Broken but Beautiful: Bikes biKeS bikes BIkEs BIKES

So, I’ve gotta thing for bikes :)

From the training wheels to the jeweled and noisy spokes with streamers whipping my hands, I learned how to ride a bike as a little kid, like most do. It wasn’t until college, though, for the love relationship to begin. It was then that a friend introduced me to the pure joy of riding a bike. The feelings of giddiness and delight, freedom and speed, and laughter and sheer joy continue to bloom to this day.

My friend convinced me to get a bike to ride around campus and to go on bike rides with him and others. I was definitely skeptical at first. How could something as seemingly simple as bike riding be as fun and enjoyable as he said? I mean, there’s congestion on campus with everyone walking to and from classes and then there was the fact that campus was not bike-friendly (we had no bike lane, for example). Nevertheless, one weekend I brought my oldest brother’s mountain bike to my dorm after a weekend at home. Life was never the same.

I rode that bike in full force for years. I rode with several friends over the years who also had the bike-riding bug. They knew. Like only fellow cyclists can know. So, we went gallivanting around our college town during the day and even the night, of which “night rides” are still a favorite of mine.

Surprisingly, the reasons why I thought riding a bike would be a bad idea became reasons to ride. I still don’t like congestion anywhere I go, but I make a game out of it. It’s like Frogger. I’m on my bike trying to avoid all the pedestrians, curbs, and whatnot to make it to my destination. It was a challenge to find the best bike routes on campus or the best times to ride (i.e. not much traffic), and I accepted it. I like the feeling of slight invincibility while on my bike, going fast without a care while dodging people and cars alike.

My alma mater eventually made a bike lane, which helped a little. When it was new, people didn’t pay much attention to it. Now, if you don’t, you’ll be run over. Look over that shoulder. Don’t stupidly walk in the bike lane. Don’t meander into it while texting. I’ve even heard a tour group warning incoming, uninformed students to look before crossing the narrow lane. Words of wisdom, for I must confess that I can sometimes be a snooty biker. I’m going fast and I like it. If you get in my way, that’s your problem and there might be nasty consequences.

Over the years, I’ve kept that mountain bike and have gained other bikes to go on joy rides or simply to get from point A to point B. Some think it’s ridiculous to have as many bicycles as I do, but I think they’re a bit ridiculous. Of course, there’s the sentimental reason to keep a bike or two that I have, but there are practical reasons, too. I ride my mountain bike for when I’m feeling tough and want to jump curbs. I ride my cruiser bike for when I want to slowly ride around looking at the scenery. I ride my road bike for, duh, riding on the road and to get somewhere fast(er). Three bikes helps to make a good life. Plus, you never know when someone who doesn’t have a bike will want to ride. I’ve gotcha covered.

Now, even though I’ve owned several bikes and ridden different ones in the past, I truly have only loved three bikes. They are my mountain bike, my road bike, and my adopted bike. The love for my mountain bike is obvious since it was my first to really ride on, but it also belonged to my oldest brother who died ten years ago. My road bike is “my little red” and was my first roadster. Lots of great memories, some vivid close calls, and two big scars all prove our bond. The last bike is a love because I feel responsible for the owner getting it. Quite frankly, I remember my “cutely excited” self saying, “You should get a road bike!!” so I think I was the friend that sparked the bike-loving life for them. Maybe not, but I still took that road bike in as my own and bestowed on him the epic name of Plutonium Amadeus C… or PAC. *the C stands for a last name and I don’t like to give names…

Like I said, I’ve had other bikes and lots of fun memories because of them. For instance, I got a bike while in England and can still remember lugging groceries to and from the store and my mini house. Another absolutely great bicycle time was with my brother in Paris, France, when we went on a bike tour of the city and had sweet names for our respective bikes. In the same vein, I rode around on a bicycle in Amsterdam, which is a very bicycle-friendly city, while visiting a friend. Finally, my most recent (and one of my most favorite) bike adventure was in New England riding around the beautiful Cape Cod trails. Such good times.

I know bicycles will always be in my life. They will carry people into my life and will definitely leave memories. Although, even if I’m riding alone like today, I truly can’t help but smile as I feel the sun shining, the breeze blowing, my legs pumping, and my heart happy.