after a winter of cross country skiing so it is probably best that I did not get up on time to race Central Park [&hellip;]
- [Notes from Wrong Branch Saloon Christmas Eve 1974](https://therealbikeguy.com/notes-from-wrong-branch-saloon-christmas-eve-1974/): Notes from Christmas Eve 1974                 Bill Humphreys Written at Wrong Branch Saloon in Julian, California   Up at 6am in North Park, cold so I put on knee socks, leg warmers, shorts and knickers 3 short sleeve wool t-shirts a cotton jersey, one long sleeve wool jersey gloves and on the road to Julian at 7:20am. To Ramona (67) at 10am, rest and eat at Health Food Store, call Mary Anne and Bob. Leave Ramona at 10:30am 42 x 21 out of town the wind is unreal, feeling good, beautiful roads with some shelter.   Santa Isabelle at 12:15 [&hellip;]
- [Letter To Karl Barton, President Raleigh USA 1974](https://therealbikeguy.com/letter-to-karl-barton-president-raleigh-usa-1974/): Dear Karl,&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; December 10, 1974 Just thought I’d let you get to know a little more about one of Raleigh’s “A” Team riders. Enclosed is a copy of my Sponsorship Form. I must point out that 1974 was only second complete season of racing. But like my first season, it was one of total immersion. I participated in virtually every major race on the Eastern Seaboard from West Palm Beach and New Orleans to Montreal and Quebec City. It was a season in which I made many new friends, and of course came to know much more about myself. People [&hellip;]
- [Spent my last $/Off Season Job](https://therealbikeguy.com/spent-my-last-off-season-job/): Determined to stay fit this off season and get a head start on making the Pan American Games team later that summer I had managed to escape another winter as a ski bum in Vermont and got myself back out to San Diego where this whole odyssey started. It had been a tough season with mixed results for me. Having to come back from 5 months off the bike the previous winter (this is another story) had cost me a spot on the Milk Race Team and ultimately a chance to ride the Worlds Championships in Montreal. I had managed [&hellip;]
- [Once I was 7 years old](https://therealbikeguy.com/once-i-was-7-years-old/): So the song goes that I hear on the truck radio as I make my deliveries around New England &amp; New York each week. Tomorrow I will be 73 years old, and it will be a busy day starting at 2:42AM when my alarm goes off. I have my early morning routine down tight at this point. A 14 ounce glass of water, then hit the floor for my MA roller session on my back and feet followed by 35 push ups. Haven’t missed a day in over a year. Coffee but no breakfast at this hour, just the bathroom, [&hellip;]

## Pages

- [Blog](https://therealbikeguy.com/blog/): Blogs
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- [History](https://therealbikeguy.com/history/): Bill Humphreys History With a passion that runs deeper than the tire treads on the open road, Bill is more than just a “bike guy” – he’s your cycling confidant, your inspiration, and your guide to unlocking the thrilling potential of life on two wheels. Learn More In the early 1970’s Raleigh began supplying state-of-the-art racing bikes to top riders including John Howard, John Allis, and Dave Chauner, who played a critical role in ratcheting up the speed of races from 25 mph to 29 mph. In 1973 Raleigh took a bold step by inviting a four-rider Raleigh/CRCofA team, Howard, [&hellip;]
- [It Takes a Village](https://therealbikeguy.com/it-takes-a-village/): Bill Humphreys It Takes a Village With a passion that runs deeper than the tire treads on the open road, Bill is more than just a “bike guy” – he’s your cycling confidant, your inspiration, and your guide to unlocking the thrilling potential of life on two wheels. Learn More Thanks to the support of my sponsors and 50+ contributors this goal of mine to compete at the Gravel World Championships in Belgium will happen. What are the chances that some 80-year-old aging domestique from the 1970’s could gather enough sponsorship and donations to assure his presence on the starting [&hellip;]
- [Bills Quest](https://therealbikeguy.com/bills-quest/): Bill&#8217;s Quest Learn More My Quest for a Gravel World Championship
- [Hire Me To Speak](https://therealbikeguy.com/hire-me-to-speak/): Hire Me to Speak! Here is Bill introducing the Raleigh Boys Team at the recent U S Bicycling Hall of Fame, “Special Recognition,” Ceremony. Download Speaker Page (PDF) Bill Humphreys :: The Real Bike Guy https://youtu.be/63apl2CN-MA Here is Bill introducing the Raleigh Boys Team at the recent U S Bicycling Hall of Fame, “Special Recognition,” Ceremony. There’s a Native American saying, “Those who tell the stories rule the world.” As technology increasingly intertwines us, I believe that’s increasingly true. It’s our job as businesses and leaders to connect people and make sure the best, inspirational stories are told.  Bill is a [&hellip;]
- [Contact](https://therealbikeguy.com/contact/): Contact Bill Humphreys Do you have a question or perhaps you would like Bill Humphreys to speak at an upcoming event? Please feel free to get in touch via phone, email or the form below, and Bill will get back to you. Learn More Get a Free consultation
- [Testimonials](https://therealbikeguy.com/testimonials/): Meet Bill Humphreys With a passion that runs deeper than the tire treads on the openroad, Bill is more than just a “bike guy” – he’s your cycling confidant, your inspiration, and your guide to unlocking the thrilling potential of life on two wheels. Learn More Client’s Testimonials! &#8220;With a passion that runs deeper than the tire treads on the open road, Bill is more than just a “bike guy” – he’s your cycling confidant, your inspiration, and your guide to unlocking the thrilling potential of life on two wheels. ○ Customer &#8211; very well written With a passion that [&hellip;]
- [Bike Guy & Beyond](https://therealbikeguy.com/our-goals/): Meet &#8220;Bike Guy and Beyond&#8221; &#8211; Bill Humphreys Below is an excerpt from the introduction to the Memoir- more teaser stories to come… Learn More In the spring of 2008, after a 40-year break, I was back behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer. I’m sitting there at age 65 wondering, “How the hell did this happen?” It didn’t make any sense, yet here I was on my first day back, much older, but apparently none the wiser. The Bob Dylan lyrics, “Where have you been my blue-eyed son?” flooded my mind. I had to pull the rig over to the side [&hellip;]
- [Bill's Story](https://therealbikeguy.com/bills-story/): Bill&#8217;s Story With a passion that runs deeper than the tire treads on the openroad, Bill is more than just a “bike guy” – he’s your cycling confidant, your inspiration, and your guide to unlocking the thrilling potential of life on two wheels. Learn More Bill Humphreys Tagged “The Bike Guy” at a stage race in Quebec by a bunch of teammates that would go on to be the most dominate team in North America in the early 1970’s, Bill Humphreys came from total obscurity to play a key role in the success of the Century Road Club of America’s [&hellip;]
- [Home](https://therealbikeguy.com/): Meet Bill Humphreys With a passion that runs deeper than the tire treads on the open road, Bill is more than just a “bike guy” – he’s your cycling confidant, your inspiration, and your guide to unlocking the thrilling potential of life on two wheels. Learn More About The Author Unleashing the Power of Public Speaking Bill Humphreys isn’t just a cycling enthusiast; he’s also a dynamic public speaker who knows how to inspire, inform, and ignite your passion for all things biking. His presentations are not just about gears and gadgets; they’re a journey into the heart and soul [&hellip;]


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