Happy 200th Birthday to the Bicycle!

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I just learned that today, June 12, 2017, is the 200th birthday of something near and dear to my heart: the bicycle. While this is not the time to go into it, I was taught to ride a bike by an abusive method that should have turned me off of the activity for life. Even at that young age, however, I must have somehow recognized the bicycle's potential, because here I am, at 53, still obsessed with them. Despite occasionally getting sidetracked by things like skateboarding or running, I always come back to cycling. The health benefits of the sport are numerous. I can usually lose, just by riding my bike, 10-20 pounds a summer, and, as a Bipolar with severe depression and anxiety, riding consistently does wonders for me as well, by giving me something positive on which to focus. From the very moment I finally figured it out, however, the bike has always represented freedom. When I was a kid, it expanded my territory beyond my neighborhood (out of site, out of mind.) As an adult, it's a temporary escape from life itself. I love riding with friends, but nearly all of my rides are now solo efforts. When I'm in the middle of a 30 mile ride, it's just me, my bike, and whatever song my brain decides to play for me. Nothing matters but that next climb, that next obstacle (if I'm mountain biking,) that next mile, that next spin of the pedals. Happy 200th Birthday to the bicycle! The photo is of my old Raleigh R-500 road bike. I've linked an interesting article about the reason what became the bike below: