Cycling has been my first love for quite a long time. Ever since I was a punk kid in Maryland in the early 1970's my vehicle for escape and adventure has had two wheels, two pedals, and lots of imagination attached.
Fortunately, my wife has grown to understand and accept this, and support it as she reaps the benefts of my physical and mental health being maintained by the secondary effects of cycling.
My riding is domeinated heavly by off-road riding. I'm not sure and I really don't care how it came about that way, but I'm sure Evel Knievel had something to do with it. At this point however it is more about long rides enjoying nature, the comeraderie of good friends, and let's face it ... the ability to ride a bike on stuff that many people ( most? ) think absolutely crazy. Not that I'm into the Big Drop and Stunt thing that has been popularized by the Mtn Dew crowd, just rocky- root- fresh and fruity trails.
Living in central Texas since 1999 has definitely caused a severe ramp-up in my cycling skills, where I am now much more comfortable with trails and obstacles that would have made me go "whaaaa" ten years ago. Of course, this education and growth has not been without pain and suffering. I've finally managed break a bone cycling ( left wrist, late fall 2002 ) and I have managed to set a somewhat nefarious record for breaking bike parts (e.g. frame) in 2002 (broke frame/fork a total of five times in ten months, no drop/ramp larger than 24 inches ever hit but LOTS of rocky mileage). I'm not sure what my east-coast friends are going to think of me next time we ride together.
I do find it interesting to note that at the (nearly) age of 40 I'm a better and healthier cyclist and more accomplished than I have been in over ten years. I like it, I just wish I could have done this ten years ago and had even MORE fun.
... more to come ...