It is about identity, I guess. I love bikes. I love being a PT. My name is Mike (a fabulously ordinary name, by the way). Add it all together and you get "Mike the Bike PT".
There are a few clarifications I would like to make.
1) Yes, I'm a physical therapist. My specialty is orthopaedics. I can effectively treat back pain, knee pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and a lot of other neuromusculoskeletal pains. That does not mean I am an expert on bike fitting and set-up (although boy would I love to be!). Because of my passion for cycling, I understand these matters better than the average PT so I am more capable of treating a cyclist than others but I wouldn't be able to look at someone and say "Oh yeah, a 55 cm Trek Madone with a 100 mm stem, 175 mm cranks, 3 degrees of varus tilt at the feet and 1.5 cm of saddle set back is exactly what you need! With that set up you'll need a radar detector so you don't rack up to many tickets!".
Would I like to have that ability? Certainly but, there are a lot of other more important things in life. I played tea with my daughter tonight. That gives me nearly as much enjoyment as a good, hard bike ride. It is a different type of enjoyment, but enjoyment none the less.
2) On a different note, my job and cycling are certainly not the most important things to me. Important, yes but definitely not the most important. Here is a little run down:
- Having a happy wife vs. bike ride - happy wife wins
- Having a happy child/children vs. bike ride - kiddos win
- Family or friends need help vs. bike ride - family and friends win
- Church responsibilities vs. bike ride - God wins (doesn't he always?)
Those in the "win" category win because of a combination of love and duty. Sure, I would like to take a bike ride everyday but I'm not single with no attachments. My wife and kids need me and are best off when I play a BIG role in their lives. There will always be time for cycling later. Hopefully. I do love to ride.
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