It's not that I am new to riding a bicycle. I've done that for many years for very practical and therefore mundane reasons--commuting to classes and summer jobs, going to the grocery store, meeting up with friends and family, etc. Throughout my university years, and they were many, I did not own a car. The bicycle, for three seasons a year, was my vehicle. In the winter, unable to afford the gear to ride comfortably while staying warm and dry, I took the bus or subway.
What I mean, then, when I call myself a bicycling newbie, is that I am new to actually learning about bicycles--types, geometry, components, gear and repair--and about bicycling culture/subculture--cycling as a social movement and/or lifestyle choice, different types of regional, national and international cycling events and rallies, and the concomitant organizations, clubs, community events, music, art, magazines, websites and fashion trends.
Though I am now gainfully employed, I have enough student debt to be effectively broke much of the time. While I eat better than I did in my student days, thank goodness, I still cannot afford to get most of the cycling equipment and gear I need and would certainly like to get. And forget going on exciting, 'round-the-world cycling adventures. Heck, right now I can't even afford to join a local club, sign up for local or regional rallies, or buy cycling clothing--I mostly wear shorts and a t-shirt when I ride. I'd love to participate in the Friends for Life Rally 2009 happening July 26th through 31st from Toronto to Montreal, for instance. Maybe next year, with the support of readers like you... :-)
The bike I currently own is the most expensive one I've ever purchased, at about $800.00 all in, having done so at a time when I was earning a bit more than now and I had to travel a great deal for work. Hence the choice of a full-size, folding, fairly lightweight mountain bike. Before that, for almost ten years, I owned and used a Raleigh Tarantula mountain bike. It was relatively inexpensive, but served me well over the years. I put a lot of urban kilometres on it.
Now, for the first time ever, I am becoming interested in learning about both bicycles and certain aspects of cycling culture. There are two main things, fitness and recreation, driving this recent interest. Both are, in a strange way, related to my job--it is easy to gain weight at the office and easy for work-related stress to carry over from week to week. Cycling helps me to combat both.
I've been spending a fair bit of time on cycling blogs, reading other people's experiences and learning from their cycling-related knowledge, and have even picked up a couple of books on cycling. I will learn, even if I can't afford to do or buy much right now.
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