Riding My Bike Is Not Unlike Taking A Vacation

And here is why.....
1.) It's expensive to do it right.
I am so glad I bought a really awesome bike. My Orbea is such a smooth ride. And it's incredibly forgiving.... My advice to anyone considering buying their first road bike is this: buy more that you can afford! I know anyone with any financial sense would cringe at this, but buying a crappy bike is senseless. You will ride it a few times then want to upgrade. When you find a bike you love, just bite the bullet and give it a proper home.
2.) It takes planning.
Especially for a working mother of 2 (and in Staci's case, 3)! It seems like it takes more work and effort for us to plan a bike ride than actually RIDING. I guess that's how it will be until our kids are of a certain age.
3.) It ROCKS.
When we ride, there is nothing on my mind except what I'm doing at that exact moment and the beauty of God's creation. The sound of the bike, the shifting, trying to master proper form and technique, this is what is going on. If I'm with friends, as was the case at Saturdays metric century, then we talk some, laugh some, and ride quietly some. No worries. Just a state of internal bliss.
4.) You come home TIRED yet ready to go back!
My body was tired Saturday night. I am still not a very good climber and there were a lot of hills. My neck and shoulders were a bit sore from putting too much weight on my handlebars. But I was ready to go back on Sunday - if for no other reason than to see more of the AMAZING colors we have here in the fall.
5.)It's just plain awesome.
That's the bottom line.