A Message from James

My life was forever altered with the humble words of recreational riding. I can recall a friend of mine asking me to join him for a bicycle ride in the summer of 2008 after he left work for the day. At the time, he and I were heavily into pushing our physical and mental limits to their edge by means of racing motorcycles around a road course at 150 miles per hour. He had read somewhere that all the top motorcycle racers trained on road bicycles in the off season for endurance and stamina. It seemed reasonable enough to me that I invested a couple hundred dollars of my hard earned money into a hybrid Trek 7000. By hybrid, I mean that it had flat bars like a mountain bike, but with larger 700C road tires for less rolling resistance. Little did I know this was quite possibly the worst first bicycle I could have bought to “train” with. It was about as far from a road bike as one could get without purchasing an actual mountain bike. The frame was steel, it weighed about 40 pounds, those 700C “road” tires were of the 35C width and the geometry was designed for the rider’s comfort, not speed. These would be all of the lessons that I would learn as my mind was just beginning to grasp the concept of riding a bicycle again.

Recreational riding encompasses a very wide realm of our cycling world. In fact, it represents the greatest majority of riding that we all do. From the weekend mountain biking trip through local woods and creeks to taking a leisurely ride through a neighborhood with your kids and even those sometimes ridiculously fast guys you see punishing themselves on super-light road frames with the latest and greatest list of available components. I would hazard a guess that almost every person with any memory of their childhood can recall some of their experiences on a bicycle. Whether it was setting up ramps and jumps across culverts and ditches with your buddies on BMX bikes, or that first time you rode away from your parents when they finally let go of your bike seat as they guided you down a sidewalk. We all share a common bond of cycling and, as with any good hobby; it has progressed to something of a passion for many of us.

It is with some trepidation that I have assumed the reigns of recreational riding vice-president. I have never belonged to an organized club such as this one and I have assuredly never held an office in any club. My boundaries in this position are, as yet, untested and I implore you to be very patient with me as I explore and grow within my position. I hope to be everything you want me to be in this role that I have accepted as a charter member of this club. I am a firm believer in the physical and mental benefits that can be realized through recreational cycling. It has allowed me to shed 44 pounds of weight that somehow crept on to my body without my knowledge and gain friends that I never would have known otherwise. I sincerely hope you will share this journey as we grow and realize the fruits of our shared passion. Oh what a long, strange trip it’s been and we’ve only just begun. As always, ride safe and aware of your surroundings.

Rubber side down,

James Allen

VP of Recreational Riding