I think the first time the Bear rode with Rebeccah Bieri (RB) we were in the Valley doing an East Side Loop. After a bit he rode up next to me and said something like, “what’s with the attacking?” I said, “yeah, I know, but she doesn’t think she attacks.” This brought a big belly-laugh from Scott and some muttering under his breath as he buckled down to bridge up…

Fast-forward a couple years to last April and after RB comes home from riding with Reny she says, “I’m racing Kings Valley this weekend too!” I almost fell over as I cautiously inquired about her revelation. You see, even though Rebeccah rides her bikes daily she was always disinterested in racing. Seems Reny up-and-told-her to go get some of her own war stories if she was tired of hearin’ about everyone else’s.

At King’s Valley Rebeccah got into an Etna/DeSalvo kit for her 1st race. She shortly found out about racing’s ruthless, unforgiving nature when she found herself square-in-the-middle of a pile-up, landing directly on her… well, you know. After chasing and not getting back to an unsympathetic peloton she soldiered on to finish. I thought that would be it for Rebeccah’s foray into racing, but she was ready to go at Table Rock the next weekend and has been flying the colors since.

Rebeccah took a yearlong contract in Anchorage, AK, but that did not stop her from being one of the most prolific, if not the most under the radar active team member this year. After arriving in Anchorage, she quickly started building an extensive palmares that includes a couple of ultra-distance races, a women’s series, the Tour of Anchorage Stage Race, mountain bike races and a cyclocross series.

In the ToA stage race, the last stage was a technical crit/circuit race held in bad weather. Anyone who has ridden with Rebeccah will understand she probably scared-the-hell out of a few girls as she won both primes and the downhill sprint in the rain, winning the stage and finishing 3rd overall GC. Besides racing she has also been getting out in the more remote areas with locals and riding a lot by herself while having close encounters with a bear, but more often Moose--9 one night with a big ol’ Bullwinkle trottin’ down the path at her. There is also a local team courting her, but she’s been given directions that there’s no buy-out clause in her contract. :-)

Most recently, I picked Rebeccah up in SLC, Utah and we headed to Moab to compete in the 24 Hours of Moab on a 5 person coed team. We met up with our chums and not 30 minutes into the first trial lap--and right after I heard mutterings about orgasmic mountain biking bliss--Rebeccah picked up a stick and ruined the derailleur and hanger on her… yes… first ride on the new bike she had shipped to my house and I had brought with me. Bein’ the trooper that she is, she kept a reasonable attitude as we headed into Moab and found a great mechanic who custom fit a hanger to her bike. By 10 o’clock the next morning we were back in business and had a great race, and Rebeccah’s last lap was the coveted sunrise lap. More than one weary racer probably wondered who the chic was who was having so much fun so late in the race.

(all photo's by George Stransky)

An early-fall phone call probably sums it up best: I answered and Rebecccah said, “I LOVE racing my bike!” The reluctant bike racer has come-home-to-roost, taking up the spot that has been in reserve since those first rides in the Valley, all the while innocently attacking because that’s how she rolls…

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