Why I Want to Ride!

I met my wife during the spring of 2011. When the summer came around all she could talk about was the Tour de france. Being the typical American, all I knew about the Tour was the name Lance Armstrong and all the doping accusations. When the Tour finally came around I started watching it with her.  Green jerseys! Yellow jerseys! Polka dot jerseys? There are teams but it is really individuals who win, huh? To say I was lost would be an understatement. Slowly I began to catch on. I read Lance Armstrong's book "It's Not About the Bike" (I highly recommend it despite all of the craziness that has come out about him) and it really helped explain the minutia of the sport. Since then I have fallen in love. I LOVE watching cycling, especially the Tour de France. I never knew watching people riding a bike could be so exciting. In 2011, the Tour was just this thing this cute girl I liked was interested in. Fast forward to 2013, the Tour is the nightly activity that my wife and I can't wait to watch together.

Watching the Tour this year has awoken a urge in me that I never knew existed. As a kid, we all rode bikes. It was how we got around. It allowed us to go to our friends' houses, the local pizza shop and anywhere else we could imagine. When you are a kid a bike isn't just a vehicle, it is a sign of freedom. As we get older and we begin to drive for many of us bikes fall to the wayside. I know for me it did.

As a 30 year old, recently married man, my interest in cycling has been reborn. Bikes have once again become a symbol of freedom. Obviously, I don't need a bike to get around anymore. I have the subway for that. Bicycles now represent the freedom that comes from pushing myself to become the best version of me that I can be. Like the riders on the Tour, I hope to make the most out of every ride on the bike.

I have begun a new fitness journey and riding will be a major part of it.  I know I am never going to be a Tour rider but I will put all of myself into this new venture.

This blog will be a record of that journey. It will start with my search for the perfect bike and hopefully end with my first race. I hope you follow me on this exciting ride!