Bill Porter: Tour DaVita Rider

At 74, Bill Porter may be the oldest rider on the Tour DaVita® as well as one of the most enthusiastic.  Bill did the Tour last year in Iowa so he knows the ropes and is looking forward to the ride again this year.  He’ll be riding in South Carolina with one of his regular riding partners – dietician Sudi Erfanfar from the local DaVita clinic in Richmond, Texas.

Bill lost one kidney to cancer in 2001 and now the other one has been failing and he’s been on dialysis since January 2011.  According to Bill, “I ride because my doctor told me I had to get my butt off of the couch and get some exercise.”

Bill and his wife Marcia have four children, four grandchildren and one great grandchild.  He had a long career in the brewing industry for familiar brands like Pabst and Miller.  After he “retired” in 1992, he took his career international and spent four years in China establishing a franchise program for Lone Star Beer.  He is past president and still attends regular meetings of the Texas District Masters Brewers Association. 

Since May 2011 Bill has ridden over 11,000 miles on his 1972 Schwinn Paramount.  His blood work labs are all in the normal range and he says that he has never felt better.  “Four hours three times a week for dialysis is a bit of a downer, but what the heck, it beats the alternative,” said Bill.

Bill laughs when asked whether he’s taking the Schwinn to South Carolina for the Tour.  He says that the bikes provided by Backroads are at a whole different level and that he’s happy to have the chance to ride a high-end bike.

Bill says that he tries do a 22-mile ride every day starting at 7 a.m.  He notes, “There are several of us old men riding and on Sunday we are joined by Sudi from the clinic.  We call ourselves the ‘Richmond Renal Riders’ after the city where we ride.”