That ‘fire’ within drives Andy James to return to El Tour to give it one more ride at age 77

Andy James is returning to El Tour for the first time in eight years. He can’t wait.

By then, he’ll be 77 years old – and fit as a fiddle – although the man already looks it, feels it.

The long-time cyclist – at least since he was in his early 50s – started late in life when a group of friends were riding and he decided, “I’ll try it.”

So, he got an old beater, a “Monkey Wards” bike as he called it (Montgomery Wards bike) with fat tires. He took it into the shop and had them modernize it with new tires, chains and the rest.

“I put 1,000 miles on it and thought, ‘I like this,’” he said.

He later got his first “real bike” an aluminum bike that he really didn’t like.

“I didn’t care for it because it seemed so rigid,” he said.

He studied and decided he’d go with a different bike and found a Bianchi.

“I’ve had it since 2001,” he said.

Thousands of miles later, he’s riding it – and now getting ready for what’s ahead on Nov. 22.

He’s getting ready. He goes to the YMCA for cardio work, an aerobic class and a spin class.

“That spin class is killer,” he said. “I put out more in that class than when I’m out on the road by myself.”

Because of his age, he said, he doesn’t go out as “hard or as fast as he used to.”

He’ll ride the 62-mile event in November, after riding in the 62-miler and 102-miler in previous rides.

He recalled his time in his first El Tour, thinking: “I was hooked, loved it.”

So, he’s done six or seven of the events in that time.

Again, he’s back for another.

“About 2016, 2017, I decided to do El Tour, thinking I wanted to before I got so old that I couldn’t do it anymore,” he said. “I thought, ‘I could do it, I’m retired.’  I got on the bike and was dedicated.”

Why now?

“I just feel I can do it,” he said. “It’s that thing inside you (that motivates you). I’m not sure how to explain it, but it’s that fire. Sometimes it dwindles down a bit but then sometimes it goes back up. There’s that hunger. I feel I’m in good enough shape to do that metric century without any problem.”

Of course, he said, it’ll be a ride and not a race. To him – and many – there is a distinction.

“A ride to me is being able to complete the course,” he said. “I want to go out and not be concerned with going crazy for the first 20 miles and then burn out and bonk.”

Time is not a concern.

“Riding for me is just being out there and if you come along someone you can chit chat and you can casually have a good time,” he said. “You can stop and get what they are serving. There’s no rush to get to the end.”