By: Dominic Wasserzug and John Fong

John Fong’s widow Kim Fong was present at the start of the ride briefing. With her was Brenda Kopatz, close friend of Kim and wife of Fritz Kopatz who is the ride captain for today’s Mad Dog. The morning’s autumn light carried a tinge of amber which emanated warmth on an otherwise brisk October morning. Fritz and fellow club members took a moment to share some touching words about how great John was. Fritz remarked about how John was always making friends everywhere. Indeed, one rider present named Christopher mentioned that he met John online on Zwift. Following remarks, John Pellegrino presented the Mad Dog jersey that John Fong designed for the 2023 Mad Dog season in a touching display. Pellegrino explained that this particular jersey was special because it had been signed by John Fong himself.

As a matter of special mention, rider Matt Mangun who worked with John at UPS completed his first ever Mad Dog ride with us in honor of his dear friend and co-worker. We welcome Matt into our pack and thank him for pushing his limits to honor John with us. Thank you for your commitment to this ride.

And this was a sentimental ride. At face value it is sentimental because the ride honors the memory of a fellow rider that is no longer with us. The real meaning to that, though, is found in why we ride. Exploring those reasons, I think, is important to understand that significance. Throughout the ride, I would discover those reasons through the experiences of our journey.

The first reason would come to me before the ride even begins. Jonathan Minucci would remark at how wide awake I appeared when he greeted me. I would joke that I had already been up for four hours and he would explain that he had already watched all the TV series Lost and even baked some bread, none of which is true of course. This is typical comradery poking light at the fact that we go to great lengths to rise early in the morning and head out on epic bicycle rides with friends. While rooted in humor the sentiment remains that we are all very dedicated to our hobby.

Indeed, in one of John’s last Facebook posts he stated what started as a hobby ten years ago bloomed into a passion, and passion takes dedication. I don’t know exactly how many rides John did in those years. John’s final club milage count remains at 11,513 miles and I know that not all his rides were LBC rides. It takes serious dedication to rack up those miles. That is a lot of metaphorical bread and early mornings.

The next reason comes from a conversation with Larry Preble. At some point during the ride, he and I started to take notice of what crops remained for the harvest along the side of the country backroads we were riding—a frequent pastime on Mad Dog rides. One crop, we decided appeared to be Kale, to which Larry exclaimed, what would be one of many infamous Larry puns on this ride, “kale for what k-ails you”. Not to worry, this will be the only pun I report on here. This kale you pun, however, is apt for this ride.

John also remarked in his last post how cycling taught him life lessons, and I believe that we each have kale we bring with us to the road and in our journey, we learn our lessons. The kale comes is all different shades and varieties, but I believe it is in large part why so many of us keep coming back time and time again. Everyone’s kale is theirs and theirs alone to grapple with and yet we all ride this ride together on road and in life. As John would point out, it is the journey and not the destination. This is a sentiment that we are all familiar with, but it is the shared journey that makes this so special.

The last core reason was experienced with all of the other riders on this day, and that is the beauty of the world around us and life itself. Repeatedly we all were basking in what was unseasonably amazing weather for the third Saturday in October. The clouds looked as though they were painted on a backdrop of perfectly serene clear blue skies. So much of how we see and experience the world depends on the weather, and the weather today can only be described as heavenly. At each turn on this ride, mother nature did not disappoint, as we were greeted with picturesque scenes all of which could provide a lifetime of fall calendar photos. Dreams of peace and serenity never looked as clear and vivid.

John described life as a mist. His perspective on eternal life points out that, while life as we know it in this world is but a temporary state of being, the beauty of the things we are so fortunate to get to experience makes our short time on this earth even more important. Sometimes that weather is tumultuous and unpredictable, and those moments may reveal us in ways that we’d rather not journey. Learn to embrace each day and find beauty within it no matter the horizon, and you will learn to appreciate all days and life itself.

With that I will leave you with John’s last message to us all on Facebook in this report so it may be forever part of our record. We love you, John Fong, on all days and eternally.

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Life is a Mist: 10 Years of Cycling, Lessons from the Road

About ten years ago, I clipped into a pair of pedals for the first time. What began as a simple hobby quickly became something much greater—a passion, a source of growth, and a lens through which I’ve come to see the world.

As I reflect on this decade of riding, the memories flood in: the thrill of cresting grueling climbs, the quiet joy of sunrise rides, the satisfaction of smashing personal records, and even the humbling grind of headwinds. Cycling has gifted me so many unforgettable moments, but it has also brought something deeper—friendships forged on the road. Together, we’ve shared victories, pushed through pain, and built bonds that extend far beyond the miles we’ve ridden.

Yet, cycling has been more than just a sport for me. It has been a teacher. From the saddle, I’ve learned lessons that shape my daily life: how to press on through discomfort, how to appreciate the journey rather than fixate on the destination, and how to find beauty in the struggle. Each ride has been a reminder to keep moving forward, no matter how distant the finish line might feel.

But as I sit here today, reflecting on the road behind me, I’m also staring at a climb ahead—one that is steeper and more uncharted than anything I’ve faced on two wheels. This season of life has brought challenges I never trained for. No amount of miles, intervals, or endurance rides could have prepared me for what lies ahead.

Still, cycling has taught me this: when the climb feels insurmountable, keep pedaling. There will be moments when stopping seems like the only option, but pushing through leads to growth, strength, and a perspective you can’t gain any other way. It’s in the struggle that character is formed and hope is renewed.

For now, I take it one mile, one day at a time, trusting that the strength, discipline, and faith in Christ I’ve gained through years of riding will carry me forward. While the road ahead may be difficult, I remain hopeful. There are more memories to create, more milestones to celebrate, and more opportunities to grow—if God wills.

Life, like cycling, is a mist. It’s fleeting and fragile, but it’s also full of beauty and purpose when lived with an eternal perspective.

Here’s to the road ahead—every climb, every mile, every challenges in life and every blessing waiting on the journey.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

—Romans 5:3–4

"""-John Fong

Completing today’s Mad Dog ride is as follows:

John Dippold

Alan McCoy

Tony Konvalin

Larry Preble

Fritz Kopatz

Steven Sarson

Bob Garble

Harley Wise

Matt Mangun

Jerry D. Tally

David Frey

Dominic Wasserzug