[DVBC] NY Times

Tue, 1 Jun 2004 13:22:12 -0400

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WHITE HOUSE LETTER=20

Taking the High Road, the Low Road and Maybe a Boulder or Two

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

=20

WASHINGTON

When George W. Bush
<http://www.nytimes.com/top/news/washington/campaign2004/candidates/geor
gewbush/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per-pol> fell off his mountain bike and
banged up his face the week before last, the world took modest note of
the president's new hobby.

What it did not know was that over the past three months the 57-year-old
chief executive, sidelined from the fast track with runner's knee, has
become so consumed by mountain biking that he now rides at least an hour
a day on most weekends, and monitors his heart rate with a wrist strap
during workouts. (Mr. Bush reported through his press secretary, Scott
McClellan, that he sometimes gets above a chest-thumping 160 beats per
minute.)

As it happens, a certain 60-year-old Democratic presidential candidate
is a serious biker, too, although Senator John Kerry
<http://www.nytimes.com/top/news/washington/campaign2004/candidates/john
fkerry/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per-pol> more often road bikes. Mr. =
Kerry
sometimes takes his bike on his campaign plane, and during days off
takes two-hour jaunts along the Charles River in Boston.

At first glance, this is nothing more than the story of two middle-aged
jocks cycling themselves away from the advances of time. At second
glance, this is an election year, and the situation is more complex.

First, look at the candidates' choice of bikes.=20

Mr. Bush keeps a Trek Fuel 90 at his Texas ranch, the site of his tumble
on May 22. The Fuel 90, one of the snazzier of Trek's mountain bikes,
retails for more than $1,500. At Camp David, Mr. Bush also rides a Trek,
but picks it out from the fleet of more ordinary $250 models available
to guests.=20

Mr. Bush's choice of Trek is hardly surprising, given that the company
is one of the world's biggest manufacturers of quality bikes and its
president, John Burke, is a member of the President's Council on
Physical Fitness. Trek's sponsored athlete is Lance Armstrong, the
five-time Tour de France winner from Austin, Tex., who presented his
friend the president with a Trek bike at the White House in 2001.

It was difficult to determine if Mr. Burke is a Republican, since he
declined repeated requests for an interview. But it could be determined
that Ben Serotta, the maker of John Kerry's road bikes, is politically
compatible with one of his most famous customers.

"I come from a fairly long line of Democrats," Mr. Serotta said in a
telephone interview from the headquarters of Serotta Competition
Bicycles in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. If Mr. Kerry won the election, he
said, "we certainly would not be disappointed."

Mr. Kerry owns two road bikes from Serotta, a niche manufacturer that
serves a high-end market. The senator has an Ottrott, which retails with
custom-added parts for an average of $8,000, and an older Colorado III.
Mr. Kerry also has mountain bikes for the trails near his home in
Ketchum, Idaho.

Moving on, let's take a look at Mr. Bush's and Mr. Kerry's bike
sportsmanship.

When Mr. Bush had his spill, Mr. Kerry's reaction rapidly coursed
through political cyberspace. According to The Drudge Report, Mr. Kerry
said to reporters in what he believed was an off-the-record remark, "Did
the training wheels fall off?"=20

The Chicago Sun-Times then reported that Chicago's Democratic mayor,
Richard M. Daley - who ripped the skin off his kneecap in a bicycle
accident a few years ago - had scolded Mr. Kerry for the wisecrack. "You
should not wish ill upon anyone," Mr. Daley said.

The Republican National Committee then seized on Mr. Daley's remarks and
sent them out as an attack e-mail under the headline "They said it!"

Mr. Kerry took his own fall from a bike on May 2 after he hit a patch of
sand on a two-lane road in Concord, Mass. Mr. Kerry had no injuries and
Mr. Bush had no reaction, at least none that we know of.

Finally, let's look at bike-riding performance.=20

Mr. McClellan said that Mr. Bush typically mountain-bikes 15 to 20 miles
for an hour or an hour and a half at a time, either at his ranch or at
Camp David. This past Saturday, Mr. Bush also rode the course at a
Secret Service training facility near Beltsville, Md., where he could be
seen at a distance in a group of up to 10 helmeted cyclists, trailed by
a van and an ambulance.

So far that is the only public sighting of the president astride a bike,
making it hard to gauge his proficiency. But the Secret Service agents
who ran with Mr. Bush in his 6:45-mile days are now busily training on
stationary bikes in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building gym, and
complaining of sore muscles after their intense workouts with Mr. Bush.

Mr. Kerry, meanwhile, has covered up to 100 miles a day on his road bike
in some charity rides. "John's a very fit rider for someone 60 years of
age," said Clint Paige, the president of Wheelworks, a company of
Boston-area bike shops where Mr. Kerry buys his Serottas.

Of course, comparing road biking to mountain biking is like comparing
Democrats to Republicans. "It's a much different type of exercise," said
Stephen Madden, the editor of Bicycling and Mountain Bike magazines.
"Mountain biking involves a lot of up and down, and it also can involve
a lot of technical expertise in jumping logs and rocks."

Still, maybe as a sideshow to the presidential debates Mr. Bush and Mr.
Kerry should have a bike race, which would add new meaning to political
spin.

