Angela’s Bike Experience

Through the years, riding has meant different things to me. During my youth, riding was my only means of transportation. However, as I matured I realized I had potential and could develop my skills if I worked at it. I have never been a really fast person, although I have competed in many races. I found that through competition, I was allowing myself to explore new abilities while achieving better fitness. As an added bonus, I realized it made me feel really good while developing better self-confidence. Who knew??!!

Ironically, I started cycling AFTER graduating college at Clemson University in 1998. My husband introduced me to riding and hooked me up with my first mountain bike. We spent so much time on the great Isaqueena Trails in Clemson. I love that place! Back then it was really slow moving with lots of walking. Especially when it was summer in the HOT – HOT - HOT South Carolina heat. But it was so worth it. I found that we would get to see so much on bikes. We would go to this one trail in the evenings before dusk and watch the deer feed before we would head back down. That was such a fun trail; we called it “Wounded Knee”. I realized then how much I love nature and being out there. After that, I was hooked!! I love the beauty - I love the socializing – I love the long days – I love the sweating – I love the colors – I love the smell – I love the smiles – I love the speed – I love the rush!

Once I was hooked, we started taking weekend trips and vacations just to go riding in different places. I had not yet raced, but was enjoying just the act of being out there. You can go so far, in such a short amount of time and see so much. It’s truly amazing!! The most amazing place we visited was Moab, Utah. It is so beautiful out there. I would recommend it to anyone. Even though that was fun, what made it fun was that it was different. Being exposed to different terrains, different experiences and different locations is part of the addiction.

After moving to Asheville, I bought my first road bike. Although I mostly enjoy being in the woods, I must say that I enjoy the simplicity, speed and non-technical side of road biking. Sadly, I feel like I am a much better roadie than mountain biker. Once I had both bikes, I would ride so much more frequently. I finally decided I was ready to take on racing/metric centuries. So back in 2001, I signed up for Blood Sweat and Gears Metric Century. I was so nervous. I trained and knew I was ready, but that morning I felt so sick! I had it in my head that it was a race, when in fact it’s not. After the event, I felt like I was on such a high. I felt like I had achieved a huge thing!! And I had!! Since then, I’ve competed in several cross-country races, metric centuries and endurance mountain bike races. My toughest events thus far (that I have completed) would be racing duo with my husband at the Wild 100 Back Country Mountain Bike Race in West Virginia and racing solo at the Night Train 12 hour Cross Country Race the week prior. During that year, I learned a critical lesson. During a race or an epic ride it’s not how fast you go, it’s all about forward motion, without complaining!! At times, that’s really hard to do! But it’s definitely an attitude you have to keep, or it’s no fun for anyone.

I put in many miles that year. That’s the year before we conceived our daughter, Wiley. Since then, many things have changed. Thus far, I haven’t been able to put in as many hours of riding that I would like but that’s okay, she’s only going to be little for a little while and I plan to enjoy every minute. We’ve had to adapt our riding around her. Most of my rides now involve pulling a Burley Trailer. But it’s so great to be able to expose her to all of the things that we love. We have often talked about how lucky Wiley is to live in such a wonderful place and to have parents who enjoy getting out there, with her. Not only that, I’ve found that I have several great friends with small children, and we often get out there with kids in toe. During my time off the bike, I did reflect on my many memories and just get a rush, which would bring a big smile to my face. I am very excited to be a member of the BioWheels Race Team again this year. I plan attend more events offering support while focusing on participating mainly in metric centuries. Eventually, I’d like to compete in some endurance races; we’ll see what the year has in store.

Through the years our riding experiences will change based on where we are at that time in our lives. But the most important thing to remember is to keep ridin’- it’ll make you smile!!

Mother / Daughter Explorations with a Trailer

Trying to stay true to my New Year’s resolution, and wanting more of an adventure than my neighborhood roads could provide, Hyla and I loaded up our Burley trailer and headed out for a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. A warm, sunny, Monday in February was indeed the perfect time for this ride as the road was not over crowded with tourist traffic. We first headed out on my neighborhood streets, which were safe and familiar. When we had ridden about 4 miles, we had made it to the parkway. I was a bit intimidated, but it was so beautiful and I was really feeling strong.

We decided to head south, as it looked a little more laden with sun. Let me tell you, you can sure feel the elevation you are gaining when you are pulling a trailer with a three-year-old child in it. It was a little slow going, but did it ever feel good to be on my bike, with my daughter, on a fabulous day! I felt a bit more in touch with the independent, adventurous self I once knew so well and I was proud. Hyla was having a blast, pointing out all the icicles that were here to stay throughout the winter no matter how warm it got. She found it a little more amusing than I did when a car approached and then proceeded to pass us. That was still a bit scary for me, but I was gaining confidence in every aspect of cycling by being out on my bikeWhen we had made it as far as I was going to go that day, we found ourselves at one of the first overlooks heading south on the Parkway.

