My Life On A Bike

This weekend reminded me of a beautiful truth in my life that I no longer take for granted.  Not only am I an American citizen, but I also belong to the unique and wonderful world of Cyclists.  In Bikeastan, you do not need a passport or the usual qualifications like country of birth or residence.  All that is required is a passion for 2 wheeled riding and good fun.  As a citizen you enjoy the instant camaraderie between fellow Bikeastanians that strengthens and enlivens the soul and brands your mind with fond memories to last a lifetime.

It does not escape me how fortunate Raja and I are with our unique group of friends.  Our rich circle continues to expand with every turn of the crank.  Where we live does not limit this ever growing bond, in fact, it feeds it.  Our precious Hillseeker friends, Becky and Jeff, have been away from us now for over 2 yrs in Europe.  Instead of restricting our adventures together, this obstacle has proven to be the best thing for us all.  Through a long twisted turn of events, we have been given the opportunity to add yet another fellow passionate mtn biker into the fold.  It is all part of the benefits of being a citizen of Bikeastan.

Martina, who hails from Switzerland, but is temporarily in Florida, drove 5 1/2 hrs up to North Georgia to meet us.  We come from different countries, are different ages, have different jobs and completely different backgrounds, but we share that one common bond that has proven to be quite strong.  Our passion for cycling and enjoying the outdoors bridges any gap no matter how vast the divide.   Instantly we all hit if off and it was as if we had known each other all our lives!

The weekend was full of non stop fun and riding, making friends, experiencing new horizons and learning new tricks.  I did not hesitate one second to throw Martina into the mix of my fellow Bikestanian friends.  I knew they would welcome her warmly and generously and all would have a great time.  We did!  We had a ball and did not want it to end.

Friday we hit the road (on our mtn bikes) and headed over to Kennesaw Mountain.  I wanted her to experience my little daily riding routine and to see a small part of Southern History.  Kennesaw Mountain is a National Park and our piece of the Civil War.  Cam joined us and regaled us with tales (mostly fictional), so she did not get the complete historical reference for which I was hoping!  Nonetheless, she learned new things and saw my little town.

Martina brought her own new toy to show us, or shall I say, show off for us.  The Slackline was new territory for us!  This is the rock climber’s training tool, and she was quite good at it.  We, on the other hand, were not so good at it.  Learning simply how to get on is a feat in itself, but each time I could feel progress.  By the 2nd day, I was able to actually take a step without killing myself.  I must admit, the Slackline is intriguing and I would not mind having one.  This would be an excellent training tool for the mtn biker as well since balance is key to good riding on the trails.

After we thoroughly exhausted our legs with a morning ride and Slackline practice, we headed to a local mtn bike trail, Blankets Creek.  Blankets has 3 fabulous loops of varying skill levels, so we did them all.  Martina loved it, and so did I.  We are so lucky to have such a great system of trails only 20 minutes away.

Saturday was the Big day.  Our friends were eager to meet Martina and show her our favorite trail, The Pinhoti.  Friday night it rained and rained and rained, 2″ to be exact, so we knew that would mean a soggy trail.  The forecast was for more rain on Saturday and we all anxiously held our breath hoping they were wrong (because they always are).  Bright and early Saturday morning at 6am, the emails started flying;  “are we still on?”  Looking at the radar, it was impossible to tell if we would dodge the rain or not.  I was not interested in playing the guessing game, “Let’s do it, we’re going ,” I told Raja.  No one balked or bailed and all were eager to make this ride happen.  I was so pleased with my riding buddies.

As Regularjoe says, we all carry on like kids when we are together, but it is so much fun.  As we all gathered on the side of Gates Chapel Road that morning, we squealed and laughed and hugged and greeted each other as if we had been apart for ages.  It is always that way in Bikeastan.  Martina had baked us chocolate brownies (with over a lb of chocolate) and used them “to buy friends”.  Although, she needed no props to make friends this day.  Everyone welcomed her in like family and they all became fast friends, immediately joking and cutting up amongst themselves.

There was a nice mix of our roadie buds and mtn bike buddies, so not everyone knew each other.  Martina was not the only one to make new acquaintances.  After 20 years of being in the cycling world, I love how incredibly warm and welcoming our present little crew of friends are.  Outside of cycling, we are very diverse representing  a multitude of varying jobs, backgrounds, and families.  Yet, when we get come together, those details fade away as the only thing that counts or matters is riding our bikes and the sound of laughter is guaranteed to be heard.

With last night’s rain, the woods were as lush and green as a scene out of Lord of the Rings.  The only creatures happier than we were the birds that were singing and chirping their joyful anthem.  There is nothing more magical than riding up the enchanted forest of Pinhoti 3 in Springtime.  I was so happy at that moment that I could have burst.  Hiding behind trees to take pictures, it delighted me to hear the chatter and laughter of various riders approaching.  Jobs are scarce, money is tight, and the future uncertain, but when we ride our bikes, those nagging issues vanish from sight.  It’s hard to fret and worry when on your bicycle.

My friends vary in riding abilities from one end of the spectrum to the other, and yet we all ride together and have a blast.  No one was taking notes on who was in what position or how fast we had to go.  We just ride!  We stop, regroup, laugh, take pictures, and ride some more.   It’s not about competition or proving anything to anybody.  That nonsense is for another place, but not here, not today.

The trail was soggy in spots, but it did not bother us.  If felt so good to be out and it was so doggone beautiful.  I know it sounds a bit overkill, but really, it was just one of those magical days.  Remember the forecast for rain?  It was raining in Atlanta, but not in the mountains on us!  We could not have asked for a better day.

Thoroughly, but happily exhausted, we caught a bit of sleep for one more day of riding.  There were so many trails I wanted to show Martina, but so little time.   The rain really was creeping in on Sunday, so we made a break for it and rushed to Roswell to Big Creek.   RegularJoe joined us and we zipped over the rocky zippy trails to the FreeRide area.  At first, Martina did not think she would be taking part in those trails, but after one run she was hooked.

We rode until we could ignore the rain no longer.  Three days of great riding and good friends…we were quite content.   Martina enjoyed seeing new trails and meeting new faces, while I had savored in the moment of watching it all happen.  These are MY friends that make  life so meaningful and purposeful on the bike.  Without them, well, I do not want to think of my life without them.  Really.  I do not mean to sound dramatic and over mushy, but my life could not get any more perfect than it is right now.  Thank you, my dear friends, for making this weekend so memorable and special for us.

I have discussed this with a friend, of how our group is not really your typical group of friends.  You do not often find this rare combination of diverse people that share such a strong passionate bond.  It has colored my life so brightly the past few years that I want to protect it lest something happen to make things change.  Life is constantly changing and shifting, but as long as I can keep this dual citizenship in both countries, I can handle whatever happens.  I am a proud proud member of an elite special group.  Welcome to my world, Martina!  Turns out we are from the same “country” afterall!