Local photographer and cycling enthusiast Mauro Heck has announced
details for the inaugural Teesdale Ride, a 65-mile cycling excursion set
for June 28 in honor of renowned bicycle frame builder Tom Teesdale,
who suffered a fatal heart attack last July while participating in
RAGBRAI.
It didn’t take much prodding for local cyclists to get on board with
the event, Heck says, noting that Teesdale was a talented professional
who touched the lives of many. Heck had two bikes built by Teesdale, in
fact.
The route for the Teesdale Ride was designed by Steve McGuire, a
professor of metal arts and 3D design at the University of Iowa.
McGuire, who teaches a course on hand-built bicycles, learned some of
his methods from Teesdale, and even had his first custom bike built by
him.
RIDE INFO
The first Teesdale Ride will begin at Iowa City’s Ride restaurant at
10 a.m. on June 28. The route will take riders to West Branch and
Suttliff Bridge in Lisbon. The second leg of the ride will feature about
half concrete pavement, half gravel, Heck says.
While riders are stopped in West Branch, where Teesdale resided,
McGuire will conduct a brief presentation on Teesdale’s life and legacy.
The event includes a $15 suggested donation, which will go in support of Tom’s widow, Kathy Teesdale.