What it is that I love about bicycles.

The name of my blog is girl+bike and I have been posting on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook under this name for a while.

My previous blog was also called girl+bike (have a look at my old posts here).

I thought I would share with you why I love bicycles and cycling so much and how they have been a part of my life over the past 12 or so years.

I have many bicycles. Different types of bikes for different types of riding, or just because. It's a common phrase touted by bicycle addicts, but it sums up my predicament perfectly, that the optimum number of bicycles is always 'n + 1', where 'n' = the number of bicycles that you currently own. Do I have a favourite bike? Yes, a few of them are favourites for different reasons. I don't ride any of them nearly as much as I'd like, but it doesn't mean I love them any less.

I ride for different reasons. Nowadays, it's mostly for transport or for fun. My love for bikes and cycling as an adult began when I was at university. I decided to try cycling as a cheaper form of transport when fuel prices began to rise in the early 2000s. But I soon found that I was challenging myself, trying to beat my times each day. So when my Dad suggested I try a race (a road time trial), I thought why not?

This first race led to club racing and I started training most days of the week. During this time, a friend roped me into an off-road ride, where I rode a borrowed mountain bike, and I was hooked! I also participated in a round of AIS talent identification testing for track sprint cycling. This was in the early 2000s, when Australia's top sprinter Michelle Ferris was winding up her career and the Meares sisters were still juniors. From this testing, I was shortlisted from the pool of 276 women into the top 30, but just missed out on being one of the 26 selected. This was, however, just enough to make me want to give track cycling a go. I discovered it was a great thrill, and was taken up by a coach and a given a more specific training regime. Initially I trained as an endurance rider, which is events like the individual pursuit, scratch races and points races. It soon became clear that I was better suited to sprinting. A change of coach and new gym routine - including squatting some big weights - improved my strength and speed on the track. I ended up with lots of PBs and a silver medal at NSW state championships, and later a couple of state titles in South Australia, and a sense of surprise that my uni commuting had led to this.

These days, I am content with pedalling as a way of getting around; with blasts through the bush on my mountain bike; and planning the perfect bike for the Alice Springs conditions.

I love seeing the joy and freedom that cycling can bring both here and around the world. I love the role that cycling has played in women becoming independent throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s. I love the aesthetics of a beautifully designed bicycle and the craftsmanship of a well-built bike.

I love...do you?