TCBA article about Bob, 12/08 issue:

BOB GIBBS RIDES DALMAC BICYCLE TOUR QUAD CENTURY ROUTE AT AGE 90 CENTURY ROUTE AT AGE 90
By Kenneth Hendrick

Bob Gibbs, who retired from the DNR Engineering Division in 1980, rode the DALMAC Bicycle Tour Quad Century route shortly before turning 90 years old on September 7, 2008. DALMAC consists of 5, four and five-day bicycle tours that go from Lansing to Mackinaw City or DeTour, ending the day before Labor Day each year. One of these routes consists of four 100+ mile days, the most difficult of the five routes. Bob, who had been the DALMAC Director in 1980, wanted to celebrate his 90th birthday by com-pleting this route. Bob, who was born in Mayfield, Michigan in 1918, served with the Army 5th Infantry Division in Iceland and Europe for five years during World War II. After the War, he at-tended Michigan State University, graduating in 1951. He went to work for the Conservation Department For-estry Division in 1954. Bob became part of the Engineering Division when it was first organized in the 1960’s.

Bob, a World-War II vet who survived the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, commuted 24 miles year-round thru rain, sub-zero blizzards, etc. from his E. Lansing home to his office in Dimondale at the State Secondary Complex from the late 50's thru his retirement in 1980. His daily commuter, a single-speed late-30's Wards Hawthorne, is on display in the Bike Project workshop as well as his 1st 10-spd., a Flandria (restored). We sorely miss seeing the 3 of them pedaling around town and hope that these bikes will inspire others to pursue the pleasures of the road on 2 wheels as Bob & Mary.

Bob is also well known for riding to the starts of all the rides he does, whether it's a couple miles away or a couple hundred. A couple years ago Bob rode to Big Rapids for the start of a ride to Mackinaw City (link to article) and back again from Harbor Springs to his summer cabin in Traverse City (an additional 90 mi)! Bob is also doing some racing in his golden years; see this page for results from the 2004 Iceman race where he finished 14th out of 18 in the 45+ mens category and 108 overall (out of 155 finishers)! His finish time of 57:43 also places him 6th in the 35-44 age group!

Bob's dedication and enthusiastic support of cycling in the Lansing area has been an inspiration to generations of cyclists who've had the pleasure to know Bob and Mary.