Couple Weds During 100-Mile Bike Race
A cycling-loving Arizona couple tied the knot on Saturday during a grueling 100-mile mountain bike race.
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In January, Julie Bass, 45, and her fiancé, Rick Bucher, 40, were planning their wedding — a medium-size ceremony in Sedona, Arizona, a town famous for its beautiful red sandstone formations. But overwhelmed by the ballooning expenses, Bass had a change of heart. “I’ve never been that traditional or dreamed of wearing a white wedding dress,” she told Yahoo! Shine. “Rick and I both love cycling and we were planning to enter the Leadville 100 race in Colorado, so I said, ‘Why not get married in the middle of the race?’”
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Bucher, however, was skeptical. “Julie and I are experienced cyclers but the logistics of marrying in the middle of a race seemed unrealistic,” he said. Bucher had reason to hesitate. After all, the race is a 100-mile cycle across the rough terrain of the Colorado Rockies, starting at 10,152 feet and elevating to 12,424 feet. “But I had to agree that it was the best way to represent our relationship and our passion for cycling and the outdoors.” So the two planned to wed at the mid-point of the race, at the highest elevation area, the Columbine Climb.
Not surprisingly, four years earlier, biking was what brought them together. The couple met in 2009 after Bucher, a firefighter-paramedic, got into a serious motorcycle accident while competing in a race. He had broken his neck, ankle, and leg and was ordered to undergo physical therapy. His therapist was Julie, and during their sessions they discovered their mutual love of mountain biking. After Bucher recovered, he asked Bass to accompany him on a ride and the two began dating.
After agreeing on the new location for their wedding, the couple spent the next eight months prepping. “There wasn’t much to do other than train for the race,” said Bucher. “We made several four-day trips to Flagstaff, Arizona, to train. We weren’t nervous for the wedding, only whether or not we could finish the race!”
As for wedding garb, Bucher’s gear was all black and he affixed a black mini top hat to his helmet. Bass, meanwhile, donned a white skirt, white bike shorts, and a white jacket (along with a blue garter belt). For accessories, she went with a faux pearl necklace, bracelet, and earrings purchased from Target. She also topped her white helmet with a miniveil and even decorated her bike with white lace. “I tried to keep it festive but simple,” said Bass. “I also wasn’t worried about being sweaty on my wedding day because Rick and I bike and camp all the time.”
However, there was one glitch: Bass had broken her ring finger a few weeks prior when she slammed her hand in a car door, and had to wear a splint for the race. But she didn't let the injury get in her way: “I wore my wedding band on my right hand!” she said.
On the way to their wedding site in Columbine, supporters cheered the couple on, shouting "Congratulations!" When they reached the top, their three-person wedding party greeted them: Bass’s father, a judge who also conducted the 20-minute ceremony; her brother; and a close friend. The two exchanged the vows they had written, promising that the other would never have to “ride alone.” Then, after fueling up with homemade rice cakes and energy drinks, the newlyweds finished the race together, clocking in at just under 12 hours and 47 minutes.
This week, Bucher and Bass plan to spend their honeymoon camping in Colorado ... and of course, mountain biking.
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