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View Full Version : Danny Chew: The Million Mile Man


fiamme red
11-11-2008, 01:56 PM
http://urbanvelo.org/download/ (click on download PDF of Issue #10, article is on page 56)

Excerpt:

However, it is good that there are new generations of cyclists coming through Danny’s world. Danny makes it his job to show new riders cycling, and life, as he sees them. Whether it be racing, or just riding, Danny has his perception of the way cycling should be, and he will take every bit of an 8 hour bike ride to share it with you. Each and every bike ride should be an adventure, and there should be no holding back.

"You have ridden a bicycle around Pittsburgh for how many years and you have never thought to go down that road?" he will proclaim as you come upon pavement in the middle of nowhere. "Shameful! You are now shamed into riding down a new road!"

And as soon as you turn onto the road, he will proclaim "NEW ROAD!" with gumption.

In his mind, Danny has a database of roads and places. It is more than an atlas, it is more than a GPS. He knows everything that is within a 150-mile radius of Pittsburgh, and contains information that Garmin could not conjure up if they had to.

"There is a spring on the right hand side about a mile up where we can fill our bottles," or "On very, very detailed maps, this town is called Gastonville." It turns out that Gastonville is a church and a graveyard. He will memorize the roads that others have and haven’t been on, and will guide rides as such, tallying up the mileage of "NEW ROADS!" along the way and giving a total of "NEW ROADS!" at the end of the ride.

It is unbelievable to Danny that someone could ride the same roads twice before riding every single road once. As soon as every single road is ridden once, the rider then needs to expand his "radius" of roads.

"You have a 30 mile radius (60 mile round trip rides), that you have muddied like a dog on a leash! Your 30 mile leash is holding you back from beautiful new roads and new rides!"

rwsaunders
11-11-2008, 07:46 PM
Check out the ride section of the Serotta Forum for the Dirty Dozen. Danny is a fixture.

goonster
11-12-2008, 12:29 PM
Check out the ride section of the Serotta Forum for the Dirty Dozen. Danny is a fixture.

He's the founder.

http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/binary/7398/19_0009_coverholdbike.jpg

goonster
11-12-2008, 12:37 PM
Not to take anything away from Danny, but his mileage really puts Freddie Hoffman's (http://blog.nj.com/iamnj/2007/06/freddie_hoffman.html#more) achievements in perspective.

Two-time solo RAAM champ Danny is on track to reach a million miles in his 80's. Freddie did it by age 37.

On the other hand, Danny's 180 mile ride without food or water is an accomplished that may not ever be surpassed.

I also did not know that Danny does not have a day job. Interesting.

dauwhe
11-12-2008, 02:39 PM
Not to take anything away from Danny, but his mileage really puts Freddie Hoffman's (http://blog.nj.com/iamnj/2007/06/freddie_hoffman.html#more) achievements in perspective.

Two-time solo RAAM champ Danny is on track to reach a million miles in his 80's. Freddie did it by age 37.

A million miles is a hundred miles a day for more than twenty-seven years, with no days off.

Dave

keevon
11-12-2008, 03:47 PM
Here's a Pittsburgh City Paper article on Dan:
http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A30212

Quite a character. I've only had the pleasure of riding with him a few times, but he's totally awesome.