The oldest man to ever ride the RAMROD, still cycling around Bremerton
Does former Bremerton High School teacher and coach Bob Becker ever slow down? The answer is no. After 85 years on this Earth, Becker continues to be a bicyclist doing things a person his age seldom, if ever, does.
Becker, who coached West Bremerton gymnastics to a state title last year the state held competition in the sport (1983), competed in the 152-mile RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day) on July 27 for the 13th time in 18 years the event has been held.
The ride is limited to 800 bikers each year and a lottery is held because so many submit entry (1,200 this year). There is about 10,000 feet of climb – the highest are Backbone Ridge, Cayuse Pass and Inspiration Point – and eBikes are not allowed.
RAMROD is a tough ride, for sure, and very suited for a guy like Becker, who is tough as nails. You have to be in good shape, have a big bucket of guts, and a passion to endure the pain and exhausting discomfort and keep on going anyway.
Biker buddy Norm Brones of Vaughn accompanied Becker in the RAMROD (his fifth) and acted as Becker’s domestique, an European term used by cyclist in Tour de France and other big races. The domestique's duty is to help their team leaders by setting the pace or creating a slipstream for them.
“I provide mental support and dialog to kind of encourage,” said Brones, who is 75, almost exactly 10 years younger than Becker. ”I might say, ‘This looks like a nice spot to shade’ and we should pull over.”
What is left unsaid is if not for Brones’ suggestions Becker might keep on going.
Numbers are assigned to riders based on age. Becker rode with No. 1 and officially is the oldest to ever do the RAMROD from start to finish.
Becker, who now owns an eBike, says that he is retiring from the RAMROD. It won’t stop him from doing weekly rides with a group of buddies that number on any ride from four to eight or nine and sometimes as many as 20, including Brones, who is retired from Bremerton’s Parametrix.
The group meets at Waterfront Park in Silverdale Tuesday and Thursday and, depending on weather and group decision, take off and ride for 30 to 100 miles, steering clear of the occasional deer.
The story on how Brones met Becker is itched into lore. Brones and David Brumsickle, who owned Silverdale Cycling until closing it in 2020, were riding near Gold Mountain in 2015 when they spotted a guy riding about 50 yards ahead of them.
“We had to catch him,” says Brones, "and that was a lot of work. He was less than 50 yards ahead of us, but Bob has always been strong. There is a decent climb there and it was tough to catch up.”
But catch up they did and a friendship quickly developed.
Becker has a storied personal history. He graduated from Tigard High School in Oregon, where he played football and ran track and field. He went to Oregon Tech for two years and then went to work for Boeing in Seattle. After three and half years he left to collect masters in PE from the University of Washington.
He came to Bremerton in 1965 to teach and coach at West Bremerton, and stayed until retiring in 1997. He immediately took over the gymnastics program from Field Ryan and turned it into a state power even though he knew little about the sport. That says a lot about Becker, whose dedication is top drawer whether it was teaching or coaching football, cross country, track and field and, of course, gymnastics. Kids loved him. He often ran with his cross country teams in practices. (You expected anything else?)
His coaching, teaching and running and biking all contributed to Becker being inducted into the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Becker’s athletic genes were passed on to son Michael, who won the horizontal bar state championship in 1983 and is a Bremerton dentist.
Running preceded Becker's interest in biking. It was in 1997 he injured his ankle and that moved him to the bike, a hobby that has cemented his relationship with the community.
“He knows half of (the people in) Bremerton,” says Brones. “I think he’s had them all in school at one time or another.”
His involvement was spurred on when he married Janice Marie Swenson in 1958. Among other things, she became in instructor at Olympic College, was active in the Bremerton Sons of Norway and made many trips with her children Michael and Sue, plus grandchildren.
She and Bob became a team, a very good one. That ended in 2021 when she passed. They had 63 wonderful years together.
What made Becker so active?
“I really enjoy exercise,” he says. “I’m trying to stay healthy.”
Teaching PE was one way to stay healthy. He could do all endeavors that gave him the exercise he loved. If that wasn’t enough in the early days he climbed mountains.
Becker took Kent Heathershaw’s mountaineering classes at Olympic College and climbed in the Olympics for years. He became a rope leader on many climbing trips, some in Canada. When Heathershaw, who is 92 and living in Tacoma, retired, Becker retired from climbing.
The bike rides continued, pedaling all around Kitsap County and some into Mason County. The RAMROD is the highlight of his biking. It is not about racing to see how fast you can do it. It’s about the challenge of doing it and finishing it.
“Best time I have had is about 10 hours,” Becker says. “It took me a little longer this year.”
Why?
“Because I’m old,” Becker says, adding a familiar laugh. ”Let’s face it, all the riders are younger than me. They ride it just about half the time I do.”
He wasn’t last. That makes him feel good. Others staggered in after he did.
“You go up and down all the time,” Becker adds. ”You go up to 1,000 feet at Packwood, but the steady climb is Cayuse Pass at 4,675 feet.
A couple of other trips he has biked are Mount St Helens (8,363 feet) and seven times the Seattle-to-Portland. On October 9, Becker will ride 86 miles to celebrate his 86th birthday.
Again we ask, why does Becker push himself, often to his physical limits?
Brones has an answer.
“This is what Bob has been doing his whole life,” Brones says. “It's part knowing what your body can do. It’s part of what your body will do more than what your mind thinks it can. I did a lot of mountain climbing when I was younger. So did Bob. Those climbs allow you to push the limits physically. It’s also a mental game and you can do more than you think you can.
“Bob is a really good athlete. He’s been a coach his whole life and in his age group he is absolutely phenomenal.”
Does former Bremerton High School teacher/coach, Bob Becker, ever slow down? The answer is no. After 85 years on this Earth, Becker continues to be a bike rider who has done things a man his age seldom, if ever, does.
