Isn't Rocinante grand? That's the name of my bike, named after the horse in Don Quixote. A man I know, who is a family friend, built this bike for me several years ago. We are both fans of the book, so what to name my trusty steed seemed fairly obvious.
Yesterday I took my first bike ride of the season! It was a beautiful day, sunny with clear skies, and a high of 22 degrees. I pedaled along the road, thinking, "Man, this really IS 'just like riding a bike!'" Even though it had been since last December that I'd ridden Rocinante, it felt like no time had passed at all.
Biking is marvelous. It's freeing, and I feel independant. Or maybe it's more like I feel interdependant: I'm aware of how I'm part of the landscape, even as I move through it. And it's ME who is making the power to move; my legs, my torso, my arms are controlling the motion of this machine.
This photo above was taken last August. I had gone to a neighbour's property and picked mint, and then returned home with my harvest in the basket on the front. I can assure you that I felt very Provencal, pedalling along the road with my front wire basket filled with aromatic, fresh herbs.
I'm very much looking forward to a summer full of bike rides. Rocinante, saddle up!
Do you like to bike? Tell me why.
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