
It would be easy to remember Pete Makowski as just a great bike racer. Most of us in the cycling community associate him with incredible natural talent, and unlimited potential on a bicycle, but that was really just one small side of this amazing guy.
In addition to his athletic ability, Pete was also a conscientious and safe rider, and it is this quality we most want to celebrate and honor. He was well
known on the team for often riding miles out of his way to avoid roads and routes that he considered unsafe. He knew that his safety had to begin with the choices he made, and that is something we want all riders, competitive or not, to emulate. If you'd like to know more about our friend, please read on. He was an inspiring guy, and we were all better for knowing him.
Pete was something special on a bicycle. He had only been riding for a couple of years when we met him in the summer of 2012, and he only competed for half of the 2013 season, but he made quite a mark in that short time.
All of us on the Allegiant Cycling Team had humbling experiences with him at one time or another. Guys on the team and in the local racing community who naturally believed they should be better than someone so inexperienced quickly learned that raw ability can often trump experience as he often put even the best riders into difficulty on rides.
He looked like he should be too big to climb, and yet he could climb with the best, and if he could climb, he shouldn't be able to sprint, yet he proved to be pretty quick in field sprints too. I honestly believe his true gift was going to be time trialing, but we only got to see him compete in a few of those.
He won his first race ever with a 20 minute solo breakaway, and in his first actual TT at the Valley of Fire Stage Race he set one of the overall fastest times of the day, even when compared to the Pro 1,2 field.
Most people who knew Pete didn't know that he had a similar reputation in the motocross world. He had been racing dirt bikes since he was a kid, and from all accounts took to it just as fast and with the same focus we saw in cycling. Guys who rode or raced motocross with him describe him in much the same way we do; incredibly strong, amazing endurance, and tons of talent. I've mentioned him to guys who never met him face to face, but who also race motocross, and every time the response is something like "Pete Makowski?! That guy was sooo fast!"
Pete made his living as a private aircraft mechanic, and again is only remembered for his perfectionism and talent. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is generally regarded as the best school of its kind anywhere, and quickly built a reputation as one of the best mechanics in the business.
He applied his mechanical expertise to Gulfstreams, Falcons, and Learjets, but most people who knew him associated him more with what he did to his beloved cars and trucks. Whether he was slapping twin turbo chargers on his Chevy pickup, tuning a Mitsubishi Evo to 500hp, or building a race car out of a Cadillac sedan, he was happiest under the hood of whatever happened to be in his garage.
Regardless of what he could have charged for the work he could do, he was just as happy to help some of his less mechanically inclined friends with their car repairs, and never hesitated to drop what he was doing to help anyone.
Finally, Pete is remembered for being the happiest, most kind, and most humble person any of us have ever met. Despite his many enviable talents, it is impossible to find anyone who has a negative memory of the guy. This is especially unusual in the world of competitive sports, where it often seems people spend half their time trying to look for a failing in their fellow competitors. Pete just didn't inspire that kind of attitude. Instead he inspired all of us to be better, and to work harder.
Please join all of us, and Pete's wonderful family; his father John, and his big brother and sister Paul and Leah, in riding safely and enjoying this great sport for years to come.
In addition to his athletic ability, Pete was also a conscientious and safe rider, and it is this quality we most want to celebrate and honor. He was well
known on the team for often riding miles out of his way to avoid roads and routes that he considered unsafe. He knew that his safety had to begin with the choices he made, and that is something we want all riders, competitive or not, to emulate. If you'd like to know more about our friend, please read on. He was an inspiring guy, and we were all better for knowing him.
Pete was something special on a bicycle. He had only been riding for a couple of years when we met him in the summer of 2012, and he only competed for half of the 2013 season, but he made quite a mark in that short time.
All of us on the Allegiant Cycling Team had humbling experiences with him at one time or another. Guys on the team and in the local racing community who naturally believed they should be better than someone so inexperienced quickly learned that raw ability can often trump experience as he often put even the best riders into difficulty on rides.
He looked like he should be too big to climb, and yet he could climb with the best, and if he could climb, he shouldn't be able to sprint, yet he proved to be pretty quick in field sprints too. I honestly believe his true gift was going to be time trialing, but we only got to see him compete in a few of those.
He won his first race ever with a 20 minute solo breakaway, and in his first actual TT at the Valley of Fire Stage Race he set one of the overall fastest times of the day, even when compared to the Pro 1,2 field.
Most people who knew Pete didn't know that he had a similar reputation in the motocross world. He had been racing dirt bikes since he was a kid, and from all accounts took to it just as fast and with the same focus we saw in cycling. Guys who rode or raced motocross with him describe him in much the same way we do; incredibly strong, amazing endurance, and tons of talent. I've mentioned him to guys who never met him face to face, but who also race motocross, and every time the response is something like "Pete Makowski?! That guy was sooo fast!"
Pete made his living as a private aircraft mechanic, and again is only remembered for his perfectionism and talent. He attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is generally regarded as the best school of its kind anywhere, and quickly built a reputation as one of the best mechanics in the business.
He applied his mechanical expertise to Gulfstreams, Falcons, and Learjets, but most people who knew him associated him more with what he did to his beloved cars and trucks. Whether he was slapping twin turbo chargers on his Chevy pickup, tuning a Mitsubishi Evo to 500hp, or building a race car out of a Cadillac sedan, he was happiest under the hood of whatever happened to be in his garage.
Regardless of what he could have charged for the work he could do, he was just as happy to help some of his less mechanically inclined friends with their car repairs, and never hesitated to drop what he was doing to help anyone.
Finally, Pete is remembered for being the happiest, most kind, and most humble person any of us have ever met. Despite his many enviable talents, it is impossible to find anyone who has a negative memory of the guy. This is especially unusual in the world of competitive sports, where it often seems people spend half their time trying to look for a failing in their fellow competitors. Pete just didn't inspire that kind of attitude. Instead he inspired all of us to be better, and to work harder.
Please join all of us, and Pete's wonderful family; his father John, and his big brother and sister Paul and Leah, in riding safely and enjoying this great sport for years to come.
In the early years, 3 Feet for Pete was about keeping Pete's spirit alive and hoping he would never be forgotten. We have since felt a desire to broaden the scope of what our event is really about.
We've decided to change the name of our event to a "Ride to Remember" in honor of the many friends and teammates that have been killed on NV roadways.
In partnership with SNVBC, Ghost Bikes Las Vegas, and LV5, we roll out a new objective to always remember those we've lost and always remember to make safe choices on the roadways.
-Tony Gebbia, Co-Founder of 3 Feet for Pete
We've decided to change the name of our event to a "Ride to Remember" in honor of the many friends and teammates that have been killed on NV roadways.
In partnership with SNVBC, Ghost Bikes Las Vegas, and LV5, we roll out a new objective to always remember those we've lost and always remember to make safe choices on the roadways.
-Tony Gebbia, Co-Founder of 3 Feet for Pete