# Rest in Peace, Dong Ngo



## 24Hours (Apr 26, 2005)

The Denver Spoke and the greater cycling community have lost a man who's dedication and love for the sport (and for having fun in life) will leave a massive void for the rest of us to fill. Like many people, Dong was many things to me. He was a salesman, a boss, a friend and a source of inspiration (sometimes for joking around). Just begin your sentence: "Hey, doo..." and anyone who has ever been to the Spoke will immediately know the origin of the humor.

He was an inspiration, because he made something of himself against great odds, and had returned to one of his great loves (tennis) after some years of "low impact" pursuits. He was a proud man and gave me some leasons as a kid on how to take pride in myself and not let things just slide.

As a manager of a bike shop and of me as a young and troubled teen-ager, he provided me with a sense of a "hop-to-it" work ethic and a greater sense of responsibility to myself and my future. Heck, I put myself through school at CU Boulder while I worked summers at the Spoke and part time in the winter. So in a sense, he was also my benefactor. 

I've lost touch with Dong a bit over the last decade as I moved to NYC as we'd talk once or twice a year when I'd return to see family, but he never allowed himself to lose his connection with me. When I worked for him, he called me "slave boy", afterall, I was the one who got his lunch, but when I was in Denver a couple months ago to see family (w/ my new family), he called me at my house in NY and told me not to bring a bike, b/c he'd lend me one for the week. And when I got to the Spoke, he didn't just give me a beater to ride for the week but a Pinarello Dogma built up with full Campy Record!! What a bike, and it was the only reason that I could make it up to Vail Pass, 35lbs heavier than the last time I rode it. But that's how good he was to his friends. 

To some people, Dong is an icon, and it seems that icons never die, and perhaps for me I never thought that I'd get the call that he'd passed away. I'll never be able to go and talk to him about my kids or wife or job, or anything again. We've lost a great man, a great salesperson, a great spokesman for cycling, a great inspiration, and I've lost a great friend.

RIP, Dong. I will miss you more than words can say.


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## fosbibr (Aug 29, 2005)

Sad news. 

Apparently there was a ride on Sunday - would have liked to participate but didn't get the chance. For those that got the chance, how was it?


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## 24Hours (Apr 26, 2005)

fosbibr said:


> Sad news.
> 
> Apparently there was a ride on Sunday - would have liked to participate but didn't get the chance. For those that got the chance, how was it?


Yes, there was a ride, and my sister who just moved back to Denver missed it too, though she and her husband were in the middle of another "Dong special". 

For those interested, visit the site the the Denver Spoke has built. More will come over time.

https://www.thedongman.com/DongNgo/


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## fleck (Mar 25, 2005)

fosbibr said:


> Sad news.
> 
> Apparently there was a ride on Sunday - would have liked to participate but didn't get the chance. For those that got the chance, how was it?


Sunday's ride was pretty nice. It was a bit of a suprise to me. I do a ride starting there normaly at noon and didn't hear about Dong until i arrived. Came around the corner and 150 people were where i'd more often just see a couple friends ready to roll. We took a nice lap around Wash Park (there were riders of all abilities) and headed out to the Cherry Creek Res. for a few laps. It was nice to see so many come out for a man who has put so much into the cycling community.


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## Hardtail (Feb 4, 2003)

VERY VERY SAD

Dong was the best

RIP buddy


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