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He's never won a race, never had a cycling shoe named after him and won't ever make the cover of Sports Illustrated. He's not backed by a cycling company and no logos emblazon the front of his cycling shirt, but Michael Tillman is a true titan of cycling. This 57-year-old restaurant manager rides for the sheer joy of riding, to keep himself in shape and perhaps, not in small measure, to enjoy the peace and solitude of riding before going home to six of his 10 children.

Mike didn't begin riding until his early 50s, discovering the sport through a friend. A natural competitor, Mike appreciates that cycling lets him compete against himself every ride that he takes. He strives to go further or faster every time he goes out and keeps records of his stats to see what he has accomplished.

From his first five mile ride, when he went home limping and wondering what he had gotten himself into, Mike worked until he was able to complete a 100-mile ride on a day when the temperature was over 100 degrees. As his distances improved, so did his physical fitness. In less than a year of cycling and watching his diet, Mike lost more than 60 pounds. The plantar fasciitis that had required multiple injections in his heels slowly improved until it was completely gone.

Between working 12-14 hours a day, and being a husband and father, finding the time to ride is one of his biggest challenges. He rarely has the luxury of a well-planned, five or six hour ride, but has to be satisfied with stealing away for two or three hours whenever he can. Mike and his wife, Cheri, have worked to plan family outings and even vacations around riding events. Mike may not post the fastest time in any event, but he always has the biggest crowd cheering him at the finish line with shouts of, "yay, Dad" and "go Dad!" filling the air.

While the more famous titans of cycling travel with trainers, agents, doctors and complete trucks full of replacement bikes and repair equipment, Mike travels with a bike, a packed minivan and a pop-up camper. His entire emergency repair kit can be found in a small zippered saddle bag strapped under his bike seat. If he has a flat tire, he pulls over and fixes it himself. He has never been toppled by adoring fans crowding too close, but has crashed into a fence in order to avoid hitting a stray dog.

No fame, definitely no fortune, but Mike Tillman represents what the sport of cycling is all about freedom, fitness and physical challenge.

Learn more about this author, Cheri Tillman.
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