When I ride my bike, I get this feeling of adrenaline and freedom. When the wind whips past my ears and my coat flutters behind me I get a high. I feel like my bike is this extension of my body that is propelling me to maximize my physical capabilities. The greatest feeling when riding your bike is going down a gigantic hill and reaching up to 30 - 40 miles an hour. It is insane, it is a rush, but it is why I love it. Biking is also an opportunity to explore and be free. You can go places and see different perspectives that you can only get on a bike. It is truly a passion of mine that creates long lasting memories
So whats my back story? How did this become a passion of mine?
When I was 4 years old I would always go over to my grandparents house and stay there days at a time. I always had a ton of energy when I was younger and always wanted to play sports whenever I could. My Nana and Papa had a bike at their house that use to be my older sisters. It was pink, had poms on the handles and had training wheels. I remember having trouble getting on and trying to find my balance at first, thankfully my Nana was there right beside me. My first ride was something like the movies where my Nana walked with me and guided me down the drive way until she finally let go. I was doing really great until the driveway ended and I went into the grass. I was so proud of myself and I know that my grandparents were prouder.
As I got older I slowly distanced myself from riding my bike. I was busy playing other sports in my free time and I was still kinda young for my parents to let me ride miles away from my house.
But when I was 12, I had somewhat of a revelation in riding my bike. In the beginning of the spring we were cleaning out one of our old shed and I got out my dad's bike. I had grown throughout the winter and I was big enough to ride his bike. I asked my dad if I could ride it and he then went into telling me about a story of when he was my age and when he would ride his bike.
He told me stories about how he would ride his bike to school everyday since he was in elementary school. He mentioned that him and and his friends would ride together to the store or ride to the lake together to go fishing.
The craziest story he told me was when he was 15 years old, his friends and him decided to go on a roughly 180 mile biking trip from Waterford, MI to Higgins Lake, MI. As a 12 year old hearing this story (and a 22 year old) I was absolutely blown away about this story. The story is that it was that summer he and his friends wanted to go to my grandparents trailer at Higgins Lake. They all were too young to have driver licenses and cars so they decided that they could ride their bikes North to the trailer. They all packed up a backpack full of water, food, clothes and even sleeping bags to head on up. He said that him and his friends bonded and grew closer together through that trip. It was a real coming of age story that got me hooked into riding my bike.
That summer when I was 12 I must have rode my bike over 300 miles. I started by riding to the library to get books and movies every week. I would ride my bike to my friends sub-division and hangout with the kids there. I would also explore some of the side streets and landmarks of my town that have always intrigued me. I would ride for hours at a time and would always try to make it back home by dusk.
This trend continued (and still does) as I got older. I would try to go to newer places every time. Multiple times I would take trips to my friends houses that lived 10 miles away and make it a fun journey. It was a way for me to get around and break free before I got my drivers license.
My family would occasionally take trips Mackinaw Island and it would be my own paradise. Riding around the island with everyone on bikes made me feel like I was not the only one who was making memories doing a passion that they love. I can remember shifting into third gear as I would try to go down the hills on the center of the island. Mackinaw Island strengthened my devotion to this pastime.
Biking has also helped me discover places in my hometown that I would have never known about. I take trips through the Shiawassee River Basin to see spectacular views of the valleys and ponds of my home town. I have gone down back roads to discover bluffs and lookouts of downtown Davisburg. I have even revisited my old alma mater and have seen how they have grown since my childhood and adolescence.
As I came to college at Central Michigan University, biking was in my blood and I continued to ride. I ride almost everyday (weather permitting). I have explored every park in Mount Pleasant and gone down every bike trail. I get this feeling of comfort whenever I ride downtown past all the bars and businesses. It has become routine for me to ride everywhere.
I have found that biking is an escape for me. You are in control of your own path and where you want to go. You can decide to ride around a familiar place or go to a place unknown. It also allows you to free your mind from reality. It is hard to multi-task while riding and it forces you to be aware of what is happening in the present. Biking
If you are looking for an escape, a rush , or a way to workout... you should bike. You will love it. It has transformed my life for the better and is an activity that brings me nostalgia and freedom.