Monkey In The Mail

A reader contribution for your enjoyment! This installment from Charley Hopkins who writes "Screaming Monkey Bike" (great title!).

I like most people started riding bicycles in my youth. To this day,
some 35 years later I can still smell the exact same smell when riding
at night that I used to smell all those years ago while flying down deserted city streets at midnight with my friends. This was and still
is a very good feeling. I didn't ride again on a normal basis until
about 5 years ago. Then while riding a cheap cruiser bike my wife
bought me it just clicked. I was hooked on the simplicity of the
"noblest invention" the bicycle. Part of the thing that appealed to me
was getting out of my 500 horse power Volvo eighteen wheeler at the
end of a long day and onto a completely silent machine. It's Zen like.
Since those early days of my enlightenment I've invested in a better
bicycle.Thankfully. Last year I also took the leap into the world of
commuting to work by bike. This endeavor was made a little more
difficult by the fact that I get out of bed at 2:30am and need to be
at work at 3:30am. I work 12 to 14 hours then ride the 10 miles back
home. It's definitely a challenge but very rewarding in a sadistic
sort of way... About a year ago I started Screaming Monkey Bike blog
and have taken my passion "world wide." Literally. I've also dropped
from my original 288lbs to my now 228lbs and have also been able to
drop my blood pressure to a normal level.


I love your blog... It seems like a very happy place...

Thanks, Charlie @ screamingmonkeybike.blogspot.com

Thanks for sending us your story, Charlie! It is so much fun to hear stories from around the world and see we all have such a positive thing in common.

We love contributions! Send us yours so we can share it with the world (we have readers from Bahrain to Brooklyn!).