Dear Whippersnappers,

Starting riding bikes in 1962. Had two older sisters, so I had to endure the ignominy of riding girls bikes for a long time. Raised in suburbia, a bike was my ticket to explore the towns I was in (Durham, Palo Alto, Austin). I loved the adventure.

1 of 6, my parents had little inclination to chauffeur everyone around, so I biked to school, piano lessons, friends houses. Got a funky Raleigh BOY'S BIKE in 1969 that had a precursor to the Shimano internal hub gearing. But in 1972 I spent nearly $100 to get an Austrian bike from Sears. It had Simplex derallieur, Weimann center pull brakes and lots of cool aluminum and alloy components. Rode that to school and job at pizza shop. I rode it 200 miles to the beach and loved it until it got stolen on the campus of the college I attended. Boo hoo.

Got a Peugeot PX-10 which I converted to clincher tires and used as my main commute mule for years. Commuted twenty miles each day out of financial necessity and loved the ride once I got past the pain of approaching my bike with the knowledge of the long road ahead.

Got back into bike commuting ten years ago with a short jaunt from forest home to the center of town on a Breezer Villager. Upgraded to a badass Cannondale CAAD 10 105 and am road biking it now.

Philosophy? I bike commute to combine the following things: cheapskatery, exercize, tree huggery, adventure, slowing spinal deterioration and meditation - all achieved with only a slight addition to the otherwise reasonable commute time by car.

I love the feeling of minimal high tech metal and rubber beneath me as I soar above the asphalt. I try to avoid all the cheesy ass bike festoonery and prefer a beat up looking piece of crap bicycle (that is secretly a fine machine), which is perfectly aligned with my non-anal bike care.

Spine willing, I hope to ride across my home state (North Carolina) and maybe, MAYBE across the USA one day.