When I was a kid I rode my bike everywhere. I rode to parks, I rode to stores, I rode to church, and sometimes I simply rode my bike for fun. I never measured it, but I put a lot of miles on my bike – before I could drive, it was not only my main source of exercise, but my main mode of freedom (transportation). There was something liberating about jumping on the open road, all by yourself, and experiencing the sights and sounds of your environment and reaping the benefits of a fun workout.

And then something happened. I got my license. I began to play basketball and baseball. My games were far away – too far to bike to and so I drove instead. My bike got dusty, neglected, and eventually after years of inactivity – when I pulled it back out, it broke.

Now, years later, at the age of 40, I find myself as a former athlete. After kids, I no longer play basketball three times a week, baseball fell by the waist-side years before, and yet I still need something to do. I hate running, so that isn’t an option. So the “new” hobby I decided to pick up was actually an old one. Cycling.

My sister never gave up on the wheels. She has always enjoyed the open roads (and the hills). Now, I have had a bike and have taken it out with the kids, but the rides were few and far between. When we moved a year ago, one of the first things that we noticed were there were bike paths everywhere.

Adopting this old hobby again was part out of need, and part out of environmental influence.  However, I began to realize a couple of things. First of all, as an athlete, I always needed a goal. Competition was an easy thing to work towards – whether it was a specific game, or tournament, or head to head competition – it gave me a goal. The second thing? I didn’t know how to select a bike. Fortunately, I was able to get all the help I needed from Performance Bicycle. I was able to explain what my goals were and Performance was able to match me up with an appropriate model for my needs; which in my case, the Fuji Gran Fondo was the machine with which I was matched.

I affectionately named the bike KITT because of the sleek black and red coloring which made me think of the sophisticated, and knowledgable, vehicle that accompanied Michael Knight on his adventures.

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I think it is fitting when people describe getting reacquainted with something again with the phrase “like riding a bike”. In one week, KITT and I have already had several adventures – some of which I will detail in later posts. What I do want to share is that this new old hobby is growing on me, and I am excited to share what I am learning and experiencing.

 

In the meantime, I am taking in the sights (and the exercise). So if you need an invitation to saddle up and hope on your bike – here it is. I encourage you to pull that bike out and go for a ride. And if it has been some time, take it to the shop and have it tuned up. Then find some road, or a park, and just pedal (don’t forget your helmet) and enjoy. And if you need any supplies (or even a bike), I encourage you to check out Performance Bicycle online.

And if you hop on that bike and it feels unfamiliar, don’t worry you’ll get used to it again – it’s just like riding a bike.

Disclosure: While I was not compensated for this post, Performance Bicycle did send me a bike and product to review which I will continue to do in upcoming posts as I continue to enjoy and explore this new old hobby. As always, my thoughts and words are my own.