The commuter bike that once again represents the simple freedom of riding a bike.
There are very few experiences as incredible as riding a bike; the wind in your face, the sensation of generating speed under your own power, the balance of forces that almost magically hold the bike suspended upright. It is the closest we humans will ever come to feeling the miracle of flight; it is the closest we can come to knowing what it must be like to be a bird.
Cycling is my passion, my greatest hobby, my obsession. From a young age, I have been taking it seriously, slowly growing my dependence and interest in life behind bars. It was during the summer when I was eight or so years old that I first set a legitimate training goal, and took to the bicycle as my primary means of summer training. It isn’t a unique story, how the bicycle intervened into a skier’s life and somehow took over, but the point is that I hardly recall a time in my life that the bicycle didn’t hold some enormous meaning for me.
Before I became a Cyclist as a pre-teen, I learned to ride a bike on the dirt trails behind my parent’s house. With this acquired skill, my range of travel increased dramatically. I could suddenly meet my friends who lived far enough away that I couldn’t walk there. I could ride to and from school, I could ride to the lake and swim with my friends. The bicycle was simple, carefree. It was freedom.
This is the great paradox of La Vie Velominatus: the more serious and passionate we become, the farther we are from that juvenile pleasure and freedom afforded by the bike. As Velominati, each ride serves a purpose, whether that purpose is to follow a training plan, feed the Good Wolf, or to spend some quality time with ourselves as introverts.
Last weekend, my girlfriend and I whimsically decided to jump on our bikes for a midnight ride around the neighborhood. No helmets, no lights, no plan; just two people riding around, choosing the route on a whim, talking about life, love, and laughing. It was perhaps the first time in more than thirty years that I felt the raw childhood whimsy of riding a bike for its own sake. It was one of my favorite rides, ever.
Cycling is indeed my passion, my hobby, my obsession; I am eternally grateful for the gift it has given me throughout my life. But somehow, I’ve lost the original connection I had to the bike from before I became a Cyclist. I am resolved to rebuild that and continue to indulge in the joyride.
Vive la Vie Velominatus.
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@frank Just curious, any chance did that midnight joyride around the neighborhood on the bike follow an earlier nice dinner and a good bottle of red wine? I might have done that once or twice or… cheers
Occasionally I feel burnt out from making every ride count. At these times, it can be a struggle to put my leg over the top tube and clip in to my Looks. When I think about it my lips contort to bare my canine teeth, (I can only assume this results from the Bad Wolf) and I emit a low groan. The body rebels against tempo, intervals, climbing repeats or whatever the program calls for and the mind allows this.
It is clear what needs to be done: I need to take a step back and enjoy the bike again. A joy ride that reminds me of how I fell in love with riding a bike in the first place. As a kid, I would get home from school and hop on my bike. There was often no purpose other than tooling around the neighborhood on those two wheels. I would lose myself in the journey and clear my mind of all else. The freedom, the simplicity, the innocence of a kid riding his bike was a joy.
Later, while attending grad school while working full time I would get stuck on stats, math, accounting, or some other such problem. I needed bike therapy fast. I would kit up, and mount my trusty steed: A white Bottecchia Chromor with a chrome fork, world champion decals (for the bike brand not me), a Sachs Bro Set (Sachs is now par of SRAM). I would clip in and go about the business of clearing my head. With riding time limited during that time of my life, I was only able to take a few hours away from my other responsibilities. At some point during those few hours, a light bulb would always go on and whatever subject that had me flummoxed was immediately clear.
The recuperative powers of a leisurely bike ride are amazing. A few hours on my Pinarello at a leisurely pace and I cannot wait to get back to the training. The mental break that an occasional joy ride can provide reminds me why I love cycling so much.
Hear, hear. Very well put. Petje af, Frank. (And nice with the 'life behind bars' pun)
As much as I enjoy (watching) bike racing, I'll always be a tourer - and a trundler - at heart. I have many fond memories of hours spent in the saddle without particular purpose, training goal or even destination - just pootling about for the sheer joy of it.
Last year, my commuter, a heavy-ass Trek hybrid, was stolen. I was upset, but not heartbroken had it been my road bike.
I wound up replacing it with a single speed CX bike with a rack on the back, and it has been a hoot! It's the bike I go riding with my family on, or just running errands after work. Serious enough that I want to push, but with the knowledge that, given its limitations, I don't have to be Mr. Serious Roadie.
It reminds me of the Schwinn Sting-Ray I had as a kid--also a single speed. And it has been a joy.
@Charles Barilleaux
Very recently acquired a Surly Straggler (in mint green of course) for general commuting, off road riding, bikepacking, etc. It definitely doesn't roll like the roadie, but it is an absolute blast to ride. Top that off with the fact that my office has a prox-access bike lockup in the basement garage and I can ride it to work and proceed stress-free through my day. About the bike no stress, anyway
In a nod to Rule 8, the saddle and bar tape are black, and the fenders are chrome to match the derailleurs and other misc hardware. She is a thing of beauty.
For a pure joyride just how large a saddlebag are we allowed to have on the bike?
@Chipomarc
I think these are the only options. Everything else is an EPMS.
@Teocalli
Those are beauties!!
@ErikdR
welcome back sir! It's been a while since thou wast here.
@Teocalli
whoever did this certainly NAILED the beer selection.