In The Beginning, There Was Bike

Why I started Spokes & Spandex, and where it all began.

When I was 24, I attended college (started late) at Arizona State University. While there I was also given an education in cycling by my uncle. This was my time away from the world and I really enjoyed riding with him. He was my resource and he passed along what he knew about riding to me. He helped me pick out a bike. And by helping me "pick out" he said, get this one...and thats what I did. We did a lot of climbing rides, mostly because of the location of the trail compared to where each of us lived, and we would spend the rides talking, when we weren't out of breath from climbing.

That was 18 years, two post graduate programs, 50+ pounds of weight gain, my marriage, a daughter, and a few moves ago. In 2019 my wife Jennifer was diagnosed with breast cancer found in a routine mammogram and our lives were literally turned upside down. She had surgeries, chemo therapy treatments, and radiation. But after all that she had gone through, and still going through radiation in the beginning of 2020, she repeatedly said she was concerned about MY health. That was a big shock to the system. I knew I had gained some weight in law school and afterwards, and I knew I wasn't as active as I should be. I had a bunch of exercise equipment from efforts never taken seriously, like a stationary bike that sat in my office at home. I also had my 20 year old Giant road bike in the garage. One of Jennifer's friends invited us to go walking one morning to a trail (that I didn't know about), almost right in our back yard. This trail is 5 miles of pavement that has no traffic and crosses under roads. This trail was exactly what I needed to get back on the bike.

Since September 2020 I have ridden five days a week on average, I have upped my milage, my speed, lost around 50 pounds, dropped my resting heart rate 20 BPM, and have transformed how I spend my days. Obviously a lot has changed in my life, but what I have learned over the last year through this journey is that a lot has changed in cycling as well. My uncle isn't close in proximity, and I didn't have a trusted resource close. Just me Google, YouTube, and a lot of time on the trail.

I decided I needed to start a site or a blog to share what I have learned on my journey as well as be a resource for newer to intermediate riders. I am by no means an expert, the fastest out there, nor in the best shape, nor do I know everything, but I will share what has worked for me, and what I know or believe to be true.

Right now, as I start this blog, I am 45, not at the level of fitness I would like to be, I am not the weight I would like to be, and I am not riding as far or as fast as I would like to be. I am still the pudgy guy at the back of the pack of riders. I know that over time I will get faster, leaner, and stronger. My aim is to share my journey in the hopes of inspiring others who are on the same path, as well as be the kind of resource my uncle was to me when I started riding. There is so much to learn, and I would like to do my part to share knowledge, share my story, and share my experiences.

Welcome to Spokes & Spandex