My friend Curt is right. "Pedal on regardless" has become my tagline because it means something to me. Yes, I love riding my bike. Witness the posts from last summer after The Accident, and consider that I'm still riding – you do the math! But my beautiful Nellie Belle, the blue Bianchi I bought because I know I'll never be able to afford an Italian sports car, symbolizes more in my mind than a nice ride, a good workout, calories burned, or even great times with friends and family. The time I spend on the back roads of Kentucky, Indiana, New Jersey, and anywhere else we might be are reflections of the times of my life.
I think Nellie Belle and I have picked up a thing or two along the way that may be important. We'd like to share, if you're interested. These thoughts will be posted here for a few days, anyway, until I decide where else they should go.
Pedal on!
:-)
Pedal On Regardless
Manifesto
- First – regarding hills: What goes down must go back up. Sometimes it’s tough. Deal with it.
- Second: You can ride alone if you like, but the hills are usually easier to pull if there’s someone to cheer you on.
- You’re not going to get anywhere if you try to coast all the way, but there’s nothing wrong with coasting sometimes!
- If you fall off, get back on and keep pedaling. If you’re afraid of looking foolish, you’re clearly not yet a true cyclist.
- If you let the fear of getting hurt stop you, you’ll never get out of the driveway. (Want to see my scars?) Trust me, it’s worth the risk.
- You won’t get lost. You might get momentarily misplaced. Think of it as an inadvertent side trip and enjoy yourself – you’ll find your way home after a while.
- If you can’t go as far as you wanted today, add a couple miles tomorrow.
- Never head out without a little cash and a fully charged cell phone.
- Life happens. Circumstances happen. You choose the perspective.
- The point is, keep going. You can do it!
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