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Biking |
| When my
brother and I were kids (in Milford, Connecticut), we used to ride our
bikes everywhere.
I still remember my first 10-speed: a green Schwinn
Varsity. I wonder
how many miles I rode it? After I retired from collegiate gymnastics in 1982, I got interested in bikes again. My dad was doing bike tours and triathlons, so he and I started riding together. I rode my Schwinn Varsity. With my dad's encouragement and on a student's budget, I bought a Univega. It was like a dream: 12-speeds, aluminum rims, double-butted steel frame. It was wonderful. I began to love biking. A year later, I bought a Specialized Allez (now on a grad student's budget). This bike was special. I started earnestly training. I'd go out on long rides with like-minded guys and probably as a result, took a little longer to finish my Master's than I should have. That may have been the best trade-off I ever did. I loved riding in the farm-country west of Columbus, Ohio. There were places I could ride for hours and see few cars. It was a memorable time. When I moved to Detroit, I found a few good roads (only a few!) and rode for a while there. Eventually as my interest in running amd climbing increased, I found less time to ride and so I stopped riding in about 1990. When I moved to Colorado, the Specialized (and my climbing equipment) came with me on the initial trip. When I dislocated my shoulder (while bouldering) in 2002 I found my climbing abilities limited and took up riding. Together with friends, I found my love for riding again. In August of 2002 I bought my Litespeed Tuscany. I can't even describe how nice it is. I got up the nerve to start racing in Spring 2003. My first race was Carter Lake. The conditions were terrible. I got dropped in short order and rode with one or another rider to finish the race. I stuck with it and did better as the season went on. |
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