Getting around by bicycle is just the coolest thing. I’m glad you were able to find a way.

I wasn’t a huge fan of bikes as a kid but I did ride one. I couldn’t wait to get a car. In those days a teenager could find a car for sale for about $50 and between me and my older brother we made it roadworthy. He taught me everything I knew (past tense) about fixing cars, a skill which was invaluable during times in my life when I needed to have a car but could not afford to pay someone else to fix it.

Now I bike everywhere and don’t own a car, although my wife has one, so there is a car around. This saves about $3000-$4000/year. Next to choir singing it’s my greatest joy. Now that the New England weather is improving a bit I’m back at it. Winter bums me out because I often can’t ride and have to uses buses or beg rides.

I got back into it because I joined a UU church that had a bike club. That was like 10–12 years ago and I no longer go to that church, but I kept the biking (and choir singing).