Pedaling Power : Mayor Cycles Into High Gear as He Takes His Passion for Biking Public

Sure, he’s got a $100-million fortune. He hobnobs with corporate CEOs. And he governs the second-largest city in America. But here atop Mulholland Drive, surveying his city, Richard Riordan is just another sweaty guy on a mountain bike.

Another cyclist wants to know: “So . . . what do you do?”

When Riordan responds with peals of laughter, it’s clear he is exhilarated at retaining a bit of anonymity after a month as mayor of Los Angeles. “They say the best disguise is not to change your looks, it’s to be out of context,” the city’s chief executive says.

But the Lycra-clad mayor behind the handlebars is not likely to seem out of context for long. Riordan has been riding with friends and business associates for years. He has given the slip to his police bodyguard, taking off on a couple of solo rides since taking office July 1. And on Saturday, the mayor plans to take his pedaling passion public--inviting his constituents to cycle with him from Marina del Rey to the Venice boardwalk.

The ride, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at Fisherman’s Village on Fiji Way, will give Riordan an opportunity to pursue his favorite pastime while promoting fitness and alternative transportation.

It’s also a chance for his handlers to hone his image as a vigorous leader who is comfortable among his constituents. The mayor’s press office hopes to make such rides a routine.

But it’s clear that for Riordan, 63, biking is not just for show. He has toured Europe seven times on wheels and pedals far up the Malibu coast with a group of top-flight riders.

“It’s sort of like meditation,” Riordan said of his favorite sport. “It’s good to be out by yourself and unload the excess baggage of life.”

Riordan’s emergence as the city’s No. 1 pedal pusher also may help repair an athletic ego bruised when he jogged through Washington in late June with President Clinton.

The then-mayor-elect pooped out early and accepted a ride in the stragglers’ van. A chagrined Riordan concedes: “I was really out of shape.”

But an election campaign exercise hiatus is over. Riordan has asked his staff to keep his calendar open at least three mornings a week for a tortuous 45-minute spin on mountain roads near his Brentwood home.

Aides even hope to make riding with Riordan the Southern California equivalent of a jog with the President--a precious opportunity to cop a few hours of quality time with a top political leader.

Riordan already has been cycling with rich and powerful friends for more than two decades. On weekend mornings, the mayor can be found barreling through creeks and over narrow, shale trails with the likes of home building magnate Eli Broad and heavyweight developer Rob Maguire. Or he might be on the Coast Highway, tucked near the back of a pack of regulars that includes publishing executive Rick Guerin and renowned molecular biologist David Eisenberg.

Fallen junk bond king Michael Milken stoked his enthusiasm for mountain biking with the gift of a new bike. Favorite courses include the dusty fire roads and rigorous rock trails around Sullivan and Mandeville canyons.

On a recent Saturday morning, Riordan led a two-hour jaunt through the Santa Monica Mountains with an eclectic group that included actor Ed Begley Jr., Deputy Mayor Michael Keeley, a young computer entrepreneur, a reporter, a photographer and the mayor’s police bodyguard.

Although the ride was more about camaraderie than competition, Riordan had no trouble riding with or ahead of his younger entourage.

At the summit, after a steep, five-mile ascent, Riordan and company encountered other riders enjoying the view. They said they were pleasantly surprised to see that the new mayor was one of their own.

“It’s excellent to see him up here, especially considering how much trouble the Santa Monica Mountains are having with development,” said Mike Messinger. “Obviously, all of us mountain bikers would like to see nothing but trails up here.”

Messinger’s friend Steve Kramer also appreciated the mayor’s enthusiasm, but questioned his judgment. “If he doesn’t start wearing a helmet,” said Kramer, an engineer and avid rider, “we won’t have a mayor much longer.”

Riordan explains that he gets too hot to wear a helmet in the dry, chaparral-covered hills. And, besides, he reasons, he is riding too slowly to be seriously injured.

When riding on the street, he says, he always wears a helmet--which may have saved his life last December. Zipping down a steep hill at night, he failed to see a speed bump until the last moment and flipped several times. Riordan’s shoulder was badly separated and had to be surgically repaired, an injury that left him stiff and uncomfortable in early campaign appearances.

“We should know from his financial statement that he is a risk-taker,” said Keeley, the 40-year-old deputy mayor. “It’s unfortunate that he sometimes takes those risks with his body.”

Riordan brushes off the December accident and several other spills over the years that have bumped him, bruised him and cracked his ribs. He says, matter-of-factly, “That’s going to happen if you do any amount of riding.”

And a goodly amount he has done.

Most of his long-distance trips have been around Europe with relatives and friends. But three years ago, he took a solitary 19-day tour around Poland, which became more like an ascetic retreat because of the dearth of hotels, restaurants and markets. Riordan camped or stayed in monasteries and bummed food where he could.

“Great thoughts would come out of my mind as I was riding around alone. I would stop and write them down,” he recalled. “Then I came home and read them and they didn’t seem so great.”

Back at home, Riordan hopes three days of riding a week and an occasional jog around the block or on his bedroom treadmill will keep him in fine mayoral fettle. A solid B-grade tennis player, he has had little time to play since his entry into politics. But one partner said he remains a “ferocious” competitor on the court who is always on the prowl for a tough doubles partner.

His favorite sporting endeavor, though, is a leisurely cycling tour. “I like to take a few hours, not make an athletic event out of it. Maybe run a few errands,” Riordan said. “Or tuck a book in the back of my shorts and ride down to Venice and have breakfast.”

Such urges have had to be curbed for security reasons since he became mayor. When he goes out now it is supposed to be with a police officer who totes a radio and a pistol.

That is a little confining for a man who could ride unknown and undetected through the streets of his city less than a year ago.

Riordan acknowledges that he has given his bodyguards the slip a couple of times. The officers say he once pedaled off for some late-night tacos and, another time, he ran a few errands.

“It’s a little uncomfortable,” he said of the near-constant escorts. “A person needs to have their own territory and to have some freedom. I miss that a bit.”