Warren member selected once again for 23rd annual ‘Ride the Rockies’ Published March 14, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Daryl Knee 90th Space Wing Public Affairs F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- The chief of the 90th Space Wing's plans and programs office will participate in a bicycling tour June 15 through June 21 in Colorado. The 2,000 bicyclists from across the United States will gather for the 23rd annual "Ride the Rockies." "Where else can 2,000 people come together and enjoy the same thing you do?" said Bob Kodis, 90th SW. "We all have something in common: bicycling." This year's ride will take cyclists 435 miles through the Rocky Mountains from Durango to Breckinridge. The ride is not a contest, and there are rest stops every 15 miles. "I don't do this for exercise," Mr. Kodis said with a laugh. "I do it for fun. If I thought I was working out, I'd probably quit." Mr. Kodis began his cycling career with a challenge in 1985; he borrowed his daughter's mountain bike for a 40-mile trip from Sundance, Wyo., to the Devil's Tower national monument in Wyoming. After the successful journey, he decided to apply for the "Ride the Rockies" tour the next year. He has participated in the event for a total of 12 years. "I think of it in 15 mile increments," he said about how he handles the extreme distances. "I don't wake up and think, 'Hey, I've got 92 miles to do today. This is going to be a pain in the butt.' I have all day to get where I need to be. "It's not a race," he added. "It's a vacation." Air Force Space Command has put together a team of about 25 to 30 military members for the event. The team cycles at their own pace but meets before every major town they enter. Once grouped, the team rides through the town all wearing their Air Force jerseys. "We get all kinds of questions," Mr. Kodis said. "'Are you in the Air Force? Should my son join?' We use this race as a recruiting tool." Mr. Kodis suggests bicycling to anyone who wants a challenge. "After the tour, I always ask myself, 'Why do I do this? I'm not coming back,'" he said. "Yet here I am again."