All About You FRIDAY – My Two Wheel Fascination

I’m not exactly sure when my love affair with the bicycle started. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by them. When I was a kid, I wanted to race BMX bikes. I saved up my pennies to buy a helmet at the bike shop. It was a blue one with a full face mask that offered way more protection than I needed at the speeds I was riding. But it was cool. Really cool.

And somehow, I talked my mom in to buying me a custom built Hutch bicycle where I got to pick out every part that would be installed on it. I poured over BMX magazines fascinated by the different pedals, cranks, saddles and wheels. I think that bike cost $500 and that was in 1979. It was built for speed so I decided to take it to the track.

“Why do you want to race? Do you know how many people I see injured in the ER from riding bicycles? No racing.” That’s what my dad said to me.

But my fascination with the bicycle made me do the only rebellious thing I’ve ever done in my life. I donned my red and white jersey and talked my uncle into taking me to the BMX track while my dad was at work. And I raced.

A little side note. My bike was built for speed, but I am built for comfort. I wasn’t that good. I only took first place once and it was when I drew lane number one. Everyone wanted lane number one…except me. It was the straightest line to the first turn and when the light turned green and the gate dropped, everyone would race towards that corner. I hated lane number one.

So there I was balancing on my bike at the gate. Red. Yellow. Green. Gate drops. I hesitate for just a second. Everyone races towards the first turn, someone falls and there is this huge pile up that included everyone but me. I rode around the stack of humans and wheels and made it to the finish line with a few of them breathing down my neck.

When I was in my 20’s, I dreamed of going to the Barnett Bicycle Institute to become a certified bicycle mechanic. Never happened. I couldn’t justify the cost and the time away from my family to pursue something that wasn’t in line with my profession. So, I just tinkered on bikes in our one-bedroom apartment.

In my early 20’s, I bought a Cannondale F500 and after riding it for a decade, decided to race a mountain bike time trial series. This is where they let a rider go every 30 seconds. Perfect, I thought. No first turn dilemma.

My best mountain bike racing story? The day I came in dead last in the whole race. But I got first place in my division. I cannot make this stuff up.

It was a rainy day as I headed out to Bloomer State Park, known for it’s famous set of switch backs they call the “bowl”. The rain peppered my face and helmet as I made my way around the 6.5 mile trail. I got to the bowl. “Whoa,” I muttered under my breath as I surveyed the muddy descending switch backs.

I decided to dismount my bike and walk it down. Only it was so muddy, I pretty much slid my way down, falling on my butt a couple of times as I held my bike. I made it to the bottom and wiped myself off. When I crossed the finish line and looked at the standings, I was dead last.

“This is an all-time low,” I said to myself as I walked my bike towards my car. I was on the trail so long that they started the award ceremony as I came off the trail.

“And in the over 30 women’s division, first place goes to Sherry McLaughlin!” I heard over the loud speaker.

Wait. What? I ran over to the podium and proudly let them put the medal around my neck. Turns out, all the other women over thirty thought it was a stupid idea to race mountain bikes in a thunder storm. I still have that medal.

My racing days are over, but my love of the bicycle remains, because every time I get on one, it’s an adventure. The picture at the top of this blog is one I took in Florence, Italy. That’s where I fell in love with the utilitarian use of the bicycle. The writing on the wall translates to: “Is this the life you want?” It’s a question I ask myself all the time.

Last weekend, I helped unload over 1,400 donated bicycles at a warehouse in Corktown for Free Bikes for Kids. We have over 2,200 bicycles to fix up by December and we would love your help. You don’t have to be a mechanic. You can clean bikes or fix flat tires and seats. Every minute we put into those bikes translates into a dream come true for a kid.

We have our work cut out for us. But nobody ever said making dreams come true was easy.