The person who got me into this whole wide world of cycling was killed yesterday, struck by a garbage truck while riding in the bike lane of Interstate. I met Brett when I worked at Art Media, he was the first bike racer I had ever met. I rode my trek to work every day, but didn’t know anything about bike clubs or racing. At the time he rode for Veloshop, and he had such a passion for it; he had passion for everything. He built canvases as well as working at Art Media (which he eventually quit to do full time, then later worked for the Bike Gallery). He was so friendly, so warm, his smile would light up a room. On the crappiest day he would instantly make everything better with his quick laugh and bright mood.
I lived on SE Hawthorne at the time, so one day we rode up together, and he raced Mt Tabor; I went up and watched him race, it was the first time I ever watched bike racing. I was intimidated but curious about it. Whenever biking came up in a conversation I always mentioned that I knew a real bike racer. By the time I joined Portland Velo and took cycling up more seriously, neither of us worked there anymore, but I still thought of running into him, and I would be so proud to say that I too, had become a bike racer. I saw him occasionally at Short Track and I texted him now again for various reasons, but for some reason he always stuck in my mind, like someone I could say “Look! See!? I can do it too!” When I thought of bike racing, he always stuck in my mind first.
I am overwhelmed by the loss of such an amazing person, and I know that there are many, many people grieving for him today. My love and support goes out to his famiy and his girlfriend. He will be sorely missed.
