By Myrriah Gossett
People have many obsessions, addictions and passions. My question, however, is what happens when you have all three on the same topic.
Hi, my name is Myrriah Gossett and I am a bike-a-holic.
This addiction actually started way back in my younger days when I used to go on a bike ride just about every night. I fell out of this habit once I hit high school, and my BMX bike was soon given away once I stopped riding it.
I started college back in 2007, and at first I didn’t return to my biking habits until the summer of 2008, when I found it much easier to bike rather then trying to find a parking spot. I bought a cheap bike from Wal-Mart.
It got me from Point A to Point B, however, it was not a high quality bike what so ever.
Then, like most bikers in Savannah, my bike was stolen due to a crummy lock. This time I was serious, or so I thought. Having been out of the bike scene for a long time, and before hand usually just dealing with BMX trick bikes, I had no idea what to look for in a road bike.
So I went down and bought a road bike, which my Pedicab friends would later yell me at for, as it was from their mortal enemies. I’ve been working on it, and this is where the obsession started.
The first thing was a new saddle, or seat, for those who thinking horses rather than bikes. Next came the paint job, the new grip tape, the new gears and a single speed kit. It looks like a completely different bike.
From a few weeks of hanging out with Pedicabbers, I was hooked on the talks of bike seats, chains, gears, crank sets, tires and handlebars. The list goes on and on. Besides conversations, there are the blogs. The cycling community is tight knit and supportive, which I find comforting.
But be wary. While this habit is healthy, it might cost your wallet. It is an addiction for sure, and I am by far not the worst in town. If you pay attention you will see the addicts making their way down the street on their custom bikes with Brooks Saddles or their completely manipulated bikes. The level of passion and dedication in these bike addicts is admirable.
