Editor's P.S.

When I was 15 years old, I had a Huffy mountain bike that I loved to pedal around the neighborhood. The Huffy was a great bicycle, with the exception of one thing: The speedometer made a clicking noise that could only be remedied with a swift kick to the front axle.

One spring afternoon, I kicked that blasted front axle, stopped the annoying clicking, and continued on my teenage way. Unfortunately, the front spokes developed a taste for my shoelaces and decided they wanted the whole foot. Feet in tires do not make for happy biking. Seventeen broken spokes later, my bike flipped me onto the sidewalk-my face breaking the fall.

Following the Huffy accident, I had been somewhat shy around bikes, but I recently discovered what I had been missing. There's a whole new South to explore from behind a set of handlebars. Sights I've driven by dozens of times and never noticed are new and exciting from the padded seat of my bike. And April is the perfect time to shine up the Schwinn. Good luck out there, and always remember to wear your helmet. -MORGAN MURPHY

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Apr 2002
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