One always wonders where, exactly, strange compulsions (such as deciding at 28 to become a motorcycler) come from. I'd never considered getting on a bike before; I'd only known one or two guys that ever had, among my buddies, and I'd never had much desire to try my hand at it. It always seemed like a strange antique way to get around - too risky for today's world, too impractical, and no doubt a bit too expensive for a junior scientist's salary.

I moved recently, out of Seattle into the suburbs up north, and after years of living within 5 miles of my job, suddenly I was commuting every day. No big deal. There's traffic, but give me a good CD to listen to and I don't much mind. And then one day, a few weeks ago, stuck for a moment in the leftmost lane on the way to work, someone cruised past me on an older BMW cycle in the carpool lane, and I happened to wonder to myself what it would be like to ride a cycle. When I got a free moment at work I did a quick web search, found a forum or two, and read a couple of posts, and then suddenly my lunch break was over, and something had taken hold in my mind.

I've started this log to keep a record of my thoughts and experiences through the process of learning to ride. I expect it will be a bit of a long journey, and if experience is any judge, by the time I'm a competant rider, I'll have mostly forgotten what it took to get there. Hopefully this will help me remember, and maybe it'll inspire someone else in a similar situation. I'm sure the various logs that I've read were a big part, for better or for worse, of why thoughts of getting a bike are suddenly occupying all my waking hours.

Posting is likely to be pretty light, all things considered - especially up until I get my bike. Anyway. We'll just have to see.

So we'll start this off the safe way, I suppose. I'm registered for a Basic Riders' Course in August. the 18th, 20th, and 21st. I promise I won't buy a motorcycle until after the class, when I ought to have at least the vaguest idea what I'm doing.