snailgate

I have been riding since I was 9 years old and (truly!) a rich uncle gave me a Western Flyer bike for my birthday. Continued using a bike for my primary personal transportation until I joined the Army at age 21. While stationed in Germany I bought my first 'real' bike at a local bike shop in Heidelberg. 8 Speed with front derailleur operated by a long rod extending up next to the seat post and a Simplex rear derailleur that I never figured out how to adjust properly. Rode it all over Germany and France. Put way the bike when I married and was driving 50 miles one way to college or work. Bought a Schwinn 3 speed with a tax refund when family needed the car more than I did and we could not afford a second auto. Then my legs developed enough strength that I was breaking the pawls in the Sturmey-Archer rear hub regularly and bought a modern used 10-speed at a great local bike shop. Never looked back. I have done more than a hundred Century Rides, but never a double or a long tour since I left Germany. My motto: If god wanted me to run, he would not have given me a bicycle.