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August 30, 2010 12:30 PM

Tour de Lab Rider Profile: Cory Allen

Cory Allen is no stranger to the Tour de Lab; in fact, he first participated in the ride a couple of years ago. He was visiting Portland when he saw a flyer for the Tour de Lab bike ride and, on a whim, decided to register. Although he is originally from St. Helens, Oregon, Cory is now a resident of Punta Gorda, Florida.

This year, he's excited to be traveling across the country again for the ride. "The Tour de Lab ride was so much fun - a definite repeater! Now I am returning and recruiting friends and family to share in the excitement of the camaraderie, unique costumes and zaniness," he explains. Although his dogs are, understandably, unable to make the trip to Portland with him, they'll be here with him in spirit; he plans to have a picture of his dogs displayed on the front of his bike throughout the ride.

Cory shared that, while visiting Key West recently, he ran into someone else wearing a Tour de Lab shirt from 2009. "We started talking and found out we were both from the Pacific Northwest and now live in South Florida!"

Before moving to Florida, Cory spent many years riding along Highway 30 into Portland. His fondest memories of cycling in the Portland area involve riding with groups of friends for the camaraderie and to explore new places. "We always referred to our bike group as FACT (Fat A** Cycling Team) - and we often ended some of our rides at the Lucky Lab!"

When he moved from Oregon to Florida, he quickly switched from "road riding" to "mountain biking" because, Cory explains, the roads in Florida are not quite as bike friendly as they are in Oregon. He currently rides about twice a week and is a member of the Florida Mud Cutters, an off-road cycling club that meets in an off-road park outside Ft. Myers. The park, according to Cory, is a very challenging course for cyclists of all skill levels. "A few years ago I crashed out in the park and earned 12 rib fractures. Glad I wear a helmet."

Luckily, the incident hasn't kept Cory away from his bike.

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