This Bike I Like

A while ago a bunch of friends of mine were hanging out after a ride and jawing about what makes the best bike. You probably have a crew like this too (and if not, find one, or make one, or come and join mine) - a couple of professional bike mechanics, an ex-racer or two, a few weekend warriors, always at least one who's faster and stronger than they think, maybe some that are the opposite, all utterly into it for the right reason: the love of whir and click, hum and clatter of chain, freedom in simplicity.

Eventually the conversation becomes what is the best bike and after a few rounds, one of the quieter ones pipes up and says "Know the best bike in the world?" They stop, waiting: "the one you're riding."

In addition to just being flat out well played, there's a ton of good truth in there, and I started to think about all the folks I've known who have just LOVED their rig, for whatever reason. I began looking at folks more closely as they rode, at how happy they all were, at how they doted on their bicycle, or dressed like it was painted, or leaned against it like a pal while they chatted and drank coffee.

In this space I'll be letting people have their say about the bike they ride -- why they love it, maybe some myth, maybe just a lot of gushing.  And who knows, maybe we'll all learn a little about our humanity. Maybe, in our relationship to this most simple, elegant, and powerful of artful machines we will see something of ourselves rarely acknowledged otherwise.

After all, bicycles are, if nothing else, certainly about balance and about moving forward...