It has been five years since I got my first road bike.
It is funny, because I didnt really use it for its intended purpose for a long time. Maybe 3-4 years of just riding to work, back and forth, 15km each way.
I somehow had this idea that id be a cool rider, going places and seeing things. A sportsman. But i underestimated what it would take to do that. Most essentially: time. Time and 'space' in the social setting. "Hey, I'm just going to go ride my bike around for 3-4 hours, you take care of the kids"... is not really something that goes down well, until it is established as identity somehow. Until it is something 'one does'. Until then, it is just a fad, a luxury. I sometimes think, you know, what you bring into a relationship or a marriage. If you were already the person who bikes or whatever, its an indelible part of your identity that you don't have to fight so much for. But adding to that, that takes a lot of effort. My humble advice to my young, unmarried friends is always: "claim as much of your identity before committing". Because itll be harder to do later on. "Hey I think I'd like to start fishing".."what, why? That's not you. such a bother. We don't even live near water". Of course, relationships differ, but I believe the principle stands.
But It's not impossible. Now, within this past year, there has been a shift, and slowly I'm becoming someone who rides his bike long distances for fun.
I'm also someone who speaks his mind better. Someone with a book, a blog. A little better. Honesty is hard. but that's a topic for another day.
What I'm saying is, it's a transformation. The little things we allow ourselves to try on, to try out. Sometimes it takes time for things to change, but they will If we keep at them. "Before you know it" is such a fascinating, metaphysical concept in a way. Because we all know that feeling. You look around, and suddenly you are not where you were. You and I, suddenly, in a different place.
I'm sure glad I stuck with the bike, even though I seriously considered selling it on multiple occasions. I was even talking to a shop about it.
Now I know that I was right to get it, right to take that step into the void, because I ended up changing towards something better. I sure like the biking me better than the non-biking me.
Here's to many more kilometers in the saddle, and the good things they'll bring.