Look Ma, No Hands!

Today, I have reached a milestone! I have a list of 100 things to do before I die, and one of them is to ride a bicycle without holding the handlebars. For years, this simple task has eluded me. As a wee lass in Belgium, I tried, and tired, but all I got for my efforts were bloody knees and scraped palms.

Fast forward to the present. As of last year, I wasn't really riding bikes (other than motorcycles). I spent the last 7 years on my rollerblades, and I was a total fiend. I would rollerblade to law school, followed by roller-blading to work in NYC and Boston. I lived on my blades, and was affectionately dubbed "roller-girl"...which apart from the salient fact that I did not blade sans shirt, was an apropos surname. Alas, an old blading injury flared up last year, and my doctor told me it was time to cool it and find some other sports obsession.

Re-enter the bicycle.

I purchased my first adult bicycle last year (oddly enough, the same year I purchased my first adult car) and I have been riding it as much as possible. It's a lot of fun, but it has taken some getting used to. It's not rollerblading, but it's fast and is also a great means of locomotion (apart from the obvious health benefits). On the few days of sunshine we have had this year, I am riding my bike.

And today, I am an official "cool" rider...no handlebars :)