Bob Mionske facts for kids

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Bob Mionske

Bob Mionske, Interbike 2007
Personal information
Full name	Robert Mionske
Born	(1962-08-26) August 26, 1962 (age 62) Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Team information

Robert "Bob" Charles Mionske (born August 26, 1962) is a famous American racing cyclist. He competed in the Olympic Games twice, in 1988 and 1992. Bob was also a U.S. National Champion in 1990.

At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, he finished fourth in the Individual Road Race. After retiring from professional cycling in 1993, Bob became a lawyer. He now practices bicycle law in Portland, Oregon. Bob has written columns and a book about bicycle law, helping cyclists understand their rights.

Early Life & First Bike

Bob Mionske was born on August 26, 1962, in Evanston, Illinois. When he was a child, his family moved to Wisconsin. At age seventeen, Bob worked for his father during the summer. With his earnings, he bought a new touring bike.

Bob spent many hours riding his new bike. He explored the forests and lakes of Wisconsin. After high school, he went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. There, he used an old cruiser to get around campus.

How Bob Started Racing

Bob first got into competitive sports through ski racing at university. One day, he noticed a classmate with shaved legs, a sign of a bicycle racer. Bob talked to his classmate, Colin O'Brien, who was an amateur bike racer. Colin gave Bob advice about bikes and racing. Colin later set a national hour record in 1981.

Bob's Cycling Career

Bob started bicycle racing to get fitter for ski racing. But he soon found he was better at bike racing. From then on, he focused on cycling. He began racing for amateur teams in 1986. By 1987, he was part of the Yellow Jersey team.

Olympic Dreams & Success

In 1988, Bob tried out for the U.S. Olympic cycling team. He finished third in the road racing trials, earning a spot on the team. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Bob finished a very close fourth. He had the same time as the third-place winner but lost the bronze medal by a tiny bit.

His performance was the best by an American cyclist in a "full-participation" Olympics since 1912. Because of this, the United States Cycling Federation named him the U.S. Amateur Cyclist of the Year.

National Champion & Pan-American Games

After the 1988 Olympics, Bob continued as an amateur racer. In 1990, he became the National Road Race Champion. He won the U.S. National Championships in Albany, New York. Following this win, Bob joined the United States World Championship Team. He competed in Japan.

In 1991, Bob raced in the Pan-American Games in Havana, Cuba. He finished sixth in the Men's Individual Road Race.

Second Olympics & Professional Racing

The next year, Bob again made the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He wasn't able to repeat his 1988 performance. However, he and teammate Timm Peddie helped their teammate Lance Armstrong finish 14th.

In 1993, Bob became a professional racer. His team, the Saturn Cycling Team, became a professional team. Bob won 8 races that year. At the end of 1993, he retired from racing. He stayed with Team Saturn as Team Director for 1994. After that, Bob left racing to study law at Willamette University College of Law.

Bob's Legal Career

In 1999, Bob Mionske started his own law practice called Bicycle Law. He focused only on helping cyclists. Bob was a pioneer, becoming one of the world's first "bike lawyers."

He used his deep knowledge of bicycle racing to help many types of cyclists. This included amateur racers, commuters, and recreational riders. Bob even created the term "bicycle law" to describe his special field.

Writing About Bicycle Law

From 2002 to 2009, Bob wrote a column called Legally Speaking for VeloNews. This column was all about bicycle law. In 2007, he wrote a book titled Bicycling & the Law: Your Rights As A Cyclist.

In 2009, Bob started writing Road Rights for Bicycling Magazine. This column also covered bicycle law and related social issues. In 2015, he returned to writing his Legally Speaking column for VeloNews.

Bob also helped start the Bike Law Network. This is a group of bicycle accident lawyers across the country. Since 2021, Bob has been a partner at Coopers LLP.

Bicycling & the Law: Your Rights as a Cyclist

Bob Mionske's 2007 book, Bicycling & the Law, is a guide to U.S. bicycle law. It explains legal topics for everyday cyclists. It was the first book like it since The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen, published in 1895.

Bob's book teaches cyclists about their legal rights and responsibilities. It covers how to handle traffic tickets and common accidents. It also explains what to do if you are in an accident. The book discusses how cyclists can get insurance and deal with harassment. It also covers lemon laws, warranties, and how to protect against bicycle theft.

Achievements (Palmarès)

What Others Say About Bob

• Lance Armstrong: "He'll do anything to get your attention off the race."
• Roy Knickman: "He was just a fighter on the bike. Very strong, very powerful. He could fight on the climbs and sprint with the best. Very few people have done that in American cycling."
• Robert Egger: "I loved racing criteriums and time trials; I was Wisconsin state time trial champion a couple times, and raced with another Wisconsinite, Bob Mionske, who competed at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics. He's now a lawyer in Portland. When I first met him he was riding a custom bike built by Mike Appel. He came from a skiing background - crazy, no fear. He didn't know jack about bikes, though. One time we were riding and he didn't realize the gooey stuff on his wheels was from the tubular glue. Another time he complained about his brakes making too much noise; I checked out his calipers and he had worn the pads down to the metal! He was crazy; physically not the strongest, but mentally, the toughest guy I've seen on a bike."
• John Loehner, M.D.: "I had the pleasure (and pain) of racing with and against some incredibly talented people. Armstrong (pre-cancer of course), Julich, Grewal, Steve Larson, Darren Baker, Bart Bowen, the McCormack Brothers, and some big name euro pros - all of which deserve respect in their own right and most for more than one reason. Choosing one is difficult and unfair to many. However, if I have to pin down one rider my vote would have to go to Bob Mionske. We were teammates for a year and we were roommates for a number of the trips as well. His racing career speaks for itself regarding his talent and ability to win in pressure situations. He used psychology as well as his legs to win races and riled up a lot of people doing that. However, his sense of self - knowing who he was, weaknesses and strengths, tenacity, willingness to fulfill any role to succeed, and no BS attitude was among the highest I have come across."