Greatest Moment in Cycling

What’s your greatest cycling moment?  

I’ve ridden my bike almost everyday for twenty-five years.  Through riding, I’ve made friends, I’ve traveled all over the world and I’ve produced enough Endorphins and Serotonin to light up a small city.  

In that time, one moment stands out for me.  For years, I’ve brought my rollers to little league games and lacrosse fields and even to a quiet corner at the skate park because while my sons did their thing, I got to watch them and get in a decent workout.  Invariably, my sons would explain to their nonplussed teammates that yes, their crazy dad was balancing on his bike next to the bleachers in right field.  

A couple of years ago, my (then) nine-year-old helped out at a Cleary Bikes photoshoot where we’d brought a set of rollers in the hopes that we could shoot one of our younger child models in a simulated riding position.  It didn’t work because none of the kids could balance.  

My son, however, decided he was going to master the rollers that day.  He took the rollers and a bike that was about his size to a quiet corner to practice.  For most of the morning, he’d try and fall, try and fall, try and fall, try and . . . stay up then fall.  

The whole time, he was laughing and joking, until he finally got it and then he was proud.  Not as proud as I, but really proud of himself because he had joyfully worked hard at something and seen the immediate result. 

Now, when kids ask who the crazy guy is balancing on his bike at the skatepark, my son responds, “It’s not that big a deal.  I can do it.”