Articles Archive



The Kill Yourself Bike Tour in Paradise: Why You'll Love Maui's Nightmarish Triple Challenge
By Roy M. Wallack, Adventure Cyclist, April 2007
""I'm high above the clouds in my granny gear, deeply fatigued from five and a half hours of climbing nearly 10,000 feet, squinting into the howling, freezing headwinds that slam me head-on and..."



Rob Templin Leaves Burley, Starts Cycling Tour Group
By Ben Delaney, March 15, 2005
"After 13 years with the Burley Design Cooperative, Rob Templin left to start a cycling tour company called Second Summer Tours..."

A Northwest Odyssey
April 1997
A classic tandem ride - 200 miles worth - in the wet and cold Pacific Northwest: Seattle to Portland. Rob, as part of his p.r. duties with Burley Design Cooperative, tackles the double century challenge with editor - and good friend - Garrett Lai.

A Platinum Ride
Tandem Magazine, 1995
If you've ridden El Tour de Tucson in Arizona, you know what the title of Rob's column was all about; if not, read on...

A Seat with a View
Fall 1994
Do you remember Tandem Magazine? Here's a classic column that 'Ridin Rob' wrote for the rag way back when...

A Southern Californian Perspective
Fall 1991
When Rob first moved to the Pacific Northwest from Southern California, he penned this piece for Cycling Oregon. It was his "Intro to Cycling in Oregon, 101." Be sure to plant your tongue firmly in cheek before reading the first couple of paragraphs.

A Tale of Two Hills
Cycling Oregon, Winter 1992
In what would be a prelude of sorts to Rob's touring biz - especially Maui and Oregon - he writes about two of his favorite competitive climbs: Haleakala on Maui, and Mt. Ashland in Oregon.

Can You Say, Clavicle?
By Scott Martin
"Rob and Scott are going for a bike ride. See Rob and Scott get on their tandem. Rob is in front. He is the captain. Scott is in back. He is the stoker..."

Canadian "Snowbirds" Enjoy a "Second Summer" in Maui
By Ann West and Bill Moriarty
"Bill and I had been considering a "second honeymoon" in Maui as our 10th wedding anniversary celebration... ...Rob had selected an absolutely perfect location from which to base a cycling vacation in Maui..."

Cover of Bicycling San Diego
RAAM, 1988
Rob was the honorary chairperson for the 'Bike for Breath' event in '88, and ended up on the cover of Bicycling San Diego (cover photo was from that year's RAAM, where Rob finished second to Austrian Franz Spilaeur).

Cover shot from the Northwest Cycling Classic in Oregon
Pedal Guide, 1994
Northwest Tandem Classic, with "Big Red" making the front cover.

Dumb and Dumber, Why Tandems Suck
Mountain Bike Magazine
Remember 'Zap', the editor of the premier mountain biking magazine way back when? If your tongue is still in your cheek from the earlier article above, you'll love how Zap makes fun of the tandem scene... And, yes, Rob still is friends with Zap (now the head p.r. guy at Trek Bicycles).

Four Legs, Two Wheels and One Long Day
Mountain Biker, April 1996
Editor Eric Haggerman, who went on to write an outstanding feature article on Lance Armstrong for Outside Magazine, goes for his first tandem ride (road or off-road): the 100 mile White Rim mountain bike trail in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Yep, it was an adventure and an epic ride...

Georgia Peach
Tandem Magazine, 1995
One of Ridin' Rob's favorite columns that he penned for the premier tandem mag at the time.

Guardians of Our Sport's Treasures
Bike Magazine, May 2001
Editor Rob Story, in this classic column, has some fun with Rob and a few of his peers in the cycling community...

Industry Misses Captive Market: RAGBRAI
BRAIN (Bicycle Retailer and Industry News; the sport's major trade publication),
August 1998
One of the many cycling events that Rob attended as part of his 'goodwill ambassador' duties with Burley was Iowa's RAGBRAI ... Rob has ridden RAGBRAI with about every kind of non-traditional bike you can imagine (a folding 'Birdy', recumbent, and even a tandem!). You can also find out how one of Rob's dealer visits turned into an opportunity to nab a bike thief...

Knees in the Breeze
Recumbent and Tandem Rider Magazine, 2002
Rob goes for a tandem ride with editor Charles Coyne of RTR at that year's Solvang Century in California.

"Leadville 100" 100 Miles of Mountain Biking
1995
A lucky 13th overall for someone that never rides off-road, and doesn't own a mountain bike - but does enjoy an adventure and spectacular scenery (even if one is suffering 'like a dog').


On the Raampage
Bicycling Magazine, 1988
RAAM race coverage; This is the year Rob finished second to Franz Spilaeur (Austria).

Portable Life Support
May 2003
Rob, as part of his p.r. gig, 'tests' the Burley cargo trailer in the Andes of Chile and Argentina.

SCCF Award Banquet
Nov/Dec 1980
Rob only owns one suit; see it in the classic, 'dated', pic from the SCCF (Southern California Cycling Federation) banquet

SCOTT'S SPIN: Maui Wowie - NEW
RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter
Issue No. 282 - 02/15/07: Indoor Hill Climbing
ISSN 1536-4143

Seattle to Portland Double Century
Bicycling Magazine, 1982
Rob and Pete Penseyres race the STP (back in the early 80's when it was a timed event) ...Rob and Pete were sponsored by Santana tandems for a few years, and this is one of the events they attended for Bill M.'s tandem biz.

Stronger Than Ever
Bicycling Magazine, March 2004
Roy Wallack wrote this piece on bone density issues for cyclists - including Rob's story; which turned into a book deal: "Bike for Life",
see the chapter


The Death Ride
Pedal Guide, 1993
Rob captured the feel for this classic Northern California epic; a ride that he did on a tandem with editor Henry Kingman.

The First Ride - Racing Tandems Across the United States
Tandem Magazine, 1994
Years before RAAM, a team of four riders, on two tandems, set out to break the cross-country record. If you thought your first experiences with a tandem were a challenge, wait til you see what it was like before there was tandem-specific equipment to work with! Have some fun with the 'retro' pics that include wool jerseys (the real deal, not the reproductions of today), and the 'nerdy' helmets of the day (before it was 'cool' to even wear a helmet!).

The Shirt Off My Back
Bicycling Magazine, 1995
Rob has shared more than a few epic rides with good friend Scott Martin, a former editor with Bicycling Magazine (including those infamous tandem crash shots). Enjoy this typically funny, and insightful, piece from Scott ... who now happens to contribute pieces to the Road Bike Rider (see the link elsewhere for this electronic cycling newsletter).

Tow Trucks
Bicycle Guide, July 1995
Editor Garrett Lai does his usual great column...

Two Much Fun Racing Tandems in the Northwest
Bicycling Magazine, November 1991
Editor Scott Martin and Rob take on the Northwest Tandem Cycling Classic - and Scott had never ridden a tandem before the race! After you read this piece (and the others on the site), you'll see why Scott Martin is one of America's most under-rated cycling journalists.

Waiting to Attack
Bicycle Guide, December 1988
Feature article on the '88 RAAM, Rob finishes second to Austrian Franz Spilaeur in a 3,000 mile 'sprint' to the finish.