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The Day I Rode with Robin Williams (Sort Of)

I once rode in the Ride for the Roses in Austin, Texas, on October 26, 2003. I’ll never forget what a gorgeous day it was the day before the ride when I picked up my registration materials. The sun was shining, the air was calm, and it felt like perfect cycling weather. But the next morning told a different story.

It was cold, windy, and overcast. The ride was supposed to start at 8:00 AM, but we all stood shivering in our gear, waiting. Why? Because Lance Armstrong was the special guest, and the crowd wasn’t moving until he showed up. This was a Livestrong event, and at the time, Lance was the greatest cyclist in the world. He had won his 5th straight Tour de France that year. People were excited to see him — but not so excited about waiting in the cold.

Finally, about 30 minutes late, Armstrong arrived and the ride began. A full 100 miles lay ahead, and the weather was already miserable. Around 20 miles in, I was pedaling straight into a rain-soaked headwind, cold and absolutely discouraged. That’s when another rider came up beside me.

I turned to him and said, “This isn’t too fun, is it?”

He didn’t laugh. He just looked down, avoiding the rain being driven straight into our faces, and said quietly, “There’s nothing funny about this.” Then he stood on the pedals and pulled away, disappearing into the distance.

That’s when I realized who it was: Robin Williams.

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He was Lance Armstrong’s good friend and a well-known supporter of Livestrong. I had just made a crack to one of the funniest men in the world — and he couldn’t even muster a joke because the weather was that bad.

I never saw him again that day, and I still wonder if he finished. A lot of people didn’t. The rain turned into a torrential downpour. Roads flooded. Riders gave up. But I kept going. I finished the ride, wet, cold, exhausted — but proud.

And now, every time someone asks if I ever met a celebrity, I can say, “Well, I rode with Robin Williams… sort of.”

🚴‍♂️ Still pedaling,
The Old Guy Bicycle Blog

Read my story from the very same ride. It's how I beat Lance Armstrong

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