I had made it about 15 miles from home with daughter in tow and was happy at that. I unbuckled Hyla from her burley trailer so we could take in the sights. We had packed a picnic in the back and we were ready to eat.

Sitting there, enjoying our sandwiches, Hyla asked me; “What is that noise?” Her expression changed to one of fear and she scooted in closer to me. “It sounds like a monster,” she said. I stood up and looked down into the valley trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. It did sound like a monster, a deep growling and clunking sound. When I honed in on the source I saw that indeed, it was a monster. I didn’t know how to answer Hyla. Do I tell her that in fact it is a type of monster, tearing down trees and flattening the land to make room for yet one more golf course. That it is big machines up on top of a beautiful a ridge clearing out trees for a humongous road and more “mountain homes.” A man who had just gotten back to his truck from a hike, confirmed that indeed it was a new development they were clearing for with over 200 lots in the works!

Had I been in better shape I suppose I could of made it further up the parkway, into more pristine wilderness for us to gaze upon. I’ll make a goal of it for next time. Trying, for my daughters sake, not to sound like a doomsday sayer, I explained to her what the noise was and told her next time we would go further where it is quieter and our view will be much prettier. I left it at that. I want to show my daughter something positive next time, something amazing, not something that will scare her. I don’t think she is quite ready to become an activist, but perhaps by preserving her wonder for this beautiful planet, she will be more apt to do so when she is grown.

Here is a picture of us before a ride.

A Mother’s Resolution - ride more

All to often recently, I have found myself looking to the past to relive the intensity and energy I once merged while mountain biking.  I long for that feeling of well being and liveliness that cycling delivers.   I look to the past to feel good today.  I look back and remember the time I was being a big shot, zig-zagging down a rocky hill and flew right over the handlebars.  Knocked myself unconscious but could be seen laughing all the way up to the point the unconsciousness settled in.  Somehow this is a fond memory.  I remember how good it felt to be out riding with the guys in college, being the only female able to keep up.  Riding all day long just to see where we could end up and what we could find out near the Allegheny National Forest, which was a second home to us.  I rode my bike everywhere in those days.  Off to class, to the store, to a party at friends, or on an all day adventure seeking out the beauty that was all around me in the beautiful hills of Pennsylvania.  People began to refer to me as ‘the girl on the purple bike’, because I was with it so much.

Cycling introduced me to a more intimate relationship with nature.  I was greatly aware of my surroundings and had to work with them to maneuver around.  It became an escape and I would ride for hours to a special secret spot to ponder the mysteries of the universe… how alive I was!  How good it felt.  My mind, sharp, my muscles, toned and limber.  My senses, on.  I remember riding up to a rock outcropping high up on one of those ancient hills.  What a view!  I could see everything.  One can’t help but feel immense with entire mountain ranges in ones sight.  Entire cities below, one can’t help but feel enormous, dare I say ‘significant’, and I realized that the experience must have a reason for being.  Perhaps we were allowed to feel huge for a few moments so that we could understand our impact and what role we had to play on this planet.  We are huge.  We are caretakers. Our impact is everything and we have to reduce it immensely to treat our planet properly.  I welcomed these loving, nurturing feelings I had for my planet and fell deeply in love for the millionth time.  I swore to ride my bike everywhere from now on and those thoughts were reaffirmed after my peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of air brakes below.  Noise is pollution too.

None of this should have changed, but sadly, it did.  Somehow I’d let motherhood and the encroaching thirties convince me that these “young”, idealistic feelings were things of the past.  I shouldn’t say I believed such a thing, I just got too good at putting it off.  I’ll get back on the bike soon.  Hyla, (my three year old daughter), will be in school soon and then I’ll have the time and energy. I certainly didn’t feel the energy then, but failed to realize it was the inactivity that made it that way.  Okay, I was aware the inactivity had a role to play, but the time, where would I find the time?  How could I do it while raising a three year old?

Enough with the excuses.  The New Year is here, and this mother has one heck of a resolution, to uphold a promise once made.  Regressing to the past can’t keep a person going and these are things I believe in more than anything. . Shouldn’t Hyla know this?   No time for pondering, no time for exploring, and no time for cycling!  That is no life!  My daughter needs a role model so that she too will be a good “caretaker”.

So, the purple bike is gone, (yes, it was hard to say goodbye) and has been replaced by a nice red one, my prized possession.  And introducing my second prized possession, the Burley Trailer.  I have taken it for a spin and not only do I love it, my daughter does as well.  I am eager to begin our journeys together be they trips to the grocery store, (there is room in the back for two full bags). As she gets older, we’ll take trips to the tops of mountains on bikes. Hello toned muscles, keen senses, and sharp mind.  It will take some getting in shape, but I vow to get myself and my daughter to the top so that she can perhaps begin her own love affair, and she’ll have me to thank for introducing it to her.