The bikes in my life

I still remember my bike when I was a kid (in the 50's).  It was a hand-me-down 24 inch fat tired blue bike, with foot brakes.  My twin sister had a 20 incher.  It was special—it was mine!  I rode it all around the neighborhood. 

In junior high and early high school, it wasn't too cool to ride a bike, but later in high school, someone gave me their used Schwinn 10 speed.  Wow!  It got me where I needed to go. 

In college, I didn't have a bike, but one day I borrowed one and had a blast riding around in a parking lot, doing twists and turns, standing up and just loving the feeling of biking again—the gracefulness of it.  After finishing college, I went home to Maryland, got a job, and bought myself a brand new yellow 10 speed Fugi S10S.  I loved that bike!  My twin sister and I flew our bikes up to Maine and from there, rode to the ferry and then all around Nova Scotia for 2 weeks.  We also took a bike trip for 1 week along the Atlantic coast of northern Florida.  When I moved to Gainesville, Florida, I took my Fugi of course, and enjoyed riding it all around that town and surrounding rural area.  Saw a rattlesnake once, crossing the road!  My Fugi was stolen, but the police found it and returned it to me.  I didn't learn my lesson about locking it and it was stolen again.  So I went out and bought the exact same bike.  I still have that bike up in the loft of my garage, but it's outdated, heavy, rusty, etc.  On graduation from Graduate School, my sweetheart bought me a blue Gary Fisher Tassahara Mountain bike, which I love for commuting to work and riding on all the dirt roads up here in Vermont.  Nice low Granny gear.  But, I needed a fast bike too, so I bought a Klein worth $3000,  from a friend, for $1200, (probably in 2003 or so) the most I had ever spent on a bike.  I'm still riding that one, and think of it as my new fancy bike—until someone says, Hmm, you ride an old bike!  I don't really realize it's old.  It's meets my needs just fine.  I've ridden 3 century rides on it in the last 3 years, and had a lovely 9 day trip around northern Vermont this last summer.  My bike is my main vehicle for getting around, other than my feet.  I use it to commute to work, go grocery shopping and other errands, and of course for recreation.  Why do I love it?  I think it's that sense of freedom and grace.  I work hard going up hills, and love the sail down.  I love being in the fresh air, seeing the sights, noticing the smells, and doing it all with my own power.  I'm so glad I discovered the joys of riding when I was young and rediscovered it several times since then.  I don't think I'll stop riding anytime soon.  My mother still rides at age 88!  Did I get my love of riding from her?  Or did she get it from me?  Doesn't matter.  It's just great that it's a way of life for both of us!

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