When Rick Habeeb’s mother showed him an American Bike Month pamphlet with nearly 80-year-old cardiologist Paul Dudley White that read “Get back on a bike,” he had no idea he would one day relate so deeply to it.
Habeeb, 82, is on track to complete 50,000 miles 50 years to the date from when he first purchased his Schwinn Varsity 10-speed bicycle. His mileage as of Thursday, July 16, was about 49,874 miles.
“I got the bike to ride to my job in Belmont,” the longtime Redwood City resident said. “Back in the day, it had not occurred to me to have an annual mileage goal. In the fall of 2021, I sat at my desk (and) I thought I missed an opportunity to do more than I did.”
He then decided to set this goal of 50,000 miles by Aug. 8, biking 6,000 miles from 2022 to 2025.
More than a hobby, biking is an integral part of Habeeb’s daily life. What started as his way to get to work has become a practice that keeps him disciplined and allows him to engage with his surrounding community.
“It’s faster walking, and on the other hand I’m not spending any money on gas,” Habeeb said. “I can run errands on my bike, which I do very regularly, and … I’m not looking forward to the day I’m not riding the bike anymore.”
According to Donna Habeeb and Chris Anderson, Rick’s sister and brother-in-law, respectively, Rick Habeeb has shared this journey with anyone who has an ear to listen.
“He’s definitely a man of numbers, and he’s been just talking about this with everybody,” Donna Habeeb said. “I said to him, ‘Gee, Rick, what are you going to talk about after Aug. 8?’ And he goes, ‘Well, I can talk about it for a few more weeks after that.’ … We’re just proud of him, and we’re happy for him that he has (something) special.”
Anderson, also a cyclist, noted the importance of staying active no matter your age.
“The group of guys that I ride with, the conversation is about longevity, and how to stay healthy,” Anderson said. “Now that I’m seeing what (Rick’s) doing; this is exactly what it’s about: staying mobile, … (being) out there on a regular basis, keeping fit, and so he’s like (a) mentor for doing that.”
Friends and family have proved to be a great source of support for Habeeb, who has no plans to stop biking after reaching his goal.
“I get encouragement (from) friends that I’ve known for decades, and they know how I’ve had to fight,” Habeeb said. “Periodically, I get calls, somebody here and there, and they want a mileage update.”
Habeeb could never have guessed he would have completed the equivalent of twice around the Earth on his bike, saying that if someone had told him at 20 that he would still be biking at 80, he would have probably laughed.
Rick and Donna’s father, who Donna noted would be so proud of him, used to say “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” which has rung especially true as Rick nears his goal.
“If you don’t get off the bike for a stretch of time (and) you continue riding, you could be riding when you’re 90,” Rick Habeeb said.
The bike that he will use to complete his journey is the same one he bought about 50 years ago from California Sports and Cyclery, a Belmont store that is still open today.
“To have one bike for 50 years is probably pretty unusual to begin with,” Habeeb said. “As I go forward in time, my mind periodically goes back to when I first got this particular bike, and the rides I took, and the people I met, and the milestones along the way. … It’s very refreshing to get out of the house and be out there.”
Rick’s only regret? Having not biked more.
“I wish I did more miles earlier when I first got the bike because I could not have known then I would be on the bike at this point in my life,” Habeeb said.
