My experience with bicycles started when I was four and I came down with a case of bike envy when my oldest brother got a blue Schwinn Stingray with a banana seat. The next year, my other brother got a Sears Gremlin with a yellow to green fade paint job and a banana seat to match.  I used to look at those bikes and dream of the day when I would be able to ride them. When my oldest brother got a blue Schwinn Varsity 10 speed, my dream came true.  I still remember riding around town and through the nearby fields on those bikes. 

When I was 11 I took my first bike trip with my sixth grade class from Sun Prairie, WI to Token Creek Park, around 20 miles round trip.  When I was 12 I took a longer trip with my family from Sun Prairie to Rio, WI. 

As a teenager I got my first new bicycle, a red Schwinn Traveller and did my first unsupported and overnight trip to Token Creek Park with friends.

When I was 18 I did a 500 mile unsupported tour from the Milwaukee area to Door County and then to Madison. 

When I was 25, I did a coast to coast tour with a friend from Anacortez, Washington to Bar Harbor, Maine, a distance of about 4150 miles in just under two months. 

Since then, I have been doing shorter tours, most recently completing RAGBRAI. 

As a bicyclist with touring experience, I understand what riders want and need and work to provide the comfort and care our clients deserve.

When I was 10 a miracle occurred. My dad came home with my first bike. It was a red single speed Schwinn, boys’ frame, which I got to share with my two sisters! Being faster and more determined meant it was mine more often. The freedom and mobility were empowering. We rode that bike into the ground. By then I was hooked and spent the next several years borrowing bikes. These ranged from my sister’s boyfriend's tricked out Sting-Rays to a beater three speed belonging to a body-building neighbor.

As an adult I rode my very own 18-speed Firenza obtained for free with the purchase of my car stereo! I put a heavy, plastic child carrier on the back and toted each of my children in turn. Just when I began to think that walking was better than biking, I rode a friend’s 10-speed Schwinn. After a visit to a local bike shop, I came home with a new Specialized hybrid, a whole new attitude and a dose of enthusiasm.

I live with a bike geek and a daughter who is bike crazy as well. I now ride a recumbent but lately have had my head turned by some lovely road bikes. 

My introduction to cycling was born out of necessity. Growing up in the country with my brother and sister, bicycles were our only mode of transportation. I can still remember my first bike; it was a purple, floral patterned Huffy complete with a banana seat and streamers. My family and I regularly rode together making trips on the bike path to one local town for a soda, then on to the next for some ice cream.  My brother, sister and I spent many hours riding up and down our long, gravel driveway showing off our latest trick or trying to see whose playing card motor was the loudest.

When I was about 10 I got a mauve Schwinn that I had until high school. Bicycles quickly became a love of mine during my teenage years because of the freedom it gave me. I could easily ride over to a friend’s house or take a long ride to get away from the house and deal with the oh so overwhelming issues we face as young adults.

Later when I went away to college, bicycles and riding became more mportant to me. My mom and I went out and bought the typical freshman bike: a cheap, sturdy mountain bike. It was a beautiful blue Mongoose that I customized with a new seat, tires, and pedals. During my sophomore year, sadly it was stolen. I still miss that bike.

I was fortunate to obtain a sleek, black Trek XO cyclecross bike as my replacement a year later. That same year I joined the University of Wisconsin Cycling Club and was quickly brought under the wings of more experienced riders. I learned about a whole new world: bicycle racing. I was hooked. I couldn’t get enough. Coached by a good friend and co-worker of mine, as well as the UW team, I slowly learned the art of road and cyclecross racing.

Last year I competed in my first race event, the Chicagoland Danskin Triathlon and am now hooked on triathlons as well. This fall I started my first, of what I hope will be many, cyclecross race season and hope to race during the road season this spring. I think it is safe to say cycling has now become a passion for me.