I wish I could say it was solely because of the joy of riding, but it started out as an economic decision. I did not make much money and parking, gas, insurance, etc. were eating up a big chunk of my paycheck.
I first started by hauling my mountain bike to Lake Oswego and riding in from there. After a few months of riding, I got the bike bug bad and made the decision to sell my car and buy a road bike.
Around 1995 I started commuting full time from West Linn to the courthouse, which was a little over 20 miles each way with almost 1,000 feet of climbing. Pretty soon I was commuting 5 days a week and riding every weekend. I ended up moving to Portland in 1996 and my commute was only a few miles and I really missed the long miles, so a buddy suggested I start bike racing.
Pictured Above: With my first team, NW Velo. Note the guy on the right is wearing a Bike N Hike - Presto Velo kit. The guy on the left is another Presto Velo member from the early 1990's. 30 years later and I am still watching every stage of the tour.
I trained around 30 hours a week and rode many thousands of miles a year. Before long, I joined a team and started doing stage races as well as cyclocross. I ended up racing for Presto Velo for a number of years and eventually became their main cash sponsor (bicycleattorney.com/racing).
Eddy Merckx and Mario Cipollini were my heroes and I was such a geek that I named my dog Cipo.
In the fall of 2022, I was hit by a car while bike commuting and had multiple injuries. I was initially reluctant to work with a personal injury lawyer but thankfully I reached out to Michael Colbach. -->More
Slater Tai
I have now been represented by Mike for two separate cases after I had been hit by cars while I was riding my bike. His knowledge and experience was indispensable when dealing with the at fault driver's insurance companies and the PIP claims. -->More
Ian Kennedy
When I opened my doors, I started getting calls from cyclists who knew me and pretty quickly my practice evolved into a bicycle practice. I still do a number of motor vehicle cases, but the bulk of my practice is cycling cases.
The first thing I do when I wake up is to check Velo and Cyclingnews.com and see what is happening in the world of bicycle racing. I bought a house on Skyline because I wanted to ride in the hills and to be able to commute on Leif Erickson.
During the pandemic the courts were shut down so I had a lot more time to ride, so I went out and bought my dream bike (Colnago C64) and started road riding again. As much as I love gravel riding, I really enjoy riding where I don't have to get into a car to ride my bike. Getting back to my roadie roots has been a lot of fun and great way to build fitness.
When I am stressed out or having a bad day, I hop on my bike for an hour or two and it all goes away. I do my best thinking on my bike and when I am done I always feel better and I can't wait for the next ride. This is why I ride and will never stop riding.