Happy Birthday

Normally, I write about places or things, but today is about a person. Now, you may have assumed that Bicyclist Abroad was a self-referential term, but that is only half-correct. The other half, or better half you might say, is also a rider of bicycles, and she is just as abroad. In fact, she's the reason I am and will continue to be overseas. Of course, I'm talking about my wife, and today is her birthday.

We met in Alaska several years ago, when I was just in my bicycle infancy. I had an eighties Novara 10-speed, and eventually upgraded to a single-speed Marin Hamilton 29er (remember when 29ers were the best new thing? If not, you didn't miss much.) She had a Specialized Ariel, which is a womens hybrid.

Hamilton and Ariel, respectively.

We would frequently ride the Anchorage green-belt trails, or the Coastal Trail, or this other trail that conveniently went to Costco. The bike paths there are quite robust, and a lot of fun to ride. There were even art installations along the way that afforded opportunities to be eaten by a giant salmon:

(Salmon not to scale)

When we moved to Japan, our bicycles happened to multiply. I had at this point finished my first bike build, and wanted to build another custom one for her. What became of it was a Handsome She-Devil mixte frame married to some serious road racing wheels on a single-speed drivetrain. And although the photo is B&W, in real life it is decidedly purple.

There are quite a few places we've ridden together here in Japan: through the Misawa Forestry Park and Cycling Road, the Tour de Ogawara, and various jaunts around town and the surrounding countryside. Now that the weather is warming up, we've only got a couple months to squeeze in any more rides before the movers take our bikes and ship them forward to Germany, where many future adventures wait for us.

So happy birthday, Mrs. Bicyclist Abroad. Thanks for being my riding partner, and for your encouragement in all things blogging and bicycles.

Love,

Your husband.