- I can ride a bike long distances, alone.
- I know how to take a photograph.
- Don Quixote is my patron saint.
Will my ride do any good for anyone, or if it is just another windmill for me to tilt at? It’s hard to tell. I’m trying to learn a whole new way of thinking from someone who is no longer around. Deeper than that, I’m trying to come to peace with that final, indisputable fact: Brian is no longer here. But he should be. And I absolutely hate that he, and so many others, are no longer here. I hate cancer for taking them away. For the scars it leaves on those left behind. Why do I tilt at this windmill, again and again? Because I have no other positive outlet for my rage. Being able to raise funds for the JWCF and Pablove will do some good for others. If I’m lucky, a few of you will go out and tilt at a few windmills of your own. That, to me, would be the best of all outcomes. And then maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to say my final goodbye to Brian.
This is the first of a series of articles leading up to Brian’s Ride in October. I’ll be posting regularly here on Bikepackers Magazine about training, trips, photography, cancer fundraising and more. Come on along for the ride! It’ll be a good one, I promise. Many thanks go out to Salsa Cycles, The Adventure Cycling Association and Huckleberry Bikes for their generous support of Brian’s Ride! You can donate to fight cancer at http://generosity.com/fundraisers/brian-s-ride-fighting-cancer-on-route-66/
Part two – Have You Always Been Athletic?
Pingback: So It Begins - Bikepacker