A Saddled Life

I’ve seen a lot of wonderful things from my saddle this year. I raced grueling events that tested me almost as much as an Ironman. In riding my bike to work I've seen great mountain views and little details like foxes and falcons. I climbed Mont Ventoux (twice) and I even got married on my Tommaso bike on the top of a mountain! It has been an amazing year and I am very lucky. There’s a saying about luck: “Luck favors the prepared.” Basically the more you prepare for a certain result the better chance you’ll get that result.

The year tuned out to be amazing because I make cycling such a big part of my life. From the commute to work, the lunch ride, my career and the time spent tinkering in the garage I am surrounded by bikes and like minded people. My friends work at VeloNews, Hutchinson, Specialized, Trek, BMC, Shimano and SRAM. My wife loves to ride bikes as much as I do (she’s even racing cross now!). To say I am “into cycling” is to say Captain Ahab liked to fish.

It is in this life that my life takes place. Going to the store is a trip on the bike. Date night to our favorite restaurant is a trip on our bikes. When we decided to get married our first thought was what mountain are we going to ride up and tie the knot? And of course the honeymoon was cycling the Tour routes in France. Daily life with a bike is something that will stay with me forever. I have good days and bad days but they are all bike days.

Another big part of this life is sharing it with all of you on the Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter. Do you think I’ll ever forget Todd Cooper eating a KFC Double Down on video? I’m thankful that Qba checks in from Afghanistan and crazy Jesse gives shout-outs from Florida. I look forward to comparing notes with Kenneth and Steve during the classics and Tours. I even got to ride with Kampy as he traveled across the US on his way home. Yes, lucky man!

So as winter approaches get out the cold weather gear and continue on with the good life. Make plans for the upcoming year and set some goals. Prepare a route in life that includes cycling and soon you will find that we are all pretty lucky.

Thanks for reading-TR