Rick Swaglerin150 words about a rideThe tantalizing tease of a red lightBirmingham’s Tuesday Night Worlds ride is like an instant-read fitness thermometer: You know almost immediately whether you’ve got it that…Jul 1, 2020Jul 1, 2020
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a rideMaking good on the goal Frankie Andreu set for meAbout 35 of us lined up to race on Sunday morning in College Park, a neighborhood of historic homes near the Atlanta airport. It was the…May 10, 2019May 10, 2019
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a rideSometimes when it seems most unlikely, success is automaticSeeing a dream come to life is pretty rare. Seeing it cause someone else’s dream to bloom is even rarer. And even better.Mar 19, 2019Mar 19, 2019
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a rideFinding the limits of technology in a place called Tate’s HellTechnology can create the illusion of perfect knowledge. Last month I was planning a ride in Tate’s Hell State Forest in Florida (the…Sep 16, 20181Sep 16, 20181
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a rideA bead of courage for someone I don’t knowI don’t know anything about you except that you are a fighter. And that you are in a fight. A friend of mine, the mother of another fighter…Jul 22, 2018Jul 22, 2018
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a rideThe secret to happiness as a mediocre cyclistI’m a perpetual Cat 4: one step above a beginner but, at 56, lacking the time and physical ability to move up to a higher level. So short…Jul 8, 2018Jul 8, 2018
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a ride40km and how patience ends in goldEarly in the Alabama Senior Olympics road race the voice behind me said, “Hey guys: we’re it.” I looked back down the half-mile flat and…Apr 21, 2018Apr 21, 2018
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a ride100 miles for my motherI rode for my mother today, supporting the Deep South Cancer Foundation and UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her name was on a blackboard…Mar 24, 2018Mar 24, 2018
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a ride80 miles and the training you can’t measureA rare February day in the 60s and I planned to ride 80; it would be the longest since September and the first hard ride since December and…Feb 24, 2018Feb 24, 2018
Rick Swaglerin150 words about a ride7,000 miles and the repeatability of digitsI rode today determined to get exactly 53 miles, bringing my total for 2017 to 7,000. It’s a nice round number in a sport where numbers can…Dec 27, 2017Dec 27, 2017