For Pete's Sake Bike Racing at Age 68

Pete decided to end a lifetime of being a coach potato at age 60. He weighed 250 pounds. He started running in sprints, blasting out of the starting blocks and pounding his way down the asphalt to the finish. In a few years, his knees gave out. He and his doctor agreed he needed to keep going, but seniors jazzercise in the pool wasn’t Pete’s Plan.

He took a cycle racing and joined the Lowcountry VW team as the area’s oldest master racer. He found the team to be friendly and the flat landscape of the Lowcountry to be a great place to cycle. Pete’s now 68. He’s one of only about 50 men his age racing in the United States. A third of that number can be found in California.

Pete competes against Masters racers twenty years younger than himself. He specializes in races on a 330 meter track, often indoors. These short races often run only 300 meters from a standing start or a 5 k. While the rougher, longer road races aren’t his specialty, Pete still comes out to compete and support the team.

Pete’s biggest problem at races is that because he old and comfortable on a racing cycle, everyone think’s he already knows it all about raod racing. People didn’t used to step up to help him with advice and assistance with equipment. Now they’ve learned and Pete enjoys help and assistance from the entire team.

Pete races a Merlin titanium road bike in races like the one at I’On and his track bike is a Felt Aluminum. He doesn’t believe graphite is worth the extra money. He says the equipment that’s critical are good wheels and the willingness to work and train. "Going out and working at is is much more important than the type of bike you have."

Fellow team members appreciate what Pete brings to the team. Brian Hackthorn, Captain of the team says Pete helps out with all aspects of the team, helping line up sponsors and working with the public. “Pete’s done a good job this year, we’re real proud of him.”

At Pete’s age a little more care taking the corners is called for and he has to pace himself. He doesn’t participate in every race, working the sidelines supporting his teammates and being a goodwill ambassador for cycle racing some of the time.

However behind Pete's modest and self depreciating demeanor is a very serious and capable competitor on the short track race circuit.

Pete Floyd is actually one of the best in the world as a track racer, and competes around the globe. In the 2006 Masters World Tracks in Manchester Great Britain, he was the top American in the 65-69 time trial, finishing 7th overall in a time of 41.241...in the world! He spends lot of time in the gym and does Linear Leg Presses at 1600 pounds for an hour. He's recovering from a crash and and injury, but is already back in training with the goal of competing and winning the Senior World Games in Australia in 2009. A year later, if he can keep racing, he could be the best in the world in his age category.

Pete won’t decide until Saturday if he’ll race at I’On. He may save himself for the SC Championships the following day at Hampton Park as he did in 2007. He’ll be with the team though, helping keep things organized and moving, encouraging men a third of his age as the start, compete and finish at I’On.

Sometimes you see Pete working the intersection at turn four, “Amen Corner” near Holy Ascension church. He may be making sure traffic, pedestrians and racers can take turns sharing that critical corner. He’s one of the team’s hardest working volunteers when he’s not in the saddle.

If you see Pete, even off a bicycle, you may have to keep moving around to talk to him. You see, Pete doesn’t know when to quit.