Elegance

Trying to look graceful after a mild crash.

A bicycle is an elegant machine. In the most simple state it is nothing more than a frame with a seat and handlebars, two wheels, cranks and a chain. Simple, but one of the best inventions of all time.

Looking at the history of the bicycle it is amazing how this simple design has changed to accommodate the needs and tastes of the time. There are so many different facets of the cycling industry now. We can ride our bikes to work, through the park and into the mountains. Road, dirt, gravel and snow don't stop bicycle enthusiasts. And the cyclist, even if for only a few seconds, uses this humble machine to fly.

I am in LOVE with mountain biking. To me, not much can compare to cruising through sublime single track. My mind clears, and I become focused. I feel one with my bicycle. I anticipate turns and obstacles while I trust myself and my bike. During moments like these, it's, well, beautiful. That is, when it all goes according to plan.

Reduced to only running...which I hated in the sweaty cast.

Sometimes I crash. On occasion, those accidents cause only minor scrapes and bruising. In one instance, a crash resulted in a broken wrist, culminating in down time, surgery, more down time and extended therapy. I know with certainty that I will continue to have future mishaps as a result of my cycling obsession. I know this, yet every day I wake up craving more. More extreme adventures, more racing, more bicycles; my aspirations appear to be insatiable.

For less then a year, I had a plate in my right wrist.

The heart of the matter is that I am not always elegant. I am not a machine; I am human and I make mistakes. These truths, no matter how intimidating, do not dissuade me from jumping back on the bike almost every day. So, I will continue to let my addiction to that grand machine, the bicycle, rule just a part of my life. What do I have to lose?