If you ride with the LWA (soon to be the Lehigh Valley Cycling Club) chances are you’ve shared the road with Jack Helffrich. An indefatigable athlete and dedicated cyclist, Jack has been riding with the LWA since the mid 1970s. Now himself in his mid 70s, his approach to riding is a bit different, but his passion and commitment remain the same.
He began riding a motorcycle when he was 19, but switched to cycling when his best friends opened a bike shop. “I bought a white Fuji S10S road bike from them,” he remembers, and he’s been riding ever since. He has ridden tandem with his wife Linda, has done some mountain biking, and he takes a fat-tire bike to the Florida beaches, but road biking is his preference. In addition to many shorter rides, he has completed the Sierra to the Sea Bicycle Tour and rode across the USA with Wandering Wheels.
His riding may have slowed a bit over the years, but his competitive spirit and the joy he derives from the activity have remained steadfast. “Once you’ve committed to a healthy lifestyle it feels good to keep doing it,” he says. He loves riding solo - “being alone with my thoughts” - but the social aspect is a very strong motivator.
