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Dreaming of Black Creek

I've been excited like a little kid since I got my new bike Monday. The short story is I love riding bikes. Bill Hannahs told me about this bike he noticed for sale sort of near me. It was in Florida, at least. So, I drove up the coast of the panhandle to Freeport, FL and wound up getting it. To me, riding a bike is a lucky situation that I can take advantage of because I am usually within biking distance of stores, work, and recreation. I love the part in the quote above that says "the more you use it, the fitter you become" and that it's "entirely beneficial to those who use it".

So, here's the bike. It's more than just a bike. It's a little bit of history. The bike is made by Eddy Merckx, a famous racer from Belgium. He's won many races and set the speed record in biking. He rode a bike about 30 MPH for an hour. Imagine that! The bike is an '87 model. It's been taken care of. The paint is still nice and the components are shiny. You know, none of it really matters as much as the way you feel when you are moving your legs to propel the bike as you ride it from one place to another. Your whole body is involved.

I met a guy selling bikes the other day named Rob. He described how the muscles of your back react to riding a bike in different positions. He said that the more you tend toward the position you're in when riding a racing bike, the more your back muscles contribute to pedaling the bike. Pretty interesting. Blood flows to the muscles, and that includes your brain, so the result is clearer thinking and better overall emotional well being. How could it not?

Another fine result of getting the Merckx is that I met the owner, Rob Hall. Now, Rob and I are friends. Rob is a massage therapist who says that he finished service in the Army and meant to go to California, but discovered the panhandle area of Florida and has been there ever since. 14 years now. He surfs, kayaks, and generally enjoys the area every way he can. He sold the Merckx because he said "I bought it from a friend thinking I would enjoy the cross training from my mountain bike, but the way the people drive here I will take my chances with the trees and critters."

So, I drove out to see the bike and basically took te scenic route, 6 hours along the coast of the panhandle of Florida from Gainesville to Freeport, which is just south of Tallahassee, the capital of Florida. Then, after I decided it fit and talked a little with Rob, his wife Darcy and little girl, Wren, I basically turned around and drove back the fast way on the interstate, since it was a "school night".

Rob just sent me a few pictures of his favorite places in Freeport. This one is my favorite:

This is Robert Hall on the Black Creek. What a beautiful photo. Must be morning. He says "These pics were taken on the waterway that I live on. It is called Black Creek. It is called so because it is the color of coffee. It is very nice with not a lot of urban development up stream so you don't have to go far to get away from everyone."

Here's another: