bike history

my first bike was a bike that my mother rode when she was a kid. it was given to me at christmas one year. my grandfather (her father) painted it purple for me, and fixed it up. i loved it for about a year, and then it was more of an embarrassment. it was so old and creaky and wasn't fast & flashy like everyone else's bikes. the bike was cool - but i was caught up in the bmx thing.

then i was given a bmx bike. it was fun for trails and kid things.

my next bike was a black huffy 10-speed with pink graphics. i loved this bike, and it lasted me through high school. with this bike i gained a bit of freedom from the house. my parents let me bike all around town & to friends houses, etc. it was GREAT.

the first bike i purchased was a shitty raleigh mtn bike. it was 1994, and i was obsessed with BIKE magazine and needed a mtn. bike. surprisingly we and had limited options in my small town in alaska. anywya, i didn't really every love that bike - it weighed a ton, and it was all the wrong colors. i left it at home for my brothers when i went to college. amen.

the second bike i purchased was my gary fisher kai tai. medium matte gray finish. i loved everything about my bike. it went everywhere with me. i was telling friends last night about the states that bike had been in, and i was just sitting here, thinking about it again, and realized that i left a few states out. here, i would like to document the life & times of my 1996 kai tai.
colorado - purchased & ridden.
idaho - college bike - ridden on many trails near idaho falls
alaska - shipping my bike home - ridden to work & various grueling trails*.
new york - shipped bike to ny. lived with me there for 10 years. college bike, commuter bike, etc.
massachusetts - nantucket - marthas vineyard. i actually purchased a basket for the bike in nantucket. it was great.
michighan - taken on a various trip to michigan. biked some roads with rich & miles.
connecticut - biked through lower connecticut - near my college
california - shipped it out here to be with me. the shop owners laughed when i took it in to get re-assembled. at this point the bike was 10 years old. they thought i was foolish for spending money on shipping.

last night i was about to give this bike away. i almost started crying. luckily the tire was busted, something i hadn't noticed until the new potential owner pointed it out, and in turn, refused the bike. so, all is well with the world, and i still have my kai tai. whew.

current bike: stella - my 2nd road bike, 1st road bike purchase.
1982 Trek - made in waterloo wisconsin - steel gray/silver
california - purchased 2008
oregon - biked around oregon.
this is the bike i'd hope to ride across country some day. its rad, and i've already put a zillion bay area miles on this beauty.

*please note - trails in alaska are absolutely grueling. untouchable. they simply haven't been maintained by the cute crews that other states have. its too wild of a wilderness to tame.