About

A Brief History of Tin

In 1995 Tinman was born….conceived from several cans of beer, testosterone, and great friends. Then, we were in our thirties…the prime of our lives. I think Bob Manley must have been the oldest, well into his forties. What better challenge than to race each other on our mountain bikes and then follow it up with a run. Winner takes it all. Bob, being the craftsman he is, hand-made and fired up the clay TinMan Cup and to this day, this is what we all compete for. Let it be known, in 1995, none of us were experienced riders and we certainly were not runners. I think 8 friends competed that year and Don Barbella was the first and original Tin.

In 1996, while trying to defend his title, Don taco’d his wheel coming down “the rock” and face planted in the turf. He out drank everyone that year, but was a DNF in the race.

Jon Ire hosted TinMan in Lake Tahoe one year. What a great time we had! One of my fondest memories was seeing Jon off the trail wrestling with a flat tire and needing a pump. It still brings a smile to my face when I remember tossing him my pump as I went on to win that year, with Pete challenging all the way. Jon is a 3 time TinMan winner.

Another year TinMan was held in Napa. Nothing like the Napa Valley, friends, and great competition!

John Gurr came back from a shattered pelvis injured, while kite-surfing to compete in Tin XIII. He won the TinHead award, but more importantly, proved how the human spirit can overcome.

Every year is a different story, all with a common theme. Work hard, play hard. People ask me, “What is Tin?” My standard respons, “…it’s a great 14 mile ride, followed by a 6 mile run, followed by a great party.” Drinking fine tequilla from the TinMan Cup, which has a crack running through it, is an experience all of its own. The Tin Cup has a dead spider locked in the crack from its own web, just waiting for the right moment to plunge out of the cup and down with the drink. Mix all this with great music, old friends and new friends…you have the formula for good times and very few rules.

2008 marks the first year we are raising money and awareness for breast cancer. It is our hope that we can make a difference now and in the future. Thank you for your generosity.

Roy Heine