From Bikes to Bikes: Part 1
How bicycles taught me to love motorcycles: the pedal years
Like many kids, my first taste of freedom came on two wheels. Over the years I explored every inch of my hometown, Brooklyn, Iowa, from the banana seat of my dark green Pegasus. When I outgrew that bicycle I graduated to a no-name blue ten speed purchased from the local hardware store. My horizons gradually began to expand and eventually I became a fairly committed bicycle commuter and long distance tourer.
Loaded tours took me across Europe, through Japan, and several times around the American Midwest. I was able to live car-free for several years, relying on trains and buses to reach places that were inaccessible by bike. Even after I rejoined the automobile owning world, I continued to participate in supported bike rides on weekends and in the summer, including crossing the state of Iowa three times as part of RAGBRAI.
Although I do not have the time to ride as much as I once did, bicycles remain a part of my life. Most importantly, this commuting and touring history has directly affected the way that I continue to approach the world of motorized two wheelers.
Every motorcycle I have ever owned has ended up getting used in essentially the same manner as did my first pedal powered steed. Two wheels has always been about exploration and getting places my feet could not take me. Speed was nice, but not as important as the simple act of expanding my horizons.
Over the years bicycles gave me the opportunity to meet people, see new places, and experience things that would not have been possible otherwise. In the end, they even laid the foundation for my eventual voyage into the fascinating world of motorcycling.
