Guests spin a circular love story
by Julie Ubben, Assistant Marketing Manager
Once upon a time, there was a girl who loved to run marathons. But then one day her knees went on strike. In their opinion, New York and running shoes should not be in the same sentence.
Angry at what they called “outrageous abuse,” the knees contacted their representative at Lobbyists Intent on Mobility Protection (L.I.M.P.) Between closed-door sessions, mediation and consultation with Approved Medical Professionals, an agreement was reached between L.I.M.P. and the girl, whose name was Melissa. The knees demanded expensive surgery, and marathon running was relegated to the Things-I-Wish-I-Could-Still-Do Department.
So Melissa, not one to enjoy sitting around, began riding a bike. Now, Someone Who Used to Run Marathons isn’t very likely to morph into Someone Who Rides Casually, knees or no knees. She began riding a lot — as she put it, “With a vengeance!”
Melissa began to take bike trips with Bicycle Adventures. She came to Oregon to ride, and even her anterior cruciate ligaments had a great time. Melissa enjoyed herself so much that she wrote a lovely letter to Bicycle Adventures, and it was quoted in the BA brochure.
But of course the Fates weren’t about to let them get away with this type of ridiculous separatist behavior. There was romance to be made, arrows to be shot. Cupid was getting huffy.
Meanwhile, there once was also — you guessed it — a guy who rode a bike. He also began to take Bicycle Adventures bike trips — lots of them. He took nine. Nine! His name was Jeff.
On one of his Bicycle Adventures trips, Jeff came to Oregon to ride his bike — just like Melissa. But not at the same time as Melissa. He had a great time, too.
Melissa went to Utah for a bike trip. Jeff went to Utah for a bike trip. But not when Melissa was there. They both had a great time in Utah, but not together.
But of course the Fates weren’t about to let them get away with this type of ridiculous separatist behavior. There was romance to be made, arrows to be shot. Cupid was getting huffy.
And then it happened.
Jeff went to Santa Fe for a bike trip.
Melissa went to Santa Fe for a bike trip.
It was at the same time.
They had fun riding their bikes in Santa Fe. They enjoyed the culture, the art (Melissa bought an oil painting the first half hour she was there), the incredible cuisine and the brilliant colors everywhere. And, of course, the great cycling!
They found themselves riding with each other on many of the routes. They discovered they lived not far from one another. They became friends. After the tour, they went home. But not together.
About six weeks after they got home, Cupid shot off another arrow. Jeff called Melissa to see if she would like to go for a bike ride. She said yes.
They went for a short bike ride, which for a recovering marathoner and a nine-bike-tours dude is about 384 miles. In fact, it lasted for much of the morning. They both had so much fun they did it again not long after. And then again. And again.
Finally they realized they were having so much fun riding together that they thought it might be even more fun to live together. That way, they could ride together even more. So she moved into his house, and they rode together a lot.
They went on another Bicycle Adventures trip together last summer through the Canadian Rockies — the Glacier-Banff-Jasper tour. They had a fabulous time!
This fall, the boy and the girl who found each other on their bikes will be a bride and a groom. After the wedding, they will honeymoon in Hawaii.
On Bicycle Adventures bikes.
Update (from Spring 2007 Newsletter)
It’s been a year since we brought you the love story of our recovering marathoner Melissa and her then-fiancé, biker extraordinaire Jeff Holmwood, whom she met on a BA trip. Last October, the two were married in a cycling-themed wedding — featuring bike-style water bottles for each guest and a cake with cycling bride and groom. They followed up with a New Year’s Hawaii Bicycle Adventures honeymoon. And so, we thought it was about time for an update. And a photo.
Married life, says Melissa, is “much calmer than pre-married life.” Planning a wedding and combining two households does, unfortunately, eat into time otherwise spent on a bike. With the newly acquired free time, she and Jeff are doing much more riding than last year; they’re already planning several century rides for 2007, most of them near their California hometown.
And Melissa’s knees are still happier bike touring than they were marathoning. In fact, they are signed up for BA’s eight-day Volcanoes of Washington tour this summer.