My parents did their best but I don't recall either of them trying to teach me to ride a bike so my early memories are of me pushing a bike around the yard pretending it was a motorcycle. Eventually I became a decent BMX rider at least in very small ponds but had an excuse to see a lot of Canada and the US just to ride my little bike somewhere new for a few hours. Thanks to technology I have more pictures of me riding BMX in my 40's than teens and early 20's. What seemed like the biggest thing in my life was set aside for just as long.
Back when 40 was fast approaching I was trying to get in shape to race motorcycle and cycling was popular in the motorcycle racing world. I did an 80 km ride and then 6 months later thought doubling that to do a solo century was smart. I had to stop to charge my Garmin and had never felt so exhausted, I walked just to change what I was doing and it was getting dark. This the logic that got me a solo half marathon after starting running, just keep doubling it.
Still race a BMX a few times each summer. When the feeling is there is can make you feel 20. I never had a complete new BMX, they were pieced together as I could afford parts but with grown up professional money I have 3 BMX's that 16 year old Chis could have only dreamed about.
Dude I love that. What a wild journey and I feel very similar. My parents could never afford a pair of Jordans or Reebok Pumps and here I am in my forties with 200 pairs of running shoes in my house. Crazy.
I'm prepping for my first bikepacking adventure and reading this just got me pumped.
If you ever happen to pass through Barcelona we'll go for a ride!
Deal! Have fun, man, it's such a blast. My dream trip is a couple weeks in Morocco, may try and it make it happen in 2026. We will see.
My parents did their best but I don't recall either of them trying to teach me to ride a bike so my early memories are of me pushing a bike around the yard pretending it was a motorcycle. Eventually I became a decent BMX rider at least in very small ponds but had an excuse to see a lot of Canada and the US just to ride my little bike somewhere new for a few hours. Thanks to technology I have more pictures of me riding BMX in my 40's than teens and early 20's. What seemed like the biggest thing in my life was set aside for just as long.
Back when 40 was fast approaching I was trying to get in shape to race motorcycle and cycling was popular in the motorcycle racing world. I did an 80 km ride and then 6 months later thought doubling that to do a solo century was smart. I had to stop to charge my Garmin and had never felt so exhausted, I walked just to change what I was doing and it was getting dark. This the logic that got me a solo half marathon after starting running, just keep doubling it.
Still race a BMX a few times each summer. When the feeling is there is can make you feel 20. I never had a complete new BMX, they were pieced together as I could afford parts but with grown up professional money I have 3 BMX's that 16 year old Chis could have only dreamed about.
Dude I love that. What a wild journey and I feel very similar. My parents could never afford a pair of Jordans or Reebok Pumps and here I am in my forties with 200 pairs of running shoes in my house. Crazy.