Moving to Boston in the early 1970’s forced me to consider transportation alternatives as a way to get to work.
Besides traveling back and forth to work every day I had to be able to get crosstown a few times a week during the work day. Though the MBTA was usually adequate I found cycling to be more efficient and less costly. Investing in a simple commuter bike and taking care of it was far less expensive than the monthly trolley cost. I bought a Raleigh C50 from a local bike shop. Later, I moved to new jobs in Connecticut and then Rhode Island with a well-founded habit of biking to work. Now in 2020 that bike remains one of my favorite bikes to ride.
Then my cycling began to develop into my favorite recreation as well. There is nothing I enjoy more than cycling for a week through some beautiful country with a few hundred historical sites to visit.
Cycling is just so much fun. Yes it can be hard work (hills, really big multi-mile hills), frustrating (multiple flat tires in 1 day), challenging (93.7 miles to the next campground) and messy (all day rain mixed with hail), but at the end of the day you’ve pedaled someplace….a new place to explore and meet friendly folks.
Why do I ride?
Riding my bike is fun and satisfying, economical and eye opening and educational and you can eat all you want all day.