A 120-mile motorcycle excursion proved most enjoyable yesterday, especially considering the rarity of such an event for me these days. Suffice to say, in this first third of 2012 the miles have added up far more quickly on my bicycle than my motorcycle– 1250 versus 700 respectively– and not by accident.
No miles of any kind accumulate all that quickly within San Francisco itself, inviting the satisfaction of any beyond-the-city journey. Still, while the motorcycle has become my almost-daily city commuting tool, the bicycle continues to enable my longstanding pleasures 
of strength, endurance and distance. Gone is my time, so it appears, of an 11,000-mile motorcycling year. At the same time, still to return is a year of bicycling 6,000 miles. While anticipating this accomplishment, at least I’m reminded of the pleasures of a motor once in a while.
Motorcycling has its place no doubt, and fortunately I’ve not had to choose one over the other. However, as I’ve said more than once over my past 2.5 years of owning a motorcycle: I’m a bicyclist first, and I always will be. Of course my preference also burns more calories, which is always a plus!
Ryan R. Sanderson 