§ i
I still remember the feeling
Standing beside a borrowed road bike, I had no idea that one simple decision would quietly change the direction of my life.
I wasn’t thinking about Italy.
I wasn’t thinking about lifelong friendships.
I certainly wasn’t thinking about creating PEDAL & PORT.
I simply hoped I could finish the ride.
At first, cycling was simply a way to become healthier.
Each ride challenged me to push a little farther, climb a few more hills, and discover what I was capable of.
But somewhere along the way, I realized something.
Cycling wasn’t just changing my body.
It was changing my life.
§ ii
The community that carried me
It introduced me to an incredible community through the Cambridge YMCA.
People who encouraged one another.
People who celebrated every milestone, whether it was a first ride or a first century.
People who reminded me that the journey has always been more important than the finish line.
Those rides became about much more than fitness.
They became about friendship.
As the years passed, my cycling world continued to grow.
What started with local rides soon introduced me to cyclists from communities across Ontario.
One invitation led to another.
“Want to join us for a ride this weekend?”
Those are still some of my favourite words to hear.
I discovered that it doesn’t matter what jersey someone is wearing or which cycling club they belong to.
Once you’re out on the road together, you’re simply cyclists sharing the same adventure.
§ iii
A quiet road above the Adriatic
Those friendships eventually carried me much farther than I ever imagined.
In 2023, I found myself cycling through Italy with many of the friends I had met along the way.
Standing on a quiet road overlooking the Adriatic Sea, I stopped pedaling for a moment.
The view was unforgettable.
But what stayed with me wasn’t the scenery.
It was the realization that the people riding beside me had once been complete strangers.
A borrowed bicycle had introduced me to every one of them.
Years earlier, I simply wanted to become a little healthier.
Now I was cycling through one of the most beautiful places in the world with friends who had become part of my life.
“Sometimes the smallest decisions lead to the biggest adventures.”
§ iv
What cycling made possible
That’s when I realized something.
A bicycle had never simply taken me from one place to another.
It had introduced me to friendship.
Adventure.
Confidence.
And a life I never imagined possible.
It took me years to understand that I wasn’t just passionate about cycling.
I was passionate about what cycling made possible.
Helping people become healthier.
Building meaningful friendships.
Discovering new places.
Creating opportunities.
Years later, that philosophy inspired me to create PEDAL & PORT.
§ v
Why I keep so many bicycles
Over the years, friends have often asked me the same question.
“Eric… why do you have so many bicycles?”
I always smile because they’re expecting me to talk about bikes.
Instead, I tell them about people.
Most people who are curious about cycling aren’t ready to invest in their own road bike.
They simply want to know if they’ll enjoy it.
So whenever I can, I lend them one of mine.
Over the years, several people have taken me up on that offer, but one story has always stayed with me.
A friend from the Cambridge YMCA borrowed one of my bikes as she was approaching retirement.
She wasn’t sure if road cycling was for her.
After a few rides, something clicked.
She didn’t just discover cycling.
She discovered confidence.
She discovered friendship.
She discovered a community.
When she retired, she celebrated by buying herself a beautiful white Trek road bike.
Today, she’s one of our regular riders and one of the strongest cyclists in our group.
Whenever I see her riding beside us today, I can’t help but smile.
Not because she bought a bicycle.
But because I remember where her journey began.
I simply handed her a bicycle.
She discovered something she never expected.
A bicycle was simply the beginning.
§ vi
They’re not really bicycles
That’s why I keep those extra bikes.
They’re not really bicycles.
They’re opportunities.
Opportunities to become healthier.
Opportunities to build confidence.
Opportunities to make lifelong friends.
Opportunities to discover places you never imagined you’d visit.
Opportunities to say yes to a new chapter in life.
And every time I hand someone one of those bicycles, I can’t help but wonder…
Where will this one take them?
§ vii
They’re asking about possibility
Today, whenever someone tells me they’re curious about cycling, I smile.
Because I know they’re not really asking about bicycles.
They’re asking about possibility.
Maybe that’s what PEDAL & PORT has always been about.
Not just bicycles.
Not just travel.
But creating opportunities.
Opportunities to become healthier.
To build meaningful friendships.
To explore places you never imagined you’d visit.
To discover that life can become much bigger than you ever imagined.
Because I’ve learned something I’ll never forget.
The bicycle was just the beginning.
The real journey was the life it opened the door to.
And that’s a journey I’m grateful to still be riding.
