Member Mirror: Daniel Payne -Portland Bicycling Club

Member Mirror: Daniel Payne

When did you begin biking and why? When did you join Portland Bicycling Club and why?

I grew up in Minnesota and my two older siblings had bikes, so I started out probably at age 4-5. Our neighborhood had lots of kids, and we enjoyed biking to the store, local parks and just for fun. I joined PBC in 2016 because I had been riding in the Tualatin Westside rides to keep in shape.

How many miles do you typically ride in a year? Club or independent rides?

I’m on track to reach 12,000 miles in 2019, and my ride days are Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. Saturday is my Century ride and I cycle to a club out in Hillsboro for part of it, Monday is a 40 mile recovery ride with buddies in Wilsonville, Tuesday night with PBC is my highest effort group ride at 40 miles, and Thursday is a recovery ride of 40 miles either solo or with Wilsonville cyclists.

Specialized Tarmac SL4:  SOLD!

You must have a favorite bike in your stable. What bike is it, and how many others do you have?

My favorite bike is a Cervelo R3, blinged out with SRAM eTap wireless shifting, Quarq power meter and Zipp 404 wheels. My second bike was a Specialized Tarmac SL4, also with SRAM eTap and Quarq, sold it on Sunday and am down to just one bike. I’m a minimalist.

What do you find most enjoyable about biking? Is there anything about the activity that you don’t like?

I returned to cycling about 5 years ago in order to lose weight, because I was at 205 pounds and didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. After 12 months I dropped down to 170 pounds, and I will never go back to my old, sedate lifestyle. I don’t like crashing or descending at high speed, mostly because last year I crashed and broke my collar bone, two ribs, punctured a lung, and had 60 minutes of amnesia.

In addition to cycling, are there other hobbies, interests, or pursuits you engage in?

I love listening to classical music from the 18th century and earlier, as it really soothes my soul. I read daily, love all things high-tech, attend a 12 Step group each week, go to church on Sunday, and follow God.

While we would all like to be biking full-time, unfortunately, we must work to support this and other habits. What kind of work do you currently do in your day job?

I have two jobs, web development and high-tech marketing, both freelance, so I’m kind of the boss.

What is a surprising fact about you that your fellow club members might find interesting.

I raced in the 1980 STP and got 2nd place, yes, the first two years it was an actual race, then I gave up cycling for 35 years. My second STP ride was in 2016 and I took 90 minutes off my 1980 ride time, averaging over 20 mph.

 

Peter Schmidt, Club Member