TiHabanero

Got to thinking about how I got to be where I am now and reviewed my past. Back when shop class was offered in high school, I was exposed to stick welding, brazing, milling machine, and the holy grail of machine shop the metal lathe. Was instantly in love with metal working. Life happened and didn't touch a torch or any metal working machine after a 4 year stint in the Navy. Some 20+ years later I built my first frame. Now on the 4th one. After that I fixed up an old Mercedes 220D by replacing the floor pans, an old Porsche 914 rust bucket, and other mechanical wonders. Working metal is in the bones.

A wonderful life indeed.

berner

My earliest memories, from about age four are about water and boats. The first boat I ever built was a small sailboat of 14 feet from a Popular Mechanics plan book. I was 14 years old at the time and still have that book. For most of my life I've built boats, the longest a 175 foot coastal mine hunter for the navy. I let about 100 other men and women help with the tough parts. In between this and a few other things, I managed to sail about 15,000 offshore miles, to England and back and half a dozed or so cruises to the Caribbean and back to the East Coast. I've enjoyed hiking in the mountains on week long outings and now cycling but on the water is where I find the greatest satisfaction. I'm happy now to live in a place where cycling is relatively safe and I like being nearly surrounded by water and sailing friends too swap yarns with.

Steve B.

Helderberg

I was gifted a three speed bike from the upstairs families kid when he got his car. It was way to big for me and I could never get the gears to work so I would have to run along side the bike, step on the left pedal and throw my leg over and just stand on the thing to get it to move. It had long horn handle bars and only a front brake. I had a difficult childhood so I would ride the bike for hours to keep from having to be inside with the "family". It was my escape and my freedom all in one and I loved it. Years later, some college, USAF, the Vietnam war, I came home with a wife and our first daughter and ended up working for my father. All the old family issues came to a head and I struckout on my own having been certified as a Master Plumber. A home to big and needing too much renovation took it's toll on me and eventually I gave up and just concentrated on my business. Happily my wife of now 49 years, was a great saver and investor so we were able to buy a house here in NC free and clear. One of my luxuries before I retired from upstate NY was a ten speed Columbia that I would ride with my brother in law until I could no more. I had lost the use of my left leg and had surgery to repair it. Before that I had a disc blow out and lost 80% of the muscle in my lower right front calf so my surgeon and physical therapist both told me I should not ever get on a bike again. Retired and bored. Got back into stained glass work. Built some furniture, built three stone planters in the yard and then got bored again. Found a used Schwinn MTB that was too big for me but at $40.00 I bought it anyway. If I could ride this I might be able to get a real bike. Ended up selling that and bought a Quick 7 and two weeks ago a Quick 3. I love getting out on my bikes and feeling free and at peace. Happily I have not had any memories of why I rode as an escape as a child only the love of the ride. I still hate to get off the bike but now for all the right reasons.
Frank.

Carbonfiberboy 

Choices. Life's all about choices. The problem is that the result of your choices may not become evident for 20 years. Sometimes when luck hits you over the head, you just have to follow your heart.

I had to buy my first decent bike with my paper route money. I too had a difficult childhood and was out of the house as much as possible, going for all-day rides in the countryside in the summer, all-day skis weekends in the winter. At least I learned to ride and ski, skills for life and joy.

After the Army, in my early 20s I took an unexpected and unwanted class in boatbuilding. 47 years later, our boatshop is still in business. You gotta do what you love. Until you find that thing, it's just life.

berner

Your story remind me of the one I've heard about the stage hand who was heard complaining about the long hours of the job, the heavy sets needing to me moved in minimal time and a long litany of other complaints. Someone then suggested getting a similar job with the city where he would be doing essentially the same thing for better pay and better benefits. "What", he replied, "and give up Broadway."

LuckySailor

What a great thread. a hem. When I was in my teens, I always had several 10 speeds that I was working on. With one of the road readys as my steed, my buddy and I would ride many miles sometimes to the next miniature golf course, or batting cages, and have to get back before my Dad got home from work. When I joined the Navy in 83, I learned to be a dental technician-my stepping stone to be a dentist I thought. I chose the field because my high school metal shop teacher had us do a lesson in lost wax casting, "like how they make rings, jewelry, and crowns", he said. 35 years later, I'm still doing the dental technician gig, last year earning my Master Certified Dental Technician designation. Thankfully growing up, Dad taught me everything home and income property repair. It allowed me to open a construction business at the age of 20 while in the Navy (never served on a ship sadly). Got married and started a family way too early. After 11 years, the marriage and the Navy ended. On the bright side though, 21 years ago now, I met who is my current wife. While at a dental conference, she was there with a friend. My wife was a general contractor, and we hit it off, just because I was knowledgable about commercial and residential construction. Doing the long distance relationship thing for a year was breaking the bank, so I moved up to Canada to be with her. 3 years in, we had our first 2 apartment blocks. Still own them, thankfully most days. I still do a few dental cases now and then. More of a hobby now. But with the income property, it keeps us afloat, and has allowed me the time necessary to ride across Canada, ride up to the Arctic Sea, walk the Camino in Spain with dad, scuba dive, and take numerous other vacations with family and friends. Life is good.
By the way berner, I lived in Bristol for a short time while I was stationed in Newport.

oldbear63

It didn't take many years of wiping ash trays in a bowling alley to make me realize that it wasn't a great career. I followed my family and did a short apprenticeship at a music store and went into the family business repairing musical instruments. My instrument repairs put me through college, but just barely and I struggled with balancing money against grades, but managed a BS and an MS in science (as far from my family profession as I could get). Unfortunately, after 23 years of part-time teaching I had to admit I wasn't the popular flavor of the month for hiring and I eventually gave up teaching for my old profession. Fortunately, instrument servicing is quite pleasant, gives one lots of freedom and is as profitable as you make it, so I am still enjoying life, though not the one I had hoped for.

My first bike was a too-big "English racer" (actually a three speed light commuter bike). When that was stolen I got a typical beach-cruiser style "medium weight" bike that I pedaled everywhere for years, eventually stripping it down to bare essentials and using it off road. In high school my parents gave me a Taiwanese "10 speed" that I rode almost everywhere.

Years later I found an older 20 speed road bike and used it to quit running. That led to a small succession of better road bikes, though I still only ride aluminum frame mid-grade bikes with a minimum of carbon.