Tour of the Dragon Race - Bhutan

[amgc36]

Just read an article on a fascinating bike race in the tiny mountain kingdom of Bhutan. I looked into Bhutan when my father, who is retired, was thinking of visiting on a photography expedition. It's apparently a very pristine country with strict controls over development and access. In any case, the ride looks to be quite amazing. From photos I have seen of less developed regions of the world, mountain roads really are only for the brave and skilled.

Here is the link:

http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/training-day/201109/craziest-bike-race-earth

[Ti Designs]

Working with Bill was a welcome change from working with just about any other local cyclist. It was all about the rider. For the first two months we didn't talk about the bike once - 'cept for the initial fitting. At one point I brought him into a group ride where he crashed. I replaced a few cables, aligned the derailleur tab and the only concern he had was when were going to ride next. As the race drew near Bill bought a cross bike - he had checked and they said 700c wheels would be fine... We did a bit of trail riding and he seemed fine with it. Had I known about the conditions on some of the passes I would have taken him on the trails on a rainy night.

There are a lot of things I see lacking in local cycling. People have lost their sense of adventure, or they only do big planned events. Bill either has a true sense of adventure or he had a great fear about what he had gotten himself into. He started out as an average recreational rider, on our last ride together before he left I realized that he's now a training partner. There are guys who race whom I don't think of as training partners because they're afraid of pushing their limits. There's something to be said for putting all other concerns aside and just riding your bike...

[BillG]

I thought you might know him!