I am handicapped! there that said.. see ya on the trails. I was born with a muscle deformity in my knee that made it dislocate its knee cap a LOT. As a kid and teen it went out 3-4 times a day. Major Bummer. A BF in colllege taught me to ride a bike. I had been considering yet another sergical option that would permenantly fuse my knee. Couldn't do it until I was "full grown". Discoverd biking just in time! Its hard to learn how to ride a bike at 18...but God bless a BF with the patience of a saint. I bought a mtn bike the next year, and started a cycling club on my campus. Saw my Dr at age 22 and told him I hadn't worn a brace in 2 years...he said.."how are you walking?" Cycling changed the way the muscles in my knee supported the knee cap. Several bikes later I am a completle wheel junkie, and the only evidence of any of mt old knee problems are pictures of the old braces I had to wear and the scars from early sergeries.

Did biking give me confidence... um Hell Yeah! I never wore a skirt and hardly wore shorts at all, as I always had to wear a HUGE hideous brace. If there is a down side to cycling... I want to see it! Crashing sucks...so what, get up brush it off..... and go ride! I can honestly say, cycling gave me the ability to walk and cured a handicap!

I LOVE my bikes...all of them!