What's your role on campus?
Associate Professor of Political Science
How long have you been riding a bike?
I rode an older-than-me Schwinn Collegiate cruiser to class when I was an undergraduate at Arizona State University in the mid-2000s because it was easier, faster, and cheaper than driving to campus. When I started graduate school in Boulder, Colorado, I quickly realized that needed a bike that could handle hills, so I bought a hybrid Giant Liv. I enjoyed riding to campus so much that I started taking recreational rides. Eventually, I realized I was on the wrong bike for what I wanted to do, and some experienced friends graciously helped me find my first road bike on Craiglist (an Orbea Onix that I still ride!). Within three months, I was training with the CU Boulder cycling time and ended up racing my bike throughout the final years of my Ph.D. I went from getting dropped and lapped during my first crit to winning my (beginner) category in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference in one year – I learned so much and am forever grateful to the team for taking this newcomer in! Although I couldn't keep up the same level of training in the following years as I moved into a faculty position, I have continued racing road, cyclocross, and gravel bikes, now for the Velo Reno cycling team.
What's the most fun you've ever had on a bike?
I'm not sure if I can pick a most fun moment, but I do enjoy riding off-road more these days. Singlespeed cyclocross is my favorite discipline to race. I also love "adventure" riding, which (for me) often looks like riding one of my 'cross bikes on trails and singletrack, especially on Peavine. Finally, I love any ride where I can introduce new folks to cycling. I'm on the leadership team for the , an organization that works to expand gender and racial equity in cycling; I enjoy leading all sorts of rides for that group and getting new folks excited about bikes!
What's great about bike commuting to the ΒιΆΉΣ³»?
Commuting by bike makes it easy and quick to get wherever I need to go on campus – which is priceless for a busy faculty member.
We want to hear your bike story! Share with us and you could be featured as one of our Wolves on Wheels cyclists!
