Some may know and some may not, but our very own high school principal, Mr. Rone, is an avid and dedicated bike rider. It came as a surprise to me when I found out that he rides up to three or four times a week and has been consistently road biking for over 10 years now. I decided to interview him to find out more. 

I asked him about the type of biking he does, and why he does it. He said that he bikes on trails and gravel, traveling long distances at a time.  

“I have done multiple century bike rides (100 miles!), with some being very impactful and I have gone to some very special places to bike,” Mr. Rone said.  

He has been biking as far as Western Ireland, along with trails on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and the famous bike ride across the state of Iowa known as Ragbrai.   

Mr. Rone does not bike in competitions necessarily, but it can get competitive. He bikes with many former athletes who are naturally competitive in groups, which he says he prefers to do. He says the hardest part about biking for him is the wind. For those who have not met Mr. Rone, it is safe to say that you can’t miss him easily. With him being so tall, the wind has more area to hit him and slow him down while biking. This makes it so bikers on the trail can bike behind him, and get cover from the wind.  

Biking is not the leisurely hobby most make it out to be in the case of Mr. Rone.  

“My biking is time permitting but I can usually do 60-100 miles a week depending on the time of the year and my schedule.”  

He tries to also train for his biking by lifting weights, interval training, and hill climbing.  

Such a taxing hobby may seem unnecessary for such a busy guy, but he credits the hobby with many good things.  

He says he would “absolutely recommend it to young men,” as it can create discipline and other life skills as you turn one pedal after another.