Why I ride

Recently I have been reading excerpts of people who ride their bikes and why they ride. The stories have inspired me to write a little blurb as to why I ride.

When I was in the 4th grade, we moved into our new house. It was an exciting time for me. I finally got my own room. No more sharing. The first Christmas in our new home is one of the very few Christmases that I actually remember as a child. Santa did not disappoint this young lady. There in front of my eyes was my very own bicycle, complete with front brakes, and no banana seat. I don't know how long I rode that bike. At the time, my classroom was in a trailer that was just south of the school playground. Surrounding the trailers were trees, if I remember correctly they were Aspen trees, or some of the like. I would ride my bike to school, infrequently I might add, and lock my bike to the tree. As beautiful as my bike was, I only remember riding it a handful of times. I was too lazy to do any more and my mom usually drove us the less than half mile to school. We were spoiled.

Fast forward to 1997, the year I got married, and I would have my first mountain bike -- a Gary Fisher that cost a whopping $500. I could probably count on my one hand how many times I actually rode my new bike. I was 19 years old, married, and still lazy. My husband would ride his bike to college and I would drive our car to work. After work I would lay on the couch and nap. For whatever reason I was no longer able to keep my eyes open.

We moved a couple of times during the time that my husband went to college. Each time we took our bikes with us, and they sat and collected dust. After we had two children, we purchased a bike trailer and I dusted off the old Gary Fisher and pulled my little kids around town. This too was done infrequently.

When my daughter was almost a year old and my post-pardom depression was finally being treated, I was invited to do a triathlon with my neighbor. At the time I was running with her and she thought it might be fun to try a swim/bike/run event. I agreed, that it did sound like fun, and I signed up with her. 

From January to June I taught myself how to swim, rode my bike infrequently...again...and continued to run 3 miles 3x a week. I remember the first time I decided that I was going to ride 12 miles. I had strapped my kids into the trailer and began my ride. About half way into my ride, it began to pour down rain. My babies were crying, I was miserable, and I called my husband to come and get us. He thought I was crazy to even attempt riding 12 whole miles.

One week before my first triathlon, I rode my mountain bike with my training partner and a few other people from the neighborhood. They all had road bikes and I didn't believe that my bike made me slower until that day. It was a miserable realization to me that no matter how hard I pedaled, I was not going to keep up with the roadies. The following week I borrowed a road bike from the local bike shop. Eight months later, I bought my first road bike - a Trek Pilot 2.1 WSD for $849. 

I began riding more often and even rode a century on that bike. On October 9, 2009 my Pilot was put to rest after being hit by a car. Bikes don't ride very well when the front tire meets the back tire.

I now own a Fezzari CR3 road bike. She is beautiful, and light. She rides smoothly and she takes me to far and away places. 

My bike allows me to leave my troubles on the road. From mini rides around the neighborhood with the kids, to 75-mile rides through beautiful canyons, my bike keeps me grounded.

This weekend I am riding 100 miles to help beat cancer. I am riding for Pip, who lost her battle with cancer just two short weeks ago. I am riding to make a difference in a life.

That is why I ride.