Pete's story: Tour de Menlo

BaseCamp athlete Pete Chargin shared his experience at the 2026 Tour de Menlo bike ride in California.

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My plan to ride a third road race, a nearly flat 54-mile route, fell apart due to a cold. Super disappointed, I opted to support the local Rotary Club that was putting on a fund raiser for local scholarships.

It was a beautiful day, and I rode the 65-mile, 3800-ft route. Because of the great fitness I had from a season of training with Brian Hammond and BaseCamp, it was a pretty easy ride, even though I was a little under the weather.

The longer route attracted the stronger riders, and we stayed in a group until the first climb. I went off the front at the first rest stop and was riding mostly by myself for the rest of the day until we joined up again with the other routes. The lunch after the ride was fun, and the Rotary Club was very appreciative of our support.

Thanks again to BaseCamp for setting me up for being able to jump onto a 65-mile ride even when I’m not at my best. Perhaps it was the nutrition that got me through the ride.