I love my bike. It is like another limb for me. I would ride almost anywhere rather than walk. It just makes me happy to sit on a bike. The way the cool morning air feels on my face as I ride to work is more refreshing than sipping from cup of steaming liquid.
Aside from commuting by bike, I like to take long distance bicycle tours. This started when I was living in Germany and realized that the little country next-door, The Netherlands, was a cyclist's paradise. I purchased the requisite paraphernalia and set off for a month of Dutch delight. I fell in love. From that point on, I knew what I wanted to do with my vacations. I wanted to travel the word on my iron mule.
There is no greater sense of independence than riding from point A to B with all that I need attached to my self-powered mode of transportation. I don't have to worry about fuel, lodging, or speed limits. I just enjoy the scenery and minutia that drivers never experience. One of my favorite experiences acquired while touring was being able to stop on the side of a road too narrow for cars to park on, and lunching on wild black- and huckleberries.
