Articles
Cancer Survivors, CBC Friends Take to the Wheels
Note: This article first appeared in the December 2006 edition of Cascade Courier, published by the Cascade Bicycle Club.
By Bill Thorness
Most cyclists know Lance Armstrong’s story, and how cycling served as an inspirational goal in his battle against cancer. But you might not realize that such a scenario is being repeated regularly on the trails, and could be the story of the person you just passed on your daily ride.
Now a group of cancer survivors and their friends are sharing their enthusiasm of health through biking in a new Cascade group called C.C. Riders. The two Cs stand for “Cancer Change,” but that’s about as much as you might hear about cancer on one of their rides, unless you bring it up.
“I don’t think about being a survivor,” says Page Temple, one of the group’s welcoming ride leaders. “I just want to have a life that’s full and balanced.”
The group was sparked last winter at the Bike Expo, when member Richard Speare was walking through the exhibits, looking for a ride for people with cancer. “I thought it would be nice to ride with people who were going through what I was going through,” says Speare, who’s battling colon cancer. He didn’t find such a group, so he contacted Cascade about starting one.
“My goal was to let people know about it who might not be real avid bike riders or members of the club, but who might need this activity to feel better.”
Working with ride leaders Temple, who had one lung removed due to cancer 26 years ago, and Bernice Tannenbaum, who’s in the “supporter” category, they started monthly rides of moderate length, speed and difficulty. The rides each attract about 10 participants, a mix of cancer survivors, supporters and people who simply like the ride profile.
“One man was on his bike for the first time in 30 years,” says Temple. “One woman had just started cycling and needed our encouragement and camaraderie. Another came with her husband, because this was exactly the speed and distance she felt comfortable doing.”
Regardless of why people join the rides, most have had some connection to the difficult disease, says Tannenbaum. “There isn’t anyone who hasn’t had a friend or relative touched by this.”
Cyclists who have battled cancer cite experiences in a range between Temple and Speare. Ken Gross said cycling was exercise recommended by his doctor after his bout with colon cancer four years ago, even though he couldn’t do it right away. Diane Prigge went through treatment for skin cancer one year ago, and the relaxed nature of the rides appealed as well as the fact that “I thought, these are kinfolk.”
And while you might not hear cancer talk while in the saddle, Speare did want to share a message with cycling comrades. “If I had got the screening they say you should when I was 50, I wouldn’t be going through what I’m going through,” he says. “I had signs and symptoms, but like a lot of people, I didn’t want to go to the doctor.”
C.C. Riders outings may be bound together with the shared goals of enjoying some fresh air and health-boosting exercise, but that could be said about many club rides. The unspoken bond is the desire to return to a normal, happy life.
“A lot of people like us are getting through it and moving on,” says Gross.
“When I’m feeling bad, even when I feel like I can’t ride,” says Speare. “if I get on the bike and pedal, after a few minutes I can feel my mouth turning up into a smile.”
Join the C.C. Riders
The group plans to ride every second Saturday. Length is around 20 miles on a relatively flat route, with a moderate pace of 12-14 mph. Rides will be listed in Cascade Courier when possible, or on Cascade’s web site.
Get Involved
One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. Join the fight against cancer through the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) or the Lance Armstrong Foundation (www.livestrong.org).
Bill Thorness is a Seattle freelance writer and author of the forthcoming book “Biking Puget Sound: 50 Rides from Olympia to the San Juans” (Mountaineers Books, March 2007). He can be reached at bill@bikingpugetsound.com.
