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What I ride:: Road, Fixed Gear, BMX, Tandem

The kind of riding I do:: Recreational, Commuting, Distance, Around Town, My business involves biking

About me:: It would have to be around 1974 or 75 my mom Rose put our bicycles in to the Rambler and drove us from Berwyn to the lake front and as a little kid riding on the lake front trail, pretending I was on the actual outer drive in traffic, I had felt my first real taste of Freedom. It was so overwhelming I can still to this day conger up that feeling. I feel blessed. Not only for this feeling but also for the sure luck I have had in my 38 years cycling, but also for living in such a great city as Chicago
and how easy it is to get just about anywhere by bicycle.
I started working with my bicycle while I was in the fifth grade. I was employed by the Berwyn News Agency and delivered the Chicago Sun-Times and Tribune 7 days a week. Using my bicycle was a no brainer. As a young adult I found my self as Bike Messenger, working for Dead Line Express. This is where I felt that pure rush of freedom I had experienced as a little kid. But once my room mate Marshall Arnold Said the he would be lacing up a rear wheel for his "John Tomac Signature" mongoose MTN Bike.
All weekend I asked him over and over again "when ya gunna build the wheel Marshall?'' on Sunday mourning I asked him one last time and he shouted"The spokes are over there next to the rim and Suntour XCPro cassett hub w/ grease guard{sweet hub!} and the book is over there, open it to page whatever and build the wheel your damn self!)
OK, I said, and five hours later and with out Marshall once ever stepping in to put the finishing touches on it, I built it all and to put the sweet icing on the cake, the next day I saw him launch over a curb that was likely a foot and a half maybe two tall and I stood there for a moment realizing that I had just built not just a bicycle wheel but a rear wheen for my friend how was in turn going to use it for work and I was blown away. I have fealt the centrifugal force ever since then. That must have been around 1991 or so.
Now working in the bicycle industry for almost twenty years I have don everything from being a mechanic, service manager, Instructor at hillside academy (Special Needs High School) and now selling new bicycles here in Chicago.

Thank you Mom, Thank you Marshall, I could not be more happy with my cycling life style.

Bryan Finigan

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