We don't have to be a teenager - I think I still have the "beginner's mind" since I've only been riding less than about five years. I'll just hop on an go, might be wearing anything, might go any distance. The only difference in attitude from the beginning is that I now have sense enough to stop before 40 or 50 miles if I haven't brought water or food.

I'm still amazed at what we can do with even the most basic equipment. Everything else is gravy.

This past summer I had an elastic shock cord come undone from the rear rack and drop down between the cassette and spokes. The metal hook gauged deeply into the spokes and would have eventually caused spoke failure on the drive side. Luckily I noticed the gauges in time to replace the spokes before an outcome too horrible to contemplate.