Alaskan
Well-Known Member
Two years ago, today, my first ebike arrived on my doorstep. I had no idea just how significantly and how positively my life would change.
As you youngster, my bike was my freedom machine. It expanded my world. It gave me the impetus to begin the process of building a map of the world inside my head.
The first bike I fell in love with and had to work and save and buy with my own money was a Humber, English bike with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. It was my pride and joy.
After my ebike arrived I was astounded at how far I would ride, how much fun I was having and how it brought me back to that feeling of expanding my world, getting to know new roads and expanding that map again. Then the bike slowly but surely took on the role as my primary transportation. In 2019, I put about 4,500 miles on my car, 3,200 of which was on a tour down to California and back with my bike on the rack. My combined mileage on my two ebikes was 7,200 miles. It restored the strength of my damaged heart (ejection fraction improved from 35 to 45 in two years).
My total personal mileage since February 20, 2018 is 15, 233. I have not been this fit and energetic for several decades. I turn seventy this fall but feel like a kid again in so many ways. My body has ways of reminding me that this is not true, but I do like the feeling, illusory or not.
Recently someone asked me how old I was when I grew up. My instant response was that I have been avoiding that all my life. I know there is no turning the clock back but I sure feel like I am doing that when I ride. It is a feeling I like. It is the feeling of being fully alive.
As you youngster, my bike was my freedom machine. It expanded my world. It gave me the impetus to begin the process of building a map of the world inside my head.
The first bike I fell in love with and had to work and save and buy with my own money was a Humber, English bike with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. It was my pride and joy.
After my ebike arrived I was astounded at how far I would ride, how much fun I was having and how it brought me back to that feeling of expanding my world, getting to know new roads and expanding that map again. Then the bike slowly but surely took on the role as my primary transportation. In 2019, I put about 4,500 miles on my car, 3,200 of which was on a tour down to California and back with my bike on the rack. My combined mileage on my two ebikes was 7,200 miles. It restored the strength of my damaged heart (ejection fraction improved from 35 to 45 in two years).
My total personal mileage since February 20, 2018 is 15, 233. I have not been this fit and energetic for several decades. I turn seventy this fall but feel like a kid again in so many ways. My body has ways of reminding me that this is not true, but I do like the feeling, illusory or not.
Recently someone asked me how old I was when I grew up. My instant response was that I have been avoiding that all my life. I know there is no turning the clock back but I sure feel like I am doing that when I ride. It is a feeling I like. It is the feeling of being fully alive.
