Just 18 months ago, I became passionate about cycling. Borderline obsessed to be truthful. Yes, this from a guy who used to scoff at all those old farts riding bikes in my hometown of Portland, OR. I would drive by them during my daily rounds and think “what the hell is it with these aging boomer males with cantaloupe-sized paunches in spandex riding their Cannondales?”
And then I became one of them. That was nearly 1 1/2 years ago. How it started was more about curiosity than sheer interest in the sport.
How I Became Passionate about Cycling
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
– Walt Disney
I have my youngest son Ross to blame for the cycling introduction. He became a fan of the two-wheel, motorless life while in college in Eugene and then full-fledged aficionado when he moved back to Portland to finish his degree at Portland State University.
Steel Bridge, Portland, OR
He kept suggesting to me that I needed to go on a ride with him. And then I finally yielded to the curiosity. I asked my oldest son Cam about borrowing his Norco road bike which was collecting dust in his garage. No problem, he said. Then Ross, my girlfriend Amy (another experienced rider) and I planned an inner city 12-mile route for my virginal mid-life ride. They laughed at my “non-cycling attire,” cargo shorts, Nikes and a cotton t-shirt but I told them I wasn’t investing in anything I wasn’t sure of because in all honesty I thought this would be a one-time deal.
On a comfortable 70ish degree day in April, we rode from my east side home on Mt. Tabor to the Willamette River which runs through the city. For those of you unfamiliar with the City of Roses, a series of bike paths wend all across Portland. Along the East Esplanade running parallel to the river, I felt a ridiculous shit-eating grin coming on as we then crossed the Steel Bridge to the west side of the city.
Upon circling back to the east side, Ross suggested we stop at the Green Dragon Pub. And so we did with each of us enjoying a well-deserved craft IPA. I told them that a light bulb had switched on. I truly got the cycling thing and older folks on bikes. The reminder of childhood and summer nights on your bike, the freedom, the pure joy of it all sunk in and sunk in quickly. Both of them smiled knowingly.
I really haven’t been the same since as I now try to ride as frequently as I can. I did get the spandex shorts (good reasons for it), added new shoes for the clipless pedals and invested in a bike tune-up. With Ross now being employed by Cannondale on the east coast in Connecticut, I think it’s a good bet I will purchase a new carbon bike in the near future for a possible ride with Cycle Oregon next summer.
And it all started with curiosity.
Which begs the question: what are you curious about my fellow boomer male? What is it that interests you just a tad bit? Whatever it is, I encourage you to scratch that itch. Like Walt Disney says above, I remain curious about going down new paths–whether on my bike or in my mind.
Be well.
