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| The Trek Marlin 7 outfitted with stem and triangle bag, just enough storage for local rides. |
From a touring bike to early 80's mountain bike to step through bicycles to folding bike to hard tail mountain bike, even an old revived Peugeot with 27" tires has contributed much to this 40 year old journey on two wheels.
This is only a brief synopsis, of course. The nuances of each bike seem to take on a life of their own as I adapt each one to fill a certain role. That's where the real magic happens. Outfit a bike with rack and fenders for office commuting. Use one voluminous pannier for easy toting inside, filled with lunch, clothing, purse, and alternate footwear. Or, get creative to equip a folding bike for long distance rides: how to carry a significant volume with limited space to fit a tiny frame? It's these type of challenges and creativity involved that have fueled my interest in cycling for many years.
My greatest love is bicycle touring. But it's not only about the miles these days, it's about the mission. Where can I go to maximize the experience of discovery? What brewery do I want to visit? What campground would be interesting to stay at? Where can I go via Amtrak to boost the distance traveled? What museum have I always wanted to visit? And Atlantic beaches - don't get me started!
What has been the greatest impact that has affected your love of cycling?
What has been the greatest impact that has affected your love of cycling? It has more to do with our sadly constant changing living styles over the years and our either having or severely lacking of money that has influenced our style and love of cycling. That and getting older and the medical problems that has brought upon us both! My wife Jo is now forced to ride a recumbent trike, due to balance problems from 2 heart attacks and now being a type 2 diabetic (it was brought on full force by the first heart attack). That and sometimes her heart/diabetes meds don't always mix well and can cause her blood pressure to drop so she can faint or lightly black out! LOL, I ride a recumbent trike cause I want to be more "compatible" in riding styles and speeds with her. That and to be blunt it's easier to ride and just enjoy cruising on a trike than on any two wheeled machine I've owned (over 20 different two wheelers since I was 10 yrs. old and I am now 67). Would love to do at least weekend tours but alas our very meager retirement income just won't allow it, that is a real bummer but we do love to RIDE so we find ways to enjoy and continue our love of cycling in general.:)
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