Well, let's see....

When I was six, I got a purple Huffy for Christmas -- complete with banana seat and gooseneck handlebars. I loved it and kept it until Jr. High, when it I started riding my mom's 3 speed to school.

In college, I decided it would be great to have a bike to get around campus. I scoured the want ads and bought a Peugeot with a mixte frame for $100. It was my first 10 speed, and I enjoyed learning all about gearing and such.

One day I brought it into the LBS for service, and the employee asked if I'd like to see a bike that fit me. You mean there's such a thing?!? (I'm 5'1" and a half, so having something that fit was really cool.) The bike was a Bianchi Limited, 18" frame. 12 speed! Suntour friction shifters mounted on the down tube, where they were supposed to be! (Hey, it was the '80's.) No chicken brakes up by the handlebars! I test rode it and was sold!

I'm kind of a hot & cold cyclist. I'll get really into it, then take a couple of years off to pursue other interests or responsibilities. (I know, heresy!) The Bianchi stood by me through all that. Whenever I'd get the riding yen, all I had to do was dust her off, get her adjusted, buy cycling clothes that fit, and off we'd go. I broke my femur riding the Bianchi, or, rather falling off the Bianchi. I also completed a century on the Bianchi, and all the training leading up to it.

A few years ago I decided I wanted a mountain bike, so I bought a Trek 6700 WSD. Hardtail. Love the bike. It's sitting outside my cube right now, and we're both broken hearted that I can't go trail riding tonight due to work responsibilities.

A couple of years ago, I got back into road riding and wanted a triple chainring to help with the hills in the area. Converting the Bianchi was a slippery slope -- to get a triple, you've got to replace this part, then that part, then pretty soon you've spent a lot of money. So I spent more money and bought a Trek 5200 WSD. Carbon fiber! Shifters up on the brakes. Did a couple of metric centuries on it, and now I'm training for the Waves to Wine ride to benefit MS.

And the Bianchi? Well, I'm thinking of dusting her off, and making her into the ultimate commute bike.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to me walk down memory lane!

-- Melissa