Friends mourn 93-year-old SLO County cyclist who died after fall: ‘He redefined aging for us’
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A 93-year-old bicyclist who died after suffering a fall during a Paso Robles ride was an accomplished athlete who didn’t let old age or serious injuries get in the way of his passion for movement and competition, his friends and fellow cyclists said.
Atascadero resident Glenn Vanderlinde was completing the last few miles of a whole hog ride on Airport Road in Paso Robles on Oct. 12 when a loose dog charged his bicycle, causing the cyclist to fall and injure his head, chest and hip, according to San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club member Jim Skow.
Vanderlinde, who was taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, regained consciousness at the hospital briefly before succumbing to his injuries on Oct. 14, according to his obituary.
“He loved his bike. He lived for it. It was his social life. It was his reason for getting up in the morning,” Vanderlinde’s eldest son, David Vanderlinde, said. “It really was the focus of his whole day ... getting out there on the bicycle, no matter how old he was.”
Vanderlinde kept cycling even after being hit by a car on his 88th birthday and breaking his neck.
“We all feel that a man like Glenn deserves to have his passing marked by the community,” North County cyclist Mary Cornelius said. “He was quite the guy.”
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SLO County athlete always came back to biking
According to his stepdaughter Robyn Schmidt, Vanderlinde was “very committed, very disciplined to working out.”
Vanderlinde played football and ran track in high school and college. He’d ride his bike the seven miles to and from the school and practice in his youth, according to the Huntsman World Senior Games competition in St. George, Utah.
“He said that if you take care of your body, your body will take care of you,” Cornelius said.
Vanderlinde taught physical education for about 35 years. He met his wife, Gail, while teaching at an Orange County school where Gail was working as a secretary, his stepdaughter Robyn Schmidt said.
The two married while Schmidt was in high school, and created a blended family of Glenn’s three children and Gail’s five children.
After retiring, the Vanderlindes traveled the country visiting family in their motor home before settling down in Atascadero to build their dream home, where they resided for 30 to 35 years, Schmidt said.
Vanderlinde started jogging after the death of his father.
“He was running before there were running shoes,” David Vanderlinde said. “He was running in sneakers, basically.”
In the 1980s, David Vanderlinde said that he, his father and his brother-in law ran from the north rim of the Grand Canyon to the south rim. The next year, the trio decided to take the more challenging route, stretching more than 20 miles with a few thousand feet of climbing, and run from south to north.
“He was into adventure runs and really testing ourselves,” David Vanderlinde said.
Glenn Vanderlinde ran 18 marathons and many shorter races before trading his running shoes for a road bike when he retired.
When Vanderlinde switched to cycling, his wife followed suit.
“It was cool to see my mom find that as a healthy activity,” Schmidt said, noting that Gail Vanderlinde had a number of hobbies outside of athletics, including gardening and travel.
“She always wanted to travel and go places and do things and Glenn just wanted to ride his bike,” Schmidt said. “But if there was an opportunity to his bike, he was there. He was all down for that.”
David Vanderlinde recalled when his father rode his bike from California to Massachusetts for a visit with the family. It was one of at least two cross-country cycling trips for the Vanderlindes.
The couple also participated in many organized cycling trips in Europe.
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Atascadero man overcame injuries
Even in his 90s, Glenn Vanderlinde would complete 10 push-ups and 10 sit-ups every night before bed.
“He was very motivating to people too because he’s had a few setbacks,” Schmidt said, including a heart disease diagnosis.
Cathy Burgard, the Vanderlindes’ friend and former mail delivery driver, said Gail Vanderlinde told her that Glenn wanted to ride his bicycle to a cardiologist appointment where he diagnosed with a major artery blockage. He had heart surgery about a decade ago.
“It was just so Glenn,” Burgard recalled.
On Glenn Vanderlinde’s 88th birthday, he was hit by a car while out riding and broke his neck, Cornelius said.
The cyclist had surgery to repair his neck and spine, and then when it didn’t work the first time, had to have the surgery for a second time. His recovery took about a year to a year-and-a-half, Cornelius said.
“Glenn recovered got back on a bicycle and came out riding with us again,” Cornelius said.
Cornelius remembered asking Vanderlinde if he was going to transition to an electric bike after his neck injury.
