I have known Dean Mathias for 30 years, and he is the complete essence of activity on the river and off. His goal is to increase bike users in the QC’s, and whether he thinks of himself as a leader or not, he leads by example. For years, he has provided roving bike repair on Ride the River, fixing bikes as he goes. An organizer of our advocacy rides from Muscatine and Clinton, and leisure rides for the QC Bicycle Club, he also serves on committees for RAGBRAI, Big Island Soil and Water, Bi-State Trails, City of Buffalo Trails. Commuting to these meetings, he even goes to council meetings, he manages to ride between 7,500 and 8,500 miles each year. In 2014, he rode every day, but one when he could not find a bike to rent in Costa Rica.
The Quad Cities builds trails and bike lane infrastructure with Dean’s help. He derives his strength by organizing citizens into a force with the power to advocate. Never hesitant to speak up at public meetings or advocating outside of them, his lobbying for bike trails on the I-74 and I-80 bridges has been highly impactful. A few years ago, he trailblazed his way through one mile of solid vegetation, 8-feet wide, along the Rock River and Hennepin Canal, opening up a path never-before used.
It occurs to me that energy bars should have Dean’s face on them, not only because of his use, but because he has brought thousands of them for years to meetings for everyone present.
Since he rides without a seat, Dean (nicknamed Bareback) has been chided, “Did you get spanked so much as a child you couldn’t sit down, or what?” He explains. In 1993, he had a new mountain bike with low gears; it made him feel like a kid again, so he rode it standing up. That suited, and from there he went to a bike made without the saddle.
That iconic, seatless bike is going to be celebrated in sculpture on the Schwiebert Park riverfront bike path, along with one of his supportive wife, Deb, riding beside. She not only supports Dean’s efforts but has served as an officer of the QC Bicycle Club for years and is an avid bicyclist herself. Now, Dean has conceded he needs a seat, but it is our indelible memories of seeing Dean fly by on the seatless bike that is the focus of the project’s fundraising campaign. To give to this power couple’s tribute, go to qcbc.org and click on Donate to the Club.