=20

=20

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without =
comment: <FONT=20
color=3D#808080 size=3D2>
WHITE HOUSE LETTER 
Taking the High Road, the Low Road and Maybe a Boulder or =
Two<FONT=20
size=3D2>
By ELISABETH BUMILLER 
&nbsp;
WASHINGTON
When <A=20
href=3D"http://www.nytimes.com/top/news/washington/campaign2004/candidate=
s/georgewbush/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per-pol"><FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>George W. Bush</A> fell off his mountain bike =
and=20
banged up his face the week before last, the world took modest note of =
the=20
president's new hobby.
What it did not know was that over the past three months the =
57-year-old=20
chief executive, sidelined from the fast track with runner's knee, has =
become so=20
consumed by mountain biking that he now rides at least an hour a day on =
most=20
weekends, and monitors his heart rate with a wrist strap during =
workouts. (Mr.=20
Bush reported through his press secretary, Scott McClellan, that he =
sometimes=20
gets above a chest-thumping 160 beats per minute.)
As it happens, a certain 60-year-old Democratic presidential =
candidate is a=20
serious biker, too, although <A=20
href=3D"http://www.nytimes.com/top/news/washington/campaign2004/candidate=
s/johnfkerry/index.html?inline=3Dnyt-per-pol"><FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff>Senator John Kerry</A> more often road bikes. =
Mr. Kerry=20
sometimes takes his bike on his campaign plane, and during days off =
takes=20
two-hour jaunts along the Charles River in Boston.
At first glance, this is nothing more than the story of two =
middle-aged jocks=20
cycling themselves away from the advances of time. At second glance, =
this is an=20
election year, and the situation is more complex.
First, look at the candidates' choice of bikes. 
Mr. Bush keeps a Trek Fuel 90 at his Texas ranch, the site of his =
tumble on=20
May 22. The Fuel 90, one of the snazzier of Trek's mountain bikes, =
retails for=20
more than $1,500. At Camp David, Mr. Bush also rides a Trek, but picks =
it out=20
from the fleet of more ordinary $250 models available to guests. 
Mr. Bush's choice of Trek is hardly surprising, given that the =
company is one=20
of the world's biggest manufacturers of quality bikes and its president, =
John=20
Burke, is a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness. =
Trek's=20
sponsored athlete is Lance Armstrong, the five-time Tour de France =
winner from=20
Austin, Tex., who presented his friend the president with a Trek bike at =
the=20
White House in 2001.
It was difficult to determine if Mr. Burke is a Republican, since he =
declined=20
repeated requests for an interview. But it could be determined that Ben =
Serotta,=20
the maker of John Kerry's road bikes, is politically compatible with one =
of his=20
most famous customers.
"I come from a fairly long line of Democrats," Mr. Serotta said in a=20
telephone interview from the headquarters of Serotta Competition =
Bicycles in=20
Saratoga Springs, N.Y. If Mr. Kerry won the election, he said, "we =
certainly=20
would not be disappointed."
Mr. Kerry owns two road bikes from Serotta, a niche manufacturer that =
serves=20
a high-end market. The senator has an Ottrott, which retails with =
custom-added=20
parts for an average of $8,000, and an older Colorado III. Mr. Kerry =
also has=20
mountain bikes for the trails near his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
Moving on, let's take a look at Mr. Bush's and Mr. Kerry's bike=20
sportsmanship.
When Mr. Bush had his spill, Mr. Kerry's reaction rapidly coursed =
through=20
political cyberspace. According to The Drudge Report, Mr. Kerry said to=20
reporters in what he believed was an off-the-record remark, "Did the =
training=20
wheels fall off?" 
The Chicago Sun-Times then reported that Chicago's Democratic mayor, =
Richard=20
M. Daley - who ripped the skin off his kneecap in a bicycle accident a =
few years=20
ago - had scolded Mr. Kerry for the wisecrack. "You should not wish ill =
upon=20
anyone," Mr. Daley said.
The Republican National Committee then seized on Mr. Daley's remarks =
and sent=20
them out as an attack e-mail under the headline "They said it!"
Mr. Kerry took his own fall from a bike on May 2 after he hit a patch =
of sand=20
on a two-lane road in Concord, Mass. Mr. Kerry had no injuries and Mr. =
Bush had=20
no reaction, at least none that we know of.
Finally, let's look at bike-riding performance. 
Mr. McClellan said that Mr. Bush typically mountain-bikes 15 to 20 =
miles for=20
an hour or an hour and a half at a time, either at his ranch or at Camp =
David.=20
This past Saturday, Mr. Bush also rode the course at a Secret Service =
training=20
facility near Beltsville, Md., where he could be seen at a distance in a =
group=20
of up to 10 helmeted cyclists, trailed by a van and an ambulance.
So far that is the only public sighting of the president astride a =
bike,=20
making it hard to gauge his proficiency. But the Secret Service agents =
who ran=20
with Mr. Bush in his 6:45-mile days are now busily training on =
stationary bikes=20
in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building gym, and complaining of sore =
muscles=20
after their intense workouts with Mr. Bush.
Mr. Kerry, meanwhile, has covered up to 100 miles a day on his road =
bike in=20
some charity rides. "John's a very fit rider for someone 60 years of =
age," said=20
Clint Paige, the president of Wheelworks, a company of Boston-area bike =
shops=20
where Mr. Kerry buys his Serottas.
Of course, comparing road biking to mountain biking is like comparing =

Democrats to Republicans. "It's a much different type of exercise," said =
Stephen=20
Madden, the editor of Bicycling and Mountain Bike magazines. "Mountain =
biking=20
involves a lot of up and down, and it also can involve a lot of =
technical=20
expertise in jumping logs and rocks."</P>
<P>Still, maybe as a sideshow to the presidential debates Mr. Bush and =
Mr. Kerry=20
should have a bike race, which would add new meaning to political =
spin.</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>
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