About Me

Profile

About:


Howdy, I’m Ross; I spent most of my childhood in San Angelo, TX--along with a few other west Texas towns--before moving to Austin when I was 9. After high school I spent a year at Texas Tech University before I came back to my home city to attend UT. I’m a third year student working on my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Once I graduate I would like to attend graduate school to earn a master’s degree in engineering, or maybe just go out and work as an engineer for a few years first. In my spare time I enjoy cycling, reading, advanced math, programming, disc golf, and acquiring a library of useless facts. I'm pretty fond of cold weather, which is something like a unicorn around here. I have a passion for salsa like you wouldn't believe, and I have a very specific preferred pencil I use. I have a solid set of friends and family that provide nary a dull moment. In general I try not to take life too seriously, and do the best with what’s within my ability to control.

Why I Ride

I ride for my grandfather Galen Lane. He had been one of the most important people to me, and the strongest male role model in my life. Over the past four years he has bravely fought off lung cancer. In September 2010, doctors discovered the cancer had spread to his brain, and the amount to which could be done had grown very thin. About one month later in October, he finally passed away. He had managed to outlast both the Korean and Vietnam Wars; direct fire from enemy snipers didn’t bring him down, but the one thing that did, and maybe the only thing that could’ve was cancer. One of the most important things he ever said to me was “Ross, don’t just take a number and file in line. Anyone can do that. What’s important is really trying to go out there and do something special.” To me, I don’t think there’s a better or bigger way to follow his advice while honouring him than to ride a bike on 4500 mile journey in effort to fight what he and thousands of other are, have been, and will be suffering from, in hopes that a day will come when no one else has to have lose the ones they care about or even themselves to cancer.