Sam and I

*Originally published on my Wordpress blog 06.29.2020

I ride my bicycle everywhere. He’s a Trek hybrid bicycle, over 15 years old, and his name is Sam. He and I were hit by a truck once but I suffered more damage than he did. He and I also took a serious fall involving gravel on a steep decline but, again, I came out of that in worse shape than he did. I guess human skin and bones are more fragile (and harder to replace) than bicycle parts. Anyway, the point is, I love riding the bike. The highlight of my day in the non winter months is an early morning bike ride. And the highlight of the week is often a longer, more challenging Sunday morning bike ride on the rural roads outside of the town in which I live. Why Sundays? Because those roads are narrow and often have blind curves. I don’t like riding those roads when there is weekday morning traffic and even Saturday morning traffic can make the ride dangerous.

I got my first real bicycle when I was an undergraduate at San Jose State Universtiy. It was a Motobecane 10 speed road bike, very lightweight, with a 17 inch frame - quite the bike for its time. It was an expensive item in my student budget but it served as primary transportation for classes as well as for work and socializing. I carried my stuff in a backpack and I loved the portability of my life. I did end up with some neck and shoulder stuff because of the backpack but I had some physical therapy through the campus health center. I adjusted the number of books I carried at one time and Voila! A happy bicycle rider again.

When my kids were little, the only bike riding I came close to was running alongside them while they learned to ride a bike. When my son was in high school he got a job at the local bike shop and his passion for bicycles refueled my own passion. He used his discount and we bought the Trek 24 speed and I have been riding regularly since then. I am fortunate to live in a small town where I can do many errands on the bicycle. It’s a town with hills and a couple of busy two lane state highways running through it but I consider the hills to be good exercise and I know all the alternate ways to get around the highways.

What is the allure of bicycle riding for me? Let’s start with solitude. Yes, I like spending time by myself and that’s easy to do when you’re on a bicycle. I put my ear buds in and it’s just the musicians and I. No, I don’t entirely tune out the world. I have a mirror and I am watching the road in front of me and behind me AND to both sides. My eyes are wide open but my ears do enjoy the company of a wide variety of musicians and my mind enjoys my own company. After solitude, there is the allure of beautiful scenery. I live among the agricultural hills and fields of Sonoma County so the view is always splendid. Every time of year has some kind of eye candy to offer and both foggy and clear days have their appeal. I can never get enough of that eye candy.
Finally, yes, there is the physical challenge of a long bike ride. I enjoy the hard work and the feeling of accomplishment when I’ve managed to get up that hill or complete that three hour ride. I think I am fortunate to be in the physical condition that I am in. Yes, I make healthy food choices and I enjoy a regular exercise program but I also am the beneficiary of good genes. Beyond that I am just plain lucky. Cancer or some other debilitating illness has yet to invade me. I can’t take credit for luck but I can appreciate my good fortune.

Everyone has their passions and their blessings. I seem to have more than my fair share of both. My list of passions is long and varied and I am humbled by the advantages that I have been given in life. Bicycling gives me a chance to feel alive and to dance with one of my passions. It also is the perfect window to acknowledge and pay homage to all the gifts that the universe has given me.