I Just Love To Ride

Maybe it is the weather at this time of year. Maybe it is the fact that I've put on about 30 pounds this winter due to my sedentary ways. Maybe it is the ridiculously high petrol prices right now. I don't know what it is exactly, but I just love to ride. Everyone starts riding bikes at a young age when it really is the only transportation (other than one's feet) to get around. Most people pretty much forget about bikes after they turn 16, get a car, and open a whole new world for themselves. When I was 18 and at the University of Iowa, I bought a cheap mountain bike to get myself around campus (as many of us do when we don't have our cars at school). It only lasted another two semesters - my tenure at Iowa - the bike came home with me. From then on, I started riding more for fun than for transportation. At 21, I procured a nice Gary Fisher Kai Tai mountain bike from a friend who had barely used it. When you have the proper equipment, it can make the experience that much more enjoyable and I began riding even more.
I then moved out to Colorado - with mountain biking opportunities abound. I began by taking my steed up and down the foothills around Fort Collins. Then, as I met more like-minded people, I learned about bombing the ski hills at the resorts in the summers. All the while, this same bike was also taking me to and from my classes, my friends' houses, and the downtown bars. I had a car there, but I liked riding my bike more.
Inevitably, I moved back to RockVegas. After a few months at home, I realized that I had gained some significant weight and decided that I needed to lose it for various reasons. What did I do? I got back on my bike and started riding the same routes I had from before I left the first time. Except now, instead of driving my bike to the trails I liked - I rode my bike there and back. Once I began to see improvements in these rides, I began to make them longer on purpose to see how far I could go. I started at about 4 miles round trip and worked my way up to about 15 miles round trip. Not only was I having the time of my life, but I also started to drop pounds off of my frame.
Even in what I call my "dark period" in Minnesota, I found a will and a way to get my fix in for riding. I culled a route like I normally do (exploring and eventually finding my way around) and followed it succinctly for the entire short summer while I was there. It was actually a major source of happiness - almost an escape - for me at that time.
Then, after moving back to my capital of fun, I found that it was about an 8 mile ride on paths from my house to my place of work - perfect! I began riding to and from work a couple of years ago now. I found that it was literally better than a cup of coffee to get me going in the morning and a perfect way to de-stress from a long day at work.
Now, all this time, I had been riding my trusty Gary Fisher mountain bike all over the roads. I was learning about bike maintenance and aerodynamics. I never really had a desire to switch over to a sleek road bike. They just seemed small and delicate and I'm a big guy. In numerous chats with my neighbor, who had just finished riding a road bike from Seattle to Portland, Maine, I realized I might actually benefit from a road bike. The problem was affording one. Of course I could have gone to Wal-Mart and bought the cheap bike they had on special, but, with the amount of annual miles approaching a couple thousand, I knew the cheapos wouldn't be able to keep up with me.
So, last year, when I blew-out the rear wheel of my Gary Fisher, I used the opportunity to buy a used Cannondale R800 off of ebay. On my first ride, I snapped the chain right off. After a minor repair, I began my new relationship with the Cannondale. It lit a new fire under me. Instead of just endurance, I began to train for speed and timing. I started replacing the nice gearing and braking equipment with more expensive - and lighter - high end models. I also started feeling how the forces of wind can affect me as I push pedals against or with it. It became less of a fun mode of transportation and more of an obsession that I longed to get better at.
Of course, winter in the mid west always rears its ugly head and I blew-out another wheel which I put-off fixing until I had more money. Days turned into weeks which turned into months and I did not start riding again until this week (I know, I'm lazy too). Today, as I pulled-up to my office, I realized how good I really felt. Why did I ever stop again? It's exhilarating to feel the rush of blood couple with the push of the wind as I cross the 30mph mark and I still feel just like I did when my Dad let go of my seat when I was 5. Awesome.