Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

Making life altering changes is daunting at any time in your life. To proclaim it to your family, friends, and co-workers ups the ante. To start a blog and tell the world, that takes this whole thing to the level of craziness that is my personal forte. To quote True Grit, “That's bold talk for a one-eyed fat man.” OK, I have both my eyes but the last part is right at least.

Ahhh, my Allez. I love this bike!

My first change was buying a sweet road bike. My Specialized Allez was just a little bit different than the bikes I had ridden as a kid. In my younger days I rode a 10-speed Schwinn like everyone else I knew. My Dad and I would take 7 to 10 day bike trips routinely riding a century a day for days at a time. We'd camp along the way so my Mom made us canvas saddlebags that fit in the wire baskets on the back that I used for my paper route. Yep, a regular Beaver Cleaver upbringing for me. Believe me, we were stylin'.

Having ridden so much as a kid and racing mountain bikes in my 20's I figured I was pretty good to go when it came to riding. Plus, I was working at the time in the Sand Hills of eastern North Carolina. “Hell,” I thought, “this place is flat so riding should be a piece of cake here.” I lived on the edge of town so I headed out into farm country for a 20 miler. That should be just about right. OK, so let's work this out. I weighed about 310 lbs, hadn't been on a bike in years, and had no idea of the terrain. Yep, 20 miles should be sufficient to kill me.

As I started riding all those memories of years gone by came flooding back. That first bike ride of the spring when you were 10. The world seemed so new and fresh after a long snowy Ohio winter. I flew down Lafayette Street to Vine to the Vine Street Market for candy. Then pumped back up the hill at top speed, racing past Dr Mays house as fast as I could. Yep, all those flashbacks were going through my head as I cruised down the road. Pedals turning effortlessly, wind in my face, it seemed as if it took almost no exertion to cruise down the road. After 10 miles I turned around and learned several things. One, they are called the Sand Hills for a reason. Two, I had been riding with the wind at my back the whole way out. And finally, I hadn't ridden for years and my butt was killing me. The ride back took twice as long as the ride out.

Over the next few months the roads of North Carolina gave me miles of joy, more butt pain, and taught me a lot I had forgotten about cycling. My Allez is still my favorite bike and gets many, many miles logged on it each year.

What was your first bike ride like in adulthood after a long hiatus?

How did you go about making major life changes?