Look Who’s Loving the Bike – March

Starting today, we’ll be running our “Look Who’s Loving the Bike” feature at the top of every month. It’s our chance to share with you some wonderful memories and stories about cycling from around the world. We are quite confident that most of the population share in the fact that a bicycle was involved in some amazing times and events. We know it’s been that way for us, and that many more great memories involving the bike are still to come. Thanks to all who shared with us this month. To the rest of you, please let us know about yours so that we may include it in the future.

Heidi Swift – Portland, Oregon
“I tear into a shiny metallic package from Santa Claus to reveal a long-coveted toy: a motorcycle noise-maker for my bicycle. I beg my father to install it immediately and then sit on my hot pink banana seat in the garage revving my new engine with a wild, reckless look in my seven-year-old eyes.”

Read more about Heidi’s memory at www.gritandglimmer.com.

Katy (aka @CenturyChick) – Illinois
“Pie Day. Need I say more? Cycling north out of Springfield, IL we were on the first leg of the trip back to Morris, IL. The previous nights storms had kept us up all night, but graced us with southerly winds-tail wind the whole way! We stopped in a small town at the local cafeteria for lunch – we had the best service and pie. Oh my lord, the pie. Made by a 90 year old lady that came in every morning to make pecan, cherry, apple, all sorts of pies. There were about 60 cyclists on this ride and we cleaned this place out of pie. We found out later that people would drive 20 or more miles just to get her pie. The hills on the way to our next stop were ever so more delightful being fueled by that pie and the wonderful tail wind. The next day it rained & was only 50 degrees-so we paid for the wonderfulness of Pie Day. So worth it.”

One of Loving the Bike’s own, Myron Glova – Saskatchewan, Canada

Nancy Sathre-Vogel – Currently on a bike in Peru
“I think the most magical time I can remember was when we pedaled through northern British Columbia on the Alaska Highway and a massive bison ran alongside us with his thundering hooves kicking up little clouds of dust and we pedaled faster and faster in order to keep up with the beast but in the end he outran us anyway. Or maybe it was when I crested the top of a pass in Colombia and gazed upon miles and miles of valley ahead and my breath got all tangled up in my throat at the sheer magnificence of it all. Or when a family who had next to nothing graciously offered to share it with us and we felt guiltier than hell taking their food but knew all along that we couldn’t possibly decline. Or when Davy snuggled up next to me in the tent after a tough day on the road, put his arm around my chest, gazed into my eyes, and said, ‘I love you, Mom.’ “

Many, many more amazing stories from Vogel’s at www.familyonbikes.com.

Tim Starry – Austin, Texas
“When I was 17 and really stupid (No helmet, cutoff jeans, tank top…) I took my brand new Nishiki 10 speed up the Pali Highway from Kailua to the overlook. Had lunch and then rode my bike back down the hill.
At the bottom of the hill is a stop light, which was red when I got to it. As I stopped, a car pulled up next to me and the driver yelled in an astonished voice: “do you know how FAST you were going?!”
He claims he clocked me at 60 mph. Exhilarating.”

Tim’s adventures continue on at www.oldguy2wheels.wordpress.com.

Rhett Dopwell – Grenada, West Indies

Ray Niekamp – Austin, Texas
“I remember living in Rochester, Minnesota during the early ’90s. A rails-to-trails bike path, the Douglas Trail, runs 13 miles northwest from Rochester to Pine Island, a town of about 3,500 people. We weren’t real bikers then, but both my wife and I had decent bikes. So one day, we took them to the trailhead and started riding. We were glad of a rest stop halfway up the trail, but then we kept going and made it to Pine Island. The return trip was tougher, because we just weren’t used to that many miles on the bike. But we did it. And we both realized that we liked being out in the summer air, seeing the countryside close up from angles not available to cars. We got away from biking for a number of years, but when we picked it up again, we recalled those trips on the Douglas Trail and other bike trails.”

More stories from Ray at www.bikenoob.com.

Mari-Jo Lamarche – Mont Tremblant, Quebec
“My first serious bike was a Trek WSD 6500. Yes, a mountain bike. A Weird colour; orange. With my tennis background, I did not know much about bikes. At the time, more than 10 years ago, I was working in a ski & bike shop on the resort, in Tremblant. Staff price. I figured “why not?  Cost, minus 20% seems like a pretty decent deal!” It was indeed an excellent price.”

….and the memory continues at www.marijolamarche.wordpress.com.

Leona Cunningham – New York
“My best summer as a child is the summer some neighborhood kids taught me to ride. It was on a beat up bike with no brakes – some may say a recipe for disaster, I say – a recipe for great memories.
I skinned my knees, palm and the bottom of my feet (I was using them for brakes) I also crashed into bushes and a parked motor bike (it was a NINJA). My dad told me that “all the great ones fall down” “the very best ones get back up”…. Some experiences are worth having, some memories you never forget. My first bike was a cobalt blue BMX. Sweet Ride 😉“

Tags: Cycling memories, Cycling Stories, Loving the Bike