Becker, who coached West Bremerton gymnastics to a state title last year the state held competition in the sport (1983), competed in the 152-mile RAMROD (Ride Around Mount Rainier in One Day) on July 27 for the 13th time in 18 years the event has been held.
The ride is limited to 800 bikers each year and a lottery is held because so many submit entry (1200 this year), There is about 10,000 feet of climb‑ the highest are Backbone Ridge, Cayuse Pass and Inspiration Point – and eBikes are not allowed.
RAMROD is a tough ride, for sure, and very suited for a guy like Becker, who is tough as nails. You have to be in good shape, have a big bucket of guts, and a passion to endure the pain and exhausting discomfort and keep on going anyway.
Biker buddy Norm Brones of Vaughn accompanied Becker in the RAMROD (It was his fifth) and acted as Becker’s domestique, an European term used by cyclist in Tour de France and other big races whose duty is to help their team leaders by setting the pace or creating a slipstream for them.
“I provide mental support and dialog to kind of encourage,” said Brones, who is 75 almost exactly 10 years younger than Becker. ”I might say, ‘this looks like a nice spot to shade’ and we should pull over.”
What is left unsaid is if not for Brones’ suggestions Becker might keep on going.
Numbers are assigned to riders based on age. Becker rode with No. 1 and officially is the oldest to ever do the RAMROD from start to finish.
Becker, who now owns an eBike, says that he is retiring from the RAMROD. It won’t stop him from doing weekly rides with a group of buddies that number on any ride from four to eight or nine and sometimes as many as 20, including Brones, who is retired from Bremerton’s Parametrix.
The group meets at Waterfront Park in Silverdale Tuesday and Thursday and depending on weather and group decision take off and ride for 30 to 100 miles, steering clear of the occasional deer.
The story on how Brones met Becker is itched into lore. Brones and David Brumsickle, who owned Silverdale Cycling until closing it in 2020, were riding near Gold Mountain in 2015 when they spotted a guy riding about 50 yards ahead of them.
“We had to catch him,” says Brones,” and that was a lot of work. He was less than 50 yards ahead of us, but Bob has always been strong. There is a decent climb there and it was tough to catch up.”
But catch up they did and a friendship quickly developed.
Becker has a storied life story. He graduated from Tigard High School in Oregon where he played football and ran in the track and field program. He went to Oregon Tech for two years and then went to work for Boeing in Seattle. After three and half years he left to collect masters in PE from the University of Washington.
He came to Bremerton in 1965 to teach and coach at West Bremerton and stayed until retiring in 1997. He immediately took over the gymnastics program from Field Ryan and turned it into a state power even though he knew little about the sport. That says a lot about Becker, whose dedication is top drawer whether it was teaching or coaching football, cross country, track and field and, of course, gymnastics, and kids loved him. He often ran with his cross country teams in practices (you expected something else?).
His coaching, teaching and running and biking all contributed to Becker being inducted into the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.
Becker’s athletic genes were passed on to son Michael, who won the horizontal bar state championship in 1983 and is a Bremerton dentist (Dentistry for Children).
Running for Becker preceded his biking. It was in 1997 he injured his ankle and that moved him to the bike, which has cemented his relationship with the community.
“He knows half of (the people in) Bremerton,” says Brones. “I think he’s had them all in school at one time or another.”
His involvement surged when he married Janice Marie Swenson in 1958. Among other things, she became in instructor at Olympic College, was active in the Bremerton Sons of Norway and made many worldly trips with her children Michael and Sue, plus grandchildren.
She and Bob became a team, a very good one. That ended in 2021 when she passed. They had 63 wonderful years together.
What made Becker run and now bike?
“I really enjoy exercise,” he says. “I’m trying to stay healthy.”
Teaching PE was one way to stay healthy. He could do all endeavors that gave him the exercise he loved. If that wasn’t enough in the early days he climbed mountains.
Becker took Kent Heathershaw’s mountaineering classes at Olympic College and climbed in the Olympics for years. He became a rope leader on many climbing trips, some in Canada. When Heathershaw, who is 92 and living in Tacoma, retired, Becker retired from climbing.
The bike rides continued, pedaling all around Kitsap County and some into Mason County. The RAMROD is the highlight of his biking. It is not about racing to see how fast you can do it. It’s about the challenge of doing it and finishing it.
“Best time I have had is about 10 hours,” Becker says. “It took me a little longer this year.”
Why?
“Because I’m old,” Becker says, adding a familiar laugh. ”Let’s face it, all the riders are younger than me. They ride it just about half the time I do.”
He wasn’t last. That makes him feel good. Others staggered in after he did.
“You go up and down all the time,” Becker adds. ”You go up to 1,000 feet at Packwood, but the steady climb is Cayuse Pass at 4,675 feet.
A couple of other trips he has biked are Mount St Helens (8,363 feet) and seven times the Seattle-to-Portland. On October 9, Becker will ride 86 miles to celebrate his 86th birthday.
Again, we ask, why does Becker push himself, often to his physical limits?
Brones has an answer.
“This is what Bob has been doing his whole life,” Brones says. “It's part knowing what your body can do. It’s part of what your body will do more than what your mind thinks it can. I did a lot of mountain climbing when I was younger. So did Bob. Those climbs allow you to push the limits physically. It’s also a mental game and you can do more than you think you can.
“Bob is a really good athlete. He’s been a coach his whole life and in his age group he is absolutely phenomenal.”
Terry Mosher is a longtime Kitsap sportswriter and writes a regular feature on sports personalities and history for the Kitsap Sun. Contact him at bigmosher@msn.com.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bob Becker of Bremerton cycling around Mt. Rainier, and won't quit
