This 72-Year-Old Has Been Cycling for 50 Years and Founded a Community Bike Event
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Name: Billy Starr
Age: 72
Hometown: Wellesley, Massachusetts
Occupation: Founder and executive director, Pan-Mass Challenge
Time Cycling: 50 years
Reason for Cycling Cycling not only contributes to maintaining my physical fitness, but also boosts my happiness and overall mental wellbeing.
I started riding in 1973 and was immediately attracted to the “vehicle” and that I could go farther and faster and even get lost, which was so much more attractive to me than running, which I had been doing for 10 years! Once I started to ride, I gave up running completely.
I started riding longer distances (50 to 100 miles) fairly quickly, because I was just curious about the towns and backroads around me. I raced a little in the early 80s, and I did the Mt. Washington Hillclimb in New Hampshire for 20 consecutive years from 1987 until 2006. It is considered by many the hardest hill climb in the states: 7.6 miles, more than 4,000 vertical, average 12-percent grade, 50 percent on hard dirt in some of the country’s nastiest weather. I looked forward to it, a lot at first, and then like a root canal appointment!
I was hooked and considered it an annual physical check-up on my fitness. Overtime, I witnessed too many accidents in the racing world, so I decided to focus more on solo pursuits.
My mother passed away from melanoma in June 1974 at just 49 years old. Cycling was a release as I was grieving. It was not the only sport I was doing but it was the one, along with backpacking, that allowed me more time to reflect on that experience while doing it—very different from squash, tennis, basketball, and skiing which were my other sporting passions.
The 1980s could not have been more modest. My epiphany to create the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC)—a community bike ride that raises money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute—occurred in April 1980 during a sunset ride in the Arnold Arboretum in Brookline, Massachusetts.
At that time, I had already completed three annual 120-mile rides from Newton, Massachusetts to Provincetown, Massachusetts. I felt there was something in the journey that was transferable to a cause to honor my mother, which resulted in the birth of the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC).
PMC has grown almost every year since our first ride 41 out of 44 years, which is amazing. What started as a small group of friends riding together is now a premier event that draws more than 6,500 cyclists and fundraisers from around the world.
Each year, on the first weekend of August, thousands of riders hit the roads all over the state of Massachusetts on 16 fully supported routes from 25 to 211 miles. A highlight for me is hosting our televised “Opening Ceremonies” on Friday night to officially kick off ride weekend. It’s the opportunity for us all to come together while hearing stories from PMC riders and volunteers, which fuels our inspiration for riding. On Saturday, we also do a special “Living Proof Toast” for our participating cancer survivors.
When I first began, I thought, if I could just raise one million a year, people would recognize this as a legitimate way to raise real money for a significant cause like funding cancer research. Last year, we raised 72 million. And as we approach one billion in lifetime fundraising, which we will cross this year, my original thesis has proven true.
I currently ride three to four times a week, indoors during the winter, as well as mountain biking. When I road ride, with friends or solo, it is typically 25 to 45 miles. I don’t century ride like I used to, but this August I will be riding in my 45th consecutive PMC.
I love my cycling friends. They cross over into all aspects of my life and, of course, they all ride in the PMC. Having been a varsity athlete, I am grateful that I evolved into cycling after college. It likely preserved my fitness for the better and longer term than any of the other sporting passions that filled my schedule.
Cycling is a healthy and social sport—though there is much humor attributed to the over-60 crowd maintaining a conversation in a paceline with wind.
My mother would be proud. She was a volunteer for war veterans, so she understood public service. That definitely made an impression on me. After 44 years of doing the PMC, the meaning of the weekend itself is never lost on me. It is shaped by many different experiences with different people and new conversations each year.
These three tips have made my cycling journey a success:
1. Get a professional bike fitting
A proper fit matters every turn of the crank. Take that seriously and get fitted by a professional.
2. Keep it fun
For most of us, cycling is not a race. The bike is a sophisticated transport vehicle. There is much to learn and appreciate. Enjoy the ride!
3. Mix up your rides
I’m lucky enough to have 30 different rides out of my house. If that is not an option for you, drive 15 to 30 minutes to mix up your routes. It is spiritually stimulating to ride different turf.
Billy’s Must-Have Gear
→ Gore-Tex Rain Jacket: I once got caught on a long ride in poor weather without my Gore-Tex and ended up hypothermic. I will not make that mistake again.
→ Oakley Sunglasses: I rode all my 20s without sunglasses, which was a big mistake for both safety and comfort.
→ Shimano Cycling Shoes: Investing in the right footwear makes riding far more efficient.
→ Giro Helmet: Riding without one is not an option. This one feels and fits me great.
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