Can you explain briefly who you are and what brought you to Jackson?
Yeah, hi. I’m Don Ruzika. I moved to Jackson in 1991 and have been road biking and mountain biking ever since. I moved here for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, which offers great skiing, mountain biking, and great powder, and I’ve stayed ever since.
Tell me more about your recent ride from Jackson to Red Lodge.
Yes, it was a 233-mile day, with 15,000 feet of climbing through Yellowstone National Park and over Bear Tooth Pass.
How much training led to this endeavor?
About 15 rides prior, starting at about 88 miles at the very beginning of the season and graduating up to the 233, more of the training was coming from my decades of many double century rides and century rides leading up to this. So, I have quite a bit of muscle memory. I don’t have to ride that much to train up for this.
And what inspired you to take on this ride?
As I’ve been getting older, I’ve been achieving a longer range. Plus, I had heard that Kit DesLauriers went for the same ride about 13 years ago or something. She was the one who rode it first and had a very similar route.
What was the most challenging part about this ride?
The hardest part was getting over Beartooth Pass with 200 miles in my legs in a thunderstorm, almost getting struck right on top of Beartooth Pass by a bolt of lightning that hit the road. That was the hardest part, for sure.
What made you keep going after lightning hit the road?
After Beartooth Pass, it is nearly all downhill, and I had a wicked 30mph tailwind. At one point, I did get into my wife’s car to change clothes.
Do you have another double-century planned in the future?
No, not yet. I’ve been thinking about riding up to Bozeman in a day. I don’t know, something fun, though. It has to be fun; otherwise, it’s not worth doing.
And what bike were you riding for this?
I was riding a Specialized S-Works Tarmac, SL, seven, not the current one, but the previous model.
And how did it hold up?
It’s great. It’s my dream bike. I love my bike.
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