I posted to the above thread about introducing my son to cycling and on re-reading other replies, I noted most correspondents discussed their own personal journey into cycling. Back in the 60’s in the Motor City around age 12 - 14, I rode my bicycle quite a bit to get around, with one friend in particular. I had an “English Racer,’ and we even considered a 40 mile overnight ride, but by ninth grade I mostly walked and bummed rides until I could join the car culture.

In Ann Arbor MI in the 70’s I really realized the utility of bicycles for commuting. I can remember the specific day, virtually an epiphany, when I borrowed my roomate's Schwinn Varsity and realized how far and quickly I could go on a bike and soon began riding and then touring on a five-speed Schwinn Suburban. Within a couple years, I bought a Mercier as did my girlfriend, later my wife. We toured in Michigan and Ontario and eventually crossed the US by bike on our honeymoon to move to Boston, and have lived car-free and car-light since. I once told a new, somewhat aloof secretary that I live "an alternative lifestyle" to shock her--I commute by bike ;-)