Need for Speed

Shortly before turning 16, I spent most of my savings on a new mt. bike. One of my friends had just spent $1300 dollars on a '80 Honda Civic and couldn't understand why I would spend over half that amount on a bike rather than a car. (I didn't need a car, I could bum rides from all my friends.) The bike was a '90 Specialized Rock Hopper and I rode it everywhere. Every day after school the shorts came on and I'd hit the backroads of Southern Utah County. I rarely spent any time on mountain trails.

In '93 I was called to serve an LDS mission in Ventura California. While there, I spent 22 months with my bike as my only transportation. It was great for my legs, but when I got home in '95 I was burned out. I didn't want anything to do with my bike. To this day it hangs in my dad's garage.

After moving back to Spanish Fork---and after 10 years of not riding---I felt it was time to get back on a bike. But I didn't want to go back to my old ride. I wanted something lighter and faster. After a bit of research, I bought a Cannondale R900 as shown above.

I got what I wanted. Last week I put in 53 miles and I'm planning to double that tomorrow with a ride around West Mountain. I've been using a great site called Activebody.org. It's a free site that allows you to track your milage and other ride statistics. It also tracks running, walking, weight lifting, and other fitness stats and goals. I highly recommend it. I also joined the Utah Velo Club and look forward to joining some of their rides before the weather turns too cold. A friend of mine took a few snapshots from my first ride. I'll post the pictures as soon as I get them.