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I have been riding bikes all of my life. I got my first tricycle when I was three years old. (see photo on left;1970)

I can't remember a time in my life, since then, that I have not owned a bicycle. Well, unless you count the year we moved from California to Oklahoma. I was in about the second grade and we stopped off in Wyoming to visit the mountains. My dad was famous for taking us off the beaten path, going places that vehicles were never meant to go. I remember we were pulling a flat trailer with all of our belongings on it... the most precious being my bicycle.

We made it up the mountain and camped for a few days, then when it was time to come back down, we got stuck in the mud. After working hard to get us out of there, my dad started unloading the trailer. You guessed it.. a traumatic event occurred... as we drove down that mountain, my face was pressed to the back window of the station wagon as I watched my bicycle being left behind on the side of the muddy road. (see photo on right;1972)

I thought about that bike for years, I think I'm still not quite over it. We returned to that mountain when I was about 12 and I remember thinking that we might find it there on the side of that trail, but the trail had been turned into more of a dirt road. I wondered if my bike might be there under all that piled up dirt. I kept an eye out for it, but that bike was never seen again by me.

After we moved to Oklahoma, I got a new bike (see photo below, on right;1974). After this red bike, I begged for a pretty blue bike that had clouds painted on it. My best friend, Dorene, also got the same blue bike with clouds on it. I remember one day we were riding together and she was being silly.. she stood on the pedals and started bouncing.. the bike broke in half! (It was no Gary Fisher)

I wish I had a picture of our faces! That had to be quite the sight! I recently got in touch with Dorene, via email, after not having spoken to her for more than 20 years. I asked her if she remembered that incident.

Here is her reply: "The answer to your question about the bike breaking in half is yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That cracks me up so much. I have told that story to my kids when they would get a new bike and they would look at me like 'are you serious or are you trying to tell me to be careful with my bike?' I was so scared when that happened, but it is so funny now!!:)"

When I was a teenager, before I had a car, I had a bike. I lived 10 miles from town and one day I told my parents I was going to ride my bike to town to see my friends. They said "go ahead." I don't think they thought I'd do it. :) After that, every chance I got, I hopped on my bike and rode to town... that is, up until I got my driver's license.

I am digging trying to find photos of my bikes, I have my mom looking, too ... so that will be coming soon.. but for now, I want to show you some photos of the places I've ridden lately.

Click here to see where I've been and where I'm going....

My first MTB/offroad experience - August 28, 2004 - Cruise the Blues
I was TOTALLY not prepared for all of the twists and switchbacks. I don't know how many of you have ever listened to C.W. McCall.. but after a while I could not get the lyrics to "Wolf Creek Pass" out of my head: "it was hairpin county and switchback city. one of 'em looked like a can full'a worms; another one looked like malaria germs." :)

Click here to read more of my write up about the day...

September 18, 2004

I absolutely LOVE mountain biking. I cannot explain the feeling I get from it. I mean, when I ride my bike on flat road it is a nice feeling to go sailing along under my own power... but I must admit, those rides are pretty darned boring.. the only time I get excited is when I have to dodge something or go around a curve really fast etc...

When I am mountain biking, I have to constantly think think think... there are rocks and trees and ditches and obstacles everywhere and it is just so much fun. You might have a stretch now and then that you start to veg out.. but then suddenly there is something in front of you that looks like it will swallow you whole and you have about .5 seconds to decide what to do about it..

But the coolest feeling is that feeling you get when you feel like you are floating above your bike. You see the knarly stuff coming up and you stand up and bend your knees and relax your arms and just nudge the bike to kindly encourage it to go over or through the obstacles while your body just sort of floats along waiting for it to finish.