I hinted way back in THIS POST that this bike reconnected me back to a vision I had of the perfect bicycle in the 1970s. I went riding and had a sort of flashback. Now that I’ve been riding it for a couple of months, I am finding this re-connection with my younger days wasn’t a one time thing. It is a mysterious and persistent characteristic of this bike. You might have noticed I also mentioned this another way in my LAST POST.
I sold a truly nice riding TREK a few years ago. It was a delightful bike that reminded me of my fitter/faster days. Unfortunately, it also reminded me of my older/slower current days. It pointed out that I was the side of the pedaling partnership that wasn’t up to delivering us to our potential. My inadequacies and flaws were exposed. So even with all the greatness of the bike itself, there was a nagging shadow…a reminder of a physical decline.
The Bantam does the opposite. It simply says, “Come on, let’s play!”. In that way, it is like the humbler bikes I had as a kid. There are no demands or expectations…except to escape, explore, and have fun.
Pondero 
Time has a way of flying by us much to fast. I do enjoy reading about your adventures. Thanks
I am grateful to hear from you, and that you enjoy the blog!
You’ve nicely expressed a feeling that I’ve been grappling with, and finally gotten beyond denial to acceptance. Thanks for the post.
There is still plenty of fun to be had, right?
Chris
I started reading your blog some weeks ago having found it when researching Albatross handlebars. I just wanted to say that it has brought me a great deal of food for thought as well as real pleasure sharing your journey.
Your thoughts about how one comes to terms with the realities of aging , and the knowledge that we aren’t what we once were, echo loudly with me, a recently retired 61 year old; especially as the cycling culture in the UK is so performance related.
I trust you’re going to have many years of simple fun riding your own way.
Thanks, Robert! I guess many of us will find pleasure in what we have.
Amen on all accounts, brother! I have an old Schwinn cruiser I keep at my kids place in St. Louis for “bombing” around the neighbor hood. Well, I don’t really “bomb” much; but the feeling of abandon just riding around takes me back as well.
Absolutely. I honestly don’t want to be a kid again. But that doesn’t mean I don’t (or can’t) enjoy some of the same things now that I did back then.
Time travel of the best type -“c’mon lets play!” When I returned to riding in 1999 the friend I rode with referred to us as the “Atomic 12” as in 12 year old’s on steroids, we had all the joy and fun of riding bikes that we did when we were 12 with the bonus of having the $$ to have a beer and a pizza afterward the ride.