Hello

I’m Russ Loomis. I’ve been an avid cyclist for over 25 years and a randonneur for nearly that long (RUSA #38). I’ve raced, set distance and time trial records, and generally adhered to the mantra that the longer and hillier the ride, the better. I did the Boston-Montreal-Boston 1200k seven times before it ceased to be, and qualified for solo RAAM multiple times. I’ve done too many brevets to count, and I’m very proud of the fact that I’ve never had a DNF (Did Not Finish), even when I’ve had to persevere with a sore ass or a blown-out knee or, once, a broken elbow.
I still ride year round near my home in western MA, putting in over 12,000 miles and a million feet of climbing in a good year. I never tire of meeting other cyclists—the best people in the world—or of encouraging “newbies” to get into randoneering.
At the age of 70 I decided that it was high time I ride across the country, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time (what’s that quote about life getting in the way of your plans?). On my birthday, in March of 2022, my partner Nancy and I set off on a seven-month odyssey to travel across the United States and back: I on my trusty Seven Evergreen and she in a teardrop camper with our two dogs. You can read the tales of our adventure here Tentist and the Teapot, or on her blog hermiefeyanna.com.
You can also, if you want to, read my curmudgeonly opinions about all things bicycling on “Crusty Rusty’s Randonneur Rants” page.