As a kid, Frank Ramos loved all things outdoors. His early love was fishing the river in his backyard. Armed with a solid steel Huffy, he would duel with the neighborhood kids for the daily sprints up and down their quarter-mile dirt road. The desire to race was there. However, the local organized bike race scene didn’t exist in his area.
Frank joined the Navy at 19, his first duty being stationed at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Three years later, he was back to the states and bought a cheap MTB to tool around on for fun.
In 2004, a cyclist neighbor sold him a Green Peugeot. The neighbor coaxed Frank into doing a local time trial that he ended up winning. A few weeks later, he participated in the bike leg of a tri and won that too.
In 1995, he purchased his first USCF license at the tender age of 27 and started riding with the local club. Shortly after, he started racing. Soon enough, Frank went all-in and purchased a purple Specialized Metal Matrix (named Barney)…
Frank decided to make the Navy a career. Over the next seven years, he did four overseas deployments of six months on various aircraft carriers. He took the bike and dragged it out every other day for the entire deployment. When not deployed, he continued training and competing. He was stationed overseas for over a year in Japan.
After spending 10 months deployed on an aircraft carrier off of the coast of Iraq, Frank came to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD for his last tour of duty. He retired from Navy active duty in 2006, grabbed another full-time job for a second career, and then… time for racing with some structure and consistency!
Height: 5’ 10”
December Weight: 168-173 lbs.
Race Weight: 162-168 lbs. “I hope for 150s in 2014!”
Birthdate: June 13, 1967
Childhood Heroes: “A neighbor who was a retired Marine. He always told amazing stories and invited me over to help with wood- working projects.”
Hobbies and Interests: “Camping, hiking, fishing…”
Favorite Movies: “Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Reservoir Dogs.”
Musical Tastes: “NIN, Tool, Chemical Brothers.”
Favorite TV Shows: “Banshee, Saturday Night Live, most anything on Discovery.”
Favorite Meal: “Sushi!”
Favorite Breakfast Cereal: “Just about any Kashi.”
Favorite Pre-Race Meal: “Rice or cereal with almond milk.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Pralines and cream.”
Childhood Dream: “To fish and hunt for a living.”
First Car: “Fire-engine red 1955 Ford F-100.”
First Job: “76 Gas station, full-service. I pumped gas, washed windows, checked oil, everything. That’s how it was then!”
Favorite Vacation Spot: “Mountains and lakes.”
Pre-Race Feeling: “A bit nervous for the year’s first races.”
Early Racing Memory: “My first Cat-3 race in 1999 or 2000. I took off solo hoping someone would bridge to me. 63 miles later, still solo, but I was caught at the line by three guys!”
Funny Racing Memory: “At Giro di Coppi a few years back, I failed to bring any food or drink. I found this out after pinning my number on. In a mad-dash to find some food, I decided on some kind of Powerbar. Turns out it was covered in chocolate. The 90+ degree heat made a chocolate mess of my face, hands, and handlebars.”
Greatest Racing Moment: “Bridging to a break at Jefferson Cup earlier this year. Ended up winning my group. Only two of us survived out of the break. My teammates came in 2nd and 4th!”
Most Painful Moment In Life: “Losing my Dad at a very young age and then my stepfather years later.”
Worst Injury from Racing: “On a training ride in the Sierra Foothills in California, I hit a patch of soft sealant while descending at 40+ mph. I dislocated my little finger, cut my legs and elbow, and sheared off my right cleat. Once we finished our descent, my awesome teammates stopped at a convenience store to buy some duct tape to secure my foot to the pedal. That’s right, not bandages. ”
Closest Racing Friends: “My Bike Doctor teammates. Honorable mention: Mike Davis.”
Funniest Racer: “Jim Weinstein! I just can’t figure out if his stories are true – so convincing.”
Favorite Race: “Poolesville Road Race.”
Embarrassing Racing Memory: “My first crit. I started racing late in life and had my two boys with me for support. About halfway in, while going around a corner, I get pushed off of my line. My front wheel hits a dude’s rear wheel quick-release. I ended up in a pile with about five or six broken spokes. Once I started moving, I could see my boys looking at me with a concerned look. Once they realized that I was okay, the little worried looks turned into smirks.”
Toughest Competitors: “Scott Giles during our Tuesday Night Worlds. Sometimes, I want to cry.”
Favorite Athletes to Watch: “Hockey players. They just seem to dig and dig until something sticks.”
Qualities You Most Admire in People: “Having the integrity to do the right thing, even when no one is looking. Being courageous and unafraid of a failed outcome.”
What You Love Most About Riding Your Bicycle: “Relieves the stress and replaces it with a sense of accomplishment.”
