For the Love of Bikes

Life is better on a bike!

Page 63 of 102

Redman Photos

Redman 2011 is over, but thanks to pictures and memories, I won’t soon forget it!

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Overall Time: 4:30:40

Swim: 52:12

Transition: 10:53

Bike: 3:27:37

Sharing Your Story

For the Love of Bikes began out of a love of any and all things bike related and a desire to connect with others who shared that love. [Disclaimer: no love for flat tires, accidents of any kind or mechanical problems.]

That connection has come from your comments here over the years and an occasional guest post and occasional meetup.  We have heard a number of great stories about how you started biking again and why you still ride. Stories about health problems, personal events, or people that have propelled you to get back on the bike and ride.

It is our belief that there are many interesting stories among readers: whether it is when you first started riding, started riding again, or why you still ride, FTLOB would love to read and share them.

To that end FTLOB has added a page entitled Your Story. Please visit Your Story and share your stories by leaving a comment on the page. Include as much information as you would like. Continue to check back to see what we hope will be many personal stories centered around the love of bikes.

Share the Love

While out riding yesterday, I rode by a family of three that looked to be getting started on a family bike ride.

Just as I was about to say hello, the little girl of about seven, said loudly, “Look there goes a biker!” as if to say, see it’s easy – we can do it!

The apparent parents were straddling their bikes, discussing something outside of earshot, but the little girl seemed more than ready to ride.

It’s actually pretty rare where I live to see a family out riding together. For that matter it’s rare to see a group of people out for a casual ride.  Come to think of it, it actually isn’t that common to even see kids on bikes anymore.

Yesterday with its perfect weather was the kind of day to enjoy on a bike. Maybe the little girl was the one to suggest to her parents that they should go ride – little girls can be persuasive about biking – as Memorial Day Memory attests.

Whatever the reason, it was nice to see. And, all too unusual unfortunately.

Which brings me back to where I began:  Share the Love.

Sharing our love of bikes and biking is one way we can get our non-riding friends and family on bikes. Chances are most of them have a bike or at least have access to one – heck, most of us have several so we could loan them one of ours – until they get the love of bikes bug and get one of their own – or two – or three.

Winking smile

As we all know:  you can never have too many bikes. But that’s another blog for another day. For now, share the love.

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Swimming

Started my morning off with a swim. The pool most days is empty when I get there, today there were two other women.

Swimming first thing in the morning is a good beginning to the day. I begin easily, swimming back and forth across the pool, focused on nothing other than moving cleanly through the water with as little disturbance as possible. It’s peaceful and relaxing while at the same time aerobically strenuous.

The rhythm of swimming and breathing regularly, bilaterally on every third stroke, makes it a kind of moving meditation.

Swimming doesn’t require me to pay attention completely the way cycling does. With swimming my five senses are involved but I’m allowed to lose myself completely in the motion. With cycling I can lose my self-awareness (e.g., the sense of being one with the bike – not separate), but I can never lose my awareness of my environment – it would be too dangerous.

Not so with swimming and that’s another thing I love about it.

Duckcoolwater

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