Barry Bonds apparently has become an avid biker who looks a lot smaller than he did as a perennial baseball all-star.
A frequent visitor to San Francisco’s AT&T Park over the past few years, seeing him out in public is not that much of a surprise in the Bay area.
But baseball’s all-time home run leader has caused a bit of a stir on the Internet after being recently spotted in Colorado with a thinner frame on an expensive bicycle.
Bonds, as the photo shows, has lost a bit of his bulk since he last played in 2007. When he was pounding home runs at a remarkable rate, reaching the all-time career high of 762, he was a lot more buff. The picture was requested by and taken with former Cal pitcher Adam Gold as Bonds stopped for a breather at Independence Pass — a spot in the Rocky Mountains that boasts an elevation of 12,095 feet into the Colorado sky.
For a little perspective, Gold stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 185 pounds.
The 48-year-old Bonds has become an avid cyclist in retirement and is not playing around with how he gets around.
Bonds rides $16,000 Pinarello racing bike. He entered the 2011 El Tour de Tuscon, according to Yahoo! Sports and recently arrived in Aspen to take the 3 1/2-hour trip up to Independence Pass.
Bond goes up for the Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time this winter. How he is perceived by voters after all the controversy and speculation regarding alleged steroid use will make his vote quite interesting, to say the least.
It is likely Bonds will not be able to ride off into the Hall of Fame sunset on the first go ‘round – whether on a bicycle or not. There has been talk for years of arrogant baseball writers who vote to “punish” Bonds, event though he has never tested positive for steroids. Looking super trim now, however, likely will prompt detractors to raise and eyebrow or two.
