Can you believe that Loving the Bike is heading into its third year of cycling blogging?  Yep, it was back on February 6th 2010 that we launched our cycling lifestyle website and the world has been a better place ever since.  Okay, well I’m not sure about that….but it sure has done a lot of my life both on and off the bike.

Over the past three years I’ve found myself getting more and more immersed in cycling related projects and I am totally loving it.  Loving the Bike has helped me branch out into other cycling related initiates such as Crank Listed, #bikeschool, Cycling 360 Podcast, and now our Mocha Spoke bicycle cafe.

But along with all that, it’s enabled me to meet and get to know a whole lot of incredible bike people all over the world and has allowed me to ride my bike in some pretty awesome places.  A great big thank you to anyone and everyone who’s helped make all this happen.

Celebration is a good thing, and today I invite you to join in and celebrate our Anniversary/Birthday and all the good things that cycling brings to our lives.

Loving the Bike would not be where it is today if it wasn’t for Kelli, Stevie, Aaron, Myron….and of course, all our amazing friends and followers.  To all of you, I say a great big Thank You.

Here’s a little Birthday video from me to all of you:

1Love

If you know me, you know there is a little piece of the great Bob Marley living inside this cycling body of mine.  I’ve talked about Bob many times, and even went on a search to see if Bob Marley rode a bike.  My road bike is named after him, and this website even shares the anniversary of his birth.  Yeah, I’m just a little obsessed with Bob Marley.

So when Primal Wear sent me a Bob Marley cycling jersey, you just had to know I was going to like it no matter how it looked or felt.  But now that I have it, I can honestly say that even if Bob wasn’t plastered across the front and back, it would still be one of my favorite jersey’s ever.  It fits great, looks awesome, and seems to be put together exceptionally well.  Up until receiving this jersey, I had heard of Primal a few times but never paid them much attention.  They definitely have it now.

They have a few different Marley jerseys to choose from and I would personally like each and every one of them.  If you’re not a wannabe Rasta man like me, then Primal has other “rock band” inspired jerseys for you, as well as Military and Brewing themed ones that might match with what you’re into.

Along with the jersey, Primal Wear sent me a sleeveless base layer (A moisture wicking base layer with stretch properties is a One Size Fits All layer that allows optimal airflow to the surface of the skin).

The idea is to wear this under your jersey to help keep you cool and sweat free.  Seeing as I got to try this base layer out during the sweltering summer season in Texas, I was able to see how it performs in 100+ degree weather.  I can see how the design helps the air flow through your jersey, and if you don’t like it when your jersey sticks to you on a hot summer day….you just might want to try one of these for yourself.

Primal wear not only provided me with what is now one of my favorite riding jerseys, but they allowed me the chance to ride with Bob Marley.  Well, at least pretty darn close to it.

Note: This post was written prior to the tragic events in today’s Giro d’Italia.  Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Belgian cyclist Wouter Weylandt.  A sad reminder that we need to live each day to the fullest.

“Rise up this mornin,
Smiled with the risin sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin, (this is my message to you-ou-ou:)”

You know those little reminders that life sometimes tosses your way?  Like the time you almost fell off your Parents roof, and for just a minute you appreciated life more than you ever had before.  Or that time when the Tornado was approaching and you hid in your basement waiting for it to pass…all of a sudden your daily life stresses didn’t seem so bad after all.

It sometimes takes the Universe to send us a wake up call in order to appreciate where we’re at or what we’ve got….remembering what’s most important…and what should always be our first priority.

Or we could be like the great Bob Marley and wake up with an attitude of happiness and gratitude as found in the lyrics to “Three Little Birds”.  That song includes the above words, and also a mantra you should remember the next time you’re feeling stressed:

“Don’t worry about a thing,
cause every little thing gonna be all right.
Singin don’t worry about a thing,
cause every little thing gonna be all right!”

Ground yourself….or the Universe will do it for you.  But in the end…don’t worry about a thing, because every little thing is going to be alright.

I wear a picture of him around my neck, I drink his new beverage, I listen to many of his songs while riding, and I do what I can to carry his “Don’t worry about a thing” vibe within me….yeah, it should come as no surprise that I have huge respect and am a super big fan of the great Bob Marley.

But, Did Bob Marley Ride a Bike?

I know a lot about Bob, but the one thing I couldn’t seem to find the answer to was, “did he ride a bike?”  I’ve done pretty much everything I can to find the answer. I’ve mentioned it to Richard at Cyclelicious (that dude seems to know absolutely everything about cycling), and he didn’t have the answer.  I even wrote the Marley Family themselves, and got a reply saying they would ask the family and then post their reply on www.bobmarley.com.  It’s been months now and I still haven’t seen it come up on the site.

So for now I’ve photoshopped this picture (thanks to my teammate, Myron) to show what Bob the Cyclist might have looked like.  From what I know about Bob Marley, I’m convinced that he absolutely was a dude who liked to ride his bike.  In fact, I can totally picture him rolling along the roads of Jamaica with a smile on his face.

So did he?  Do you know if Bob Marley rode a bike? Send me anything you’ve got that leads to the answer.

Marley’s Mellow Mood

While I’m on the topic of Bob Marley, let me tell you about a great new drink that has been put out by his Family.  It’s called Marley’s Mellow Mood and it’s not the easiest drink in the world to find….but so worth looking for.  I first found out about it last December and have so far only located it in one location in Austin, but I sure hope it becomes more widespread.

In a world that seem to be pumping out more and more drinks to get you buzzed, Marley’s Mellow Mood is intended for the sole purpose of Calming your Soul, and Easing your Mind.  And it works. When I drank my first can I immediately felt like I had just come back from an epic ride on the bike. I was totally relaxed and feeling good.  I’m telling you man…this drink made me feel like the spirit of Bob Marley had just entered my body.

It tastes great, and the natural ingredients of Passion Flower, Hops, Chamomile, Valerian Root, Lemon Balm, and Melatonin put together one relaxing punch.  Whether you’re a Marley fan, or just someone looking for a drink to put you in a Bob Marley state of mind, keep your eyes peeled for it.

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to kick back with a Mellow Mood and crank up “Three Little Birds”.

Update:

Thanks to Michael Krause, I was able to find out about the photo posted below of Bob and a bike.  We still don’t know that Bob was in fact a cyclist…but this is a great start. Any more updates or information are greatly appreciated.