John “Space” McCoy, 63, a retired communications officer, ex-newspaper reporter and poultry keeper, organized several Loose Chipping rides including the 2006 father-daughter ride in Uruguay where disco days alternated with cycling days. Space does cycling navigation the old fashioned way, referencing highway maps written in German, and shuns GPS devices.
Tim "BT" Roth, 63, a retired state worker, St. Louis Cardinals fan and chronic letter-to-the-editor writer, organized the epic Chippings rides around southwest Washington in 2007 and the Oregon coast in 2010. He specializes in locating low budget motels and wears cycling ponchos that work as sails in high winds.
Phil Truncer, 59, a golfer, kibitzer and peddler of elixirs for the state of Washington, came late to biking but embraced it as enthusiastically as he took up pinochle. A Rick Steves devotee, Phil keeps his biking gear organized alphabetically in Ziploc bags. This was a great curiosity to patrons of rural Oregon taverns.
John “Jimma Jamma” Ward, 61, a retired Seattle City Light lineman now on Easy Street, is the Chippings ambassador (il ambasciatore). No matter the place, no matter the language, no matter the person, Jimma opens the door for the most unlikely conversations in English, Spanish, Italian or Czech. Surely, they must be related to his cousin.
David Wilder, 53, is a gung-ho Whidbey Island cyclist and a psychiatric social worker who specializes in resolving conflicts and moving on. During the Chippings' Sicily ride, David was the process guy, the advocate for getting your feelings out. He immediately recognized that an up or down vote on whether the Chips rode 100 kms or 10 kms was disempowering for the losers. Consensus is David's game; therapy his middle name.
Tom “El Tigre” Yagle, 63, an artist, maker of fine furniture and tireless hill climber, brings along a sketchbook and a fine palate that can distinguish between Czech dumplings and Rocky Mountain oysters. Clad in iridescent red bike shorts, Tiger did the rain-soaked Oregon coast and Whidbey rides with nary a complaint.
