Get to Know the Team: Darrell Pitman

Name:  Darrell Pitman

From:  Cincinnati, Ohio

How long have you been cycling:  I got my first bike as a Christmas present at 5 years old and have been riding since.  I started my biking career when I was five and made use of it when delivering newspapers during my grade school years.  Advance forward about 20 years, and the family and I would ride together while vacationing in Hilton Head Island during our annual thanksgiving vacation. The trips to and from Harbor Town and South Beach were more fun on a bike and we would stop occasionally to check out a sun bathing alligator.  One year, feeling adventurous, the kids and I decided, ok I decided, to find the Baynard Ruins.  Spoiler alert, not much to see.  I bought my first road bike about three months before joining my friends for the Ragbrai trip across Iowa, as I decided that it was time to upgrade to a multi-gear road bike. I have now done that a couple of times and look forward to RAAM. 

What is your athletic background:  I like sports.  I played a little basketball in high school. Enjoyed, before the body started to fail, basketball, tennis, running, golfing, to name a few.  I currently enjoy golf, hiking, the weekend bike ride, and going to OSU football games with my son and friends.  OH-IO!

What is your injury history:  Arthroscopic knee and rotator cuff shoulder surgeries


What was your first bike:  My first bike was a Huffy with a banana seat.  I was styling! My first and only road bike was the Fuji


What do you ride now:  I continue to cruise on the Fuji.  

What do you remember most about your first bike:  It enabled greater mobility and made paper delivery much easier in accommodating weather.  Not so good in the winter, as I never figured out how to add chains to the wheels.


What does your preparation for the race look like:  Covid has limited my ability to train over the last few months, but I enjoy and plan to resume spinning. When the weather allows, join the colleagues on weekend rides.


What do you expect to get out of the race:  I hope to take in the beauty of the land, spend some quality time with fellow team members, and raise money for the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Huntington Disease Society of America.


What section of the course are you most looking forward to: I am not so much the downhill thrill seeker like some of my fellow team members. I prefer the flat and uphill climbs, but an occasional downhill will work, especially when I need to catch my breath.  


What section of the course worries you the most:  I am questioning the night riding part of the journey.  A little like spinning, but the only view is darkness.  Let me toast to all the pothole fillers across the land, cheers!

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