Why I Ride

When 17, I shattered my leg and spent five months in a full cast. After the bones regrew, my leg was weak, my knee would give out unexpectedly, and my leg hurt badly even after short walks. I began to despair of returning to my active lifestyle. But I had a new ten-speed. I lost patience with lameness, and one day pushed the bike to the porch steps, cringed as I threw my bad leg over the saddle, and sat there with my good foot on the step and my bad foot on the pedal. It felt great to be back in the saddle. I pushed off and rolled onto the road. My good leg did the work and helped my bad leg to recover. I couldn’t walk, but I could ride. Mobility and freedom. That’s why I ride. Beautiful countryside and utility are icing on the cake.