Story by GREG DREVENSTEDT

IN THE APRIL 1994 ISSUE , which celebrated Rider ’ s 20th anniversary , founding publisher Denis Rouse wrote a piece about the magazine ’ s origins called “ In the Beginning ,” which included the following :

I was adrift in turgid tides of self- doubt . My first marriage had failed miserably , and I was working for my father … One cool , steel- gray morning back then I was sitting at my desk staring out the window at the parking lot . I was wondering what to do next . The Watergate affair was nearing its ugly conclusion with Nixon ’ s resignation . Alan Ginsberg ’ s The Fall of America won the National Book Award . Evel Knievel was preparing an attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon with a rocket- powered motorcycle . And our RV magazines were reeling from the groin shot of the Arab oil embargo . 1974 was a difficult year . Confusion and disarray were everywhere . I wasn ’ t alone .

The parking lot yielded no answers until Bob Mendel showed up . He was riding a Brit green Dunstall Norton Commando . As usual , he was late for work . His marriage was rocky , and he was working for my father too . We were becoming fast friends . But until that morning , I had no idea about the motorcycle . I wasn ’ t riding much anymore . My own bike , a Harley Sportster , was as hard to kickstart as my spirit . I watched Mendel remove his helmet . His cheeks were reddened by the wind . He looked strangely happy for a man in a condition that resembled mine . The minute he walked in , I said , “ Bob , let ’ s do it . Let ’ s start a motorcycle magazine . I have a feeling it won ’ t be like a real job .”

Launching Rider was a team effort . As Mendel wrote in “ Rider and The Road ,” a look- back piece published in the 10th anniversary issue ( July 1984 ): “ As we began , Denis had a vision , I had enthusiasm , Bill [ Estes ] had technical expertise , and Dick Blom knew how to get out on the road and tour .”

In early 1974 , Rouse , Mendel , and Estes took a ride up California Highway 1 to capture photos and impressions for Rider ’ s first issue . Mendel served as editor for the first two issues , followed by Estes from 1975 until 1983 .

I recently caught up with Bill on the phone at his home in Prescott , Arizona .

Greg : How did you get involved with Rider ?

Bill : I started with TL [ Trailer Life Publishing ] in 1968 . RVing was a hobby of mine , and I had done some freelancing for Art Rouse , Denis ’ father . I had been working at the L . A . Times and was getting tired of the newspaper business . When Rider got started , I was already busy working as editor on one RV magazine and tech editor on another .

Greg : How did you become the editor of Rider ?

Bill : The gas crisis severely affected the RV business . We lost more than half of our advertising . Art Rouse had to make cuts , and Bob Mendel was one of them . Art and Denis looked around and asked , “ Who ’ s going to do this magazine ?” I was wearing several hats already and added one more . I was willing to do it because it sounded exciting , and it was .

Greg : Bob continued writing his Morning Run column and was a contributing editor for years . Dick Blom wrote his Rapping column as well as bike and product tests . How did he get involved ?

Bill : Blom was fantastic . He was a serious , experienced touring rider . He was retired Air Force , and he and his wife spent a lot of time motorcycle touring when not many people did . Dick was very analytical , and he was product , comfort , and safety oriented . He turned out to be one of my best friends . Dick was an enthusiast for a lot of things , a real adventurer . He enjoyed fishing in Baja , and we rode motorcycles down to Cabo San Lucas a couple of times . He died in 2014 .

Greg : What were those early tour test rides like ?

Bill : A lot of rides turned out to be Denis , Blom , and me . A few other guys rotated in and out , like Bob , Alan Tratner , and Denis ’ buddy Sonny Elmore . I was right behind Elmore when he hit that Datsun on Mount Palomar [ as Rouse wrote about in “ The Rear View ” in last month ’ s Exhaust Note ]. I thought , Holy cow , he ’ s not gonna come up . But he got right up , walked over to the bike , and picked it up .

We were kind of dumb back then and learning on the job . On one of our trips , we took off across the desert in the middle of the summer on a Triumph , a Norton , and another bike – I forgot what it was – and it was hotter than hell . We had open- face helmets and no fairings . We got over to Arizona and then had to go back . It was nuts .

Denis didn ’ t have much knowledge about long- distance riding back then . I didn ’ t ride a motorcycle before working at Rider , and I was learning the whole thing from Blom , who had so much experience and had the safety thing figured out .

A lot of those test trips were fantastic adventures . There were dozens of them . We ’ d cross two or three states just to test two or three motorcycles , so it was pretty cool . Manufacturers were bringing out new bikes all the time . It was a great time to be in that business .

Greg : What did you do after Rider ?

Bill : When Tash [ Matsuoka ] became editor in 1983 , I went back to work on RV magazines . I retired in 2006 and hit the road in a motorhome for 15 or 16 years before settling down in Prescott .

From left , Bill Estes , Dick Blom , and Bob Mendel on a ride up to Big Sur for the 10th anniversary issue of Rider .

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