My biggest (and only) bikeless gap was between about 1997 and 1998.
In 1998 I got a fancy job and wanted to commute to work. So I bought a Diamond Back road bike. I remember knowing nothing about a road bike, but I think I felt some brand loyalty to Diamond Back, which I look at now as pretty misguided: both the concept of brand loyalty, and especially to a bike like Diamond Back.
Anyway. It was $400. It sucked. I think I commuted to work on it twice. It was uncomfortable in all ways, had tiny narrow wheels, and I can't remember anything good about it.
Then it sat until I sold it a year or so later when I bought Bike #8: a Giant mountain bike. With shocks.
This bike ruined me for shocks for years and years. What a miserable turd.
It sat for a year or two in my garage as I gained tons of weight and stressed out at work.
By the time I started really riding it, I weighed about 300 pounds. I rode it every morning at 5:30 am for about 6 months. In my memory, it seemed like it was pissing down rain every single morning. I really enjoyed these rides in the dark rain. As sort of miserable as they were, they reminded me why I dug riding bikes and being outside and how stupid my daily life had become: all cooped up in my car ride to my office at work. These early morning rides slowly transformed me into a cyclist. At some point, on one of these early morning rides, I decided to start commuting the 25 or so miles to work so that I could attempt a cross-state tour.
That's what led to Bike #9....
A bit over a year ago I started following your blog. It is wonderful to see that you rekindled your love of bike riding. I am working on getting back into riding. Last weekend I towed my one year old daughter in a trailer to the centennial trail behind sfcc then the cementary and up the road to palasades park. Riding along the road up there I saw a trail and decided to go down. Wide enough initially, but then it turned into a single track and then we ended up by the archery place and behind the graveyard. I had to unhook the trailer and clamber through the brush. Oh it was a great ride. Thanks for the inspiring blog!
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