“He said ‘when I get old,’ ” she recalled. “He was over 90 when he finally succumbed and got an e-bike.”
Bicyclist remembered as ‘consummate competitor’
Jim Twentyman of Morro Bay first met Vanderlinde about 28 years ago while cycling with the San Luis Obispo Bicycle Club.
“He was 15 years older than me and he passed me,” Twentyman said. “I couldn’t stand being passed by him, and then we became friends ever since.”
Twentyman described Vanderlinde as a “consummate competitor” who would “race you at the drop of a hat.”
Vanderlinde completed 50 century rides, three double centuries and averaged about 200 miles cycling per week as of 2020, according to his Huntsman World Senior Games profile.
The Vanderlindes both took part in at the Huntsman games, with Glenn Vanderline competing for 19 years and his wife competing for 17 years.
Glenn Vanderlinde received gold medals in all four cycling events for his age level at the games in 2019.
In 2020, Vanderlinde was named one of the 50 fittest individuals over age 50 by the Huntsman games, landing at No. 21 on the list.
In comparison, actor Sylvester Stallone was No. 17, and actor, bodybuilder and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger came in at No. 18.
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Cyclist couple inspired many SLO County cyclists
Despite his numerous athletic accomplishments, Vanderlinde was modest and humble, his friends said.
Cornelius said the cyclist was quick to offer support to newcomers to the sport.
“Glenn and his wife Gail taught me and my husband road cycling,” Cornelius said. “I know that they’ve taught many people. For me and husband, we both felt like it was this huge gift.”
SLO Bicycle Club member Arlene Winn said that Glenn Vanderlinde was “my first and best bike coach when I didn’t have the courage to ride over 25 miles with many hills.”
“He took me out on the back roads of SLO County and told me how to imagine my pedals as egg-shaped, so I could point my shoes and then pull them up forcefully to increase my torque,” Winn wrote in an email. “He had more patience than I did with my mistakes and the respect for his knowledge has guided me through thousands of bike miles both in the U.S., Canada and Europe.”
Vanderlinde’s passion for cycling extended to his family.
Schmidt and her husband, Keith, own K-Man Cyclery stores in Atascadero and Paso Robles. And Schmidt’s sister Christie rode bikes with her parents in North County frequently.
David Vanderlinde’s son, Florida resident Davis Vanderlinde, is a dedicated cyclist who regularly battles the Florida humidity in his quest to ride, his father said.
Glenn Vanderlinde and his family experienced a major blow in August 2021, when Gail died suddenly from a heart attack. It took the cyclist took about a month to join his bicycling group again after his wife’s death.
“He deeply mourned his wife,” Cornelius said.
Friends and family said Glenn Vanderlinde had no plans to stop cycling, despite his age.
“He was going to ride his bike as long as he could,” David Vanderlinde said.
In fact, Schmidt said, her stepfather planned to compete at the Huntsman games when he was 95 years old and eligible for a new age bracket.
“He was an inspiration to all of us especially when it comes to aging. All of us are getting up there,” Cornelius said. “He redefined aging for us and we had no reason to think that he was going to be quitting anytime soon, he was doing great. We’re honored to have known him.”
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SLO County cyclist’s death still under investigation
The Oct. 12 incident that lead to Glenn Vanderlinde’s death is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol and San Luis Obispo County Animal Services.
Cornelius said it was a surprise to see the dog “come charging out” to Vanderlinde’s bike after running at two cyclists who riding ahead of him.
“Glenn never saw it coming,” said Cornelius, who was riding behind Vanderlinde that day. “There’s no way he could evade it. It happened so fast.”
SLO County Animal Services Director Dr. Eric Anderson said the dog that charged Vanderlinde is currently in the custody of its owners.
He said the owners were told to not let their dog, described as a medium-sized pitbull mix, roam free.
“Dogs running at large are an issue and concern” regardless of breed, Anderson said, adding that keeping dogs in the yard or leashed is important to protect the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and the animals themselves.
Memorial ride planned for Glenn Vanderlinde in November
Community members are invited to join a memorial ride planned for Glenn Vanderlinde on Saturday, Nov. 19.
The event will start with a bike ride and end with a social gathering at Malibu Brew. Details will be posted on the Kman Cyclery website at kmancyclery.com.
