my bike

I don’t have the energy for work but I’m not entirely ready for bed and I don’t know any in-between, so I’ll write about my bike.

When I get on the thing...I don’t know. It makes me feel a certain way. Free, almost, maybe. Complete? No, too dramatic. Harmonious. That’s it. I don’t know how else to describe it. When I ride I feel in harmony. With what? Not sure, but with something. It feels natural. Similar to using hand tools, which become a very real extension of my body when I use them, riding a bike extends my body, the bike and I become one. Weird to say, but that’s what I just said, so there it is.

Last year I bought a new bike for myself, the first one I ever bought for myself. There’s so much that goes into that very statement that I am going to leave unsaid. But, either way, said or not, I bought my first bike for myself at the age of 37. I picked it out myself, with the help of my local cycle shop, paid for it, and so on. It sat locked up all winter, which made me sad. Next winter I hope to do better at getting out (when safe to do so). It is a Jamis Renegade S3. A beauty of a bike. I’ve had it for just about a year now and love every minute I am on it.

Riding a bike is such a wonderful thing to do. You can go slow, or fast. You can stop to look at something, stop to sit, and then get back on and continue. You can go places a car can’t, and it is faster than walking, so you can travel farther and experience more of the world in a reasonable amount of time.

I remember last year when I was riding along the river, there was a moment that I was keeping pace with a bird, some type of egret, who was flying a foot or so above the surface of the water. We were almost eye level, moving at the same speed, and then he broke off and started to work his way across the river. It was awesome. There would have been no other way to experience that, flying together.

I’m looking forward to riding more this year, especially now that the weather broke (Spring is finally here). Daily riding is my goal. Weekend rides with Mozzie as-well. I got him a new bike last year, his first mountain bike. We enjoy riding together, and he has phenomenal endurance and pace for his age. An activity I hope we can do for many years together.

Alright. I’m tired now. Thanks for reading :-)
~ Aaron

One more photo, of Mozzie last Summer.