Why John Rides an HP Velo Scorpion FS 26

I'm about to turn 69, and although I got my first  bike at age 5, I consider my real biking to have started at age 12 when my grandfather and I started riding our 10 speeds together. I did a little bit of road racing as a junior and later started racing in a variety of disciplines as a master on- and off-road. Over the past 15 years I have become more interested in biking for transportation and bikepacking.

In 2014 we moved to Portland, OR because I wanted to experience the bike culture there. Within a year I was living a car free life. I believe that safe human powered transportation is a key response to a variety of challenges that we confront, including climate change, chronic illness related to sedentarism and social equity/fairness. 

Unfortunately, after going over 50 years without an injury crash I was severely injured in a bike crash in 2022. My injuries have reduced my margin of safety riding and I have decided to stop biking and to get a trike.

My rescue Australian Cattle Dog, B. Buddy Boy and I use my new Scorpion and trailer for transportation on the Swamp Rabbit Trail and hope to take some dogpacking adventures together. We are training at SD4V.org, a local non profit that helps veterans with TBI, PTSD and military related sexual trauma to become certified as a service dog teams.

I love being outdoors in nature, moving under my own power, with Buddy Boy at my side.

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