Ten years ago I began life as a daily bike rider, after years of mass transit and more driving than I care to remember.
My bike was my tour guide, encouraging me to explore and familiarize myself with the city.
Because of bike rides, I gained physical strength and confidence.
Through a friend of a friend I learned about the D.C. Randonneurs, and soon began clipping in with them on brevets and flèche rides.
The D.C. Randonneurs welcomed me, and their bike rides taught me that I was tougher than I knew and could ride more miles in one go than I ever imagined, in weather I previously considered un-rideable.
Because of my daily bike rides and weekend brevets, I began to feel a sense of belonging to the city and a connection to people that I hadn’t during my initial years residing in Washington, D.C.
It was thanks to a bike ride– ten years ago– that I met my tandem and life partner, Felkerino. We rode 100 miles on our first date (my first time on a tandem), and we just kept on riding together.
Our bike rides have taken us to places I never thought I would see, at least not from the perch of my saddle.
Through my daily rides in the city, I began meeting other local cyclists. I’ve shared good bike talk, friend talk, Friday Coffee Clubs, and miles of pedaling along with good #BikeDC friends.
My bike rides inspired me to begin this blog and, later, to launch the Coffeeneuring Challenge and the Errandonnee.
These events, which are all about using your bike to go places, led the way for me to connect virtually with other bike riders, some of whom I have had the unexpected good fortune to meet in real life.
Self-confidence, fitness, friendship, camaraderie, laughs, and true love. I found them all through bike rides.
Happy Thanksgiving, bike rider buddies.
chasingmailboxes.com 
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!
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Happy Thanksgiving and Happy 10th Anniversary!
Similar story here (fitness, confidence, engagement, friendships, travel and true love) though perhaps not quite on your epic scale! 😉
All the best.
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Happy Thanksgiving from Finland as well! I want to give thanks for bike rides, Friday Coffee Clubs and the welcoming #BikeDC spirit in general. All that made a huge difference for my Fulbright year. I miss you all!
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Happy Thanksgiving for friends, family, and bikes! I may put my bike away for some salty weeks or months ahead but I’ll be looking forward to more challenges from you.
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Happy Thanksgiving, Mary! I hope to meet you one day, too!
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Thanks for that post MG. Inspirational. I have a long way to go in terms of ability to ride a long ( or even a moderate) way on a bike. But as they say, the longest journey starts with the first step. Jim D. Massachusetts
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Or maybe with the first turn of the crank?
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Happy Thanksgiving MG. I really like your header photo up top and congrats on your new job.
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Yes, yes, yes – I never thought when I retired that I’d take up biking, it wasn’t even on the radar but what a joy it’s been. So well done and thanks for greetings from a non-thanksgiving Scotland.
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Also good to have a blog from a tandem rider.
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Thanks for the post.
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Happy Thanksgiving! Yes – managed a ride today too! This from my local neighborhood – http://instagram.com/p/v6ovFkHoVK/
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always so thankful to know you and visit your blogroll….
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So nice! Thanks for sharing!
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Happy Biking Anniversary! So glad I got to meet you and keep sharing your adventures.
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