four season cycling

When I decided to write this post I didn’t know how to describe Danny Chew. The title fits. Danny is one of the best at what he does, ride a bicycle, and is an inspiration to many. Including me.

Danny was involved in a crash on his bicycle yesterday, Sunday, September 4, 2016. He was doing what he always did, another 100 mile bike ride. He became dizzy while riding, veered off into a ditch, and sustained a spinal injury. It has rendered him paralyzed from the waist down. Here’s one of the articles describing what happened and what we know up until now.

Danny has a personal website dedicated to his life’s goal of riding one million miles. Danny has spent his entire life working towards this goal. He is around 800,000 miles right now.

Danny is a two-time winner of RAAM (Race Across America) and an 8 time finisher. His best time clocked in under 9 days.

Danny is the Director and one of the creators of Pittsburgh’s Dirty Dozen Race. A race up 13 of Pittsburgh’s toughest climbs including Canton Street with a grade of 37%.

I had the pleasure of racing with Danny and doing some group training rides with him when I lived in Pittsburgh way back in 1977 and 1978. When my family  moved away from Pittsburgh in 1978 I was 15 and Danny was 16. My older brother knew Danny much better than I did and rode many miles with Danny. When I recently re-connected with Danny on-line he asked me if I was Pete’s little brother. Even back then Danny was a unique individual with his own ideas. He rode huge miles even back then. I learned a lot watching and racing with Danny and his older brother Tom Chew. Back before anyone knew who Davis Phinney was, he was 19 years old, penniless and sleeping on the Chew’s couch and racing those Thursday night races with us. Those were the days.

There is a website set-up by Danny’s nephew for donations to help cover medical costs for anything his insurance doesn’t cover.

Help send positive healing vibes to Danny. I definitely am.