I loved biking as a child, but like many of us, slowly gravitated toward car travel and forgot about that love. Instead of riding bikes around the neighborhood all day, I spent my adolescence indoors focused on dance, which became my new passion and emotional outlet. At age 19, life pivoted when I decided to quit dancing and leave my collegiate ballet program. I felt a little lost and unfulfilled until biking re-entered my life when a coworker suggested I try sprint triathlons. I missed feeling challenged and training for something hard, so I borrowed an old, crappy road bike and started riding. I had no idea how the gears, chains, or brakes worked. I knew nothing about maintenance, fitting, or brands. I purchased all my riding equipment (shorts, helmet, gloves) from Ross. And you know what, none of that mattered because once on that bike I instantly felt the breeze through my hair and there it was. Joy!
My love of biking continued to grow and expand over time. I first bought my road bike and loved the speed and lightness it has. It feels like an appendage to my body, and still to this day it feels like “me time” anytime I ride it. I got involved with the Goldilocks women’s biking organization and loved doing their annual rides. Later I purchased a mountain bike to be able to bike with my husband, who was mostly mountain biking at the time. I love the landscape, thrill, and adventure with mountain biking. Now several years later, my main biking is daily commuting with my cargo bike that fits our two boys on the back. It brings joy commuting to work and doing school drop-offs and pick-ups. It makes running errands fun. It’s exciting to map out the safest route and see how big of a Costco haul I can fit on my bike.
When people ask about my bike, I respond that it was the single best purchase (aside from our home) that we’ve ever made. It’s completely changed our lifestyle. What’s the big deal? Why do I love this so much?
1. It’s grounding. I love being able to connect with nature as I commute. Both me and my boys are way more mindful of and grateful for our surroundings while on a bike. My boys notice landmarks, streams, and weather. We literally enjoy the journey of life.
2. It brings a sense of community. People talk and interact with us when we are biking. When’s the last time a car rolled down their windows to chat with you at a stoplight? We love the waves, smiles, and conversations.
3. Riding also helps me process my emotions. After a hard day at work, I can bike it out and be ready to transition to the next part of my day. I’ve always had a busy mind- I have a million thoughts racing through at any given moment. When I ride, I notice my body’s speed catches up to the pace of my thoughts allowing me to find peace.
Our family is excited for you to experience the same joys of biking and join this community. Lets RIDE THIS OUT together.
–Stacy has been a high school health teacher for the past 10 years. She has started a life coaching service specializing in helping woman with postpartum wellness. She has also created online classes designed to help parents teach sexual education to their children and to help young couples. Her work can be found at stacylyncoaching.com.
