Learning Again: Rediscovering Joy on Two Wheels

My earliest memory is from my fourth birthday. My parents had me close my eyes and grip the handlebars of a mystery gift while my brothers looked on from across the room. I don’t remember if I guessed it before opening my eyes, but there it was—a green bike, my first. At four years old, it was the greatest joy I could imagine.

Fast forward to November 2024. I was working remotely, stuck in a routine that left me feeling lonely and uninspired. One cold afternoon, somewhere between doomscrolling and going for another uninspired run, I stumbled across a small bike shop operating out of a shipping container near Lake Raleigh. It was called The Bike Library. On a whim, I bought a restored bike.

That decision changed everything.

Weekends suddenly had purpose. I started joining group rides, picked up a couple more bikes for road and trail riding at Umstead, and began to challenge myself again. I learned something new every week—not just about biking, but about myself. I met more people than I can count through rides, events, and just walking into bike shops around town.

On one of my first long solo rides to Jordan Lake, I passed a mother helping her daughter on a learner bike. As I went by, the mother called out, “We’re still learning!” I replied, “You’re good!”—but immediately wished I’d said, “Me too.” Because it’s true. We’re all learning. Every unfamiliar road, every missed turn, every fall (like the one that left a fresh bruise on my hip that day) is part of the process. The challenge is part of the joy.