My parents gifted me my first mountain bike when I was 10. However, as good as it was, I was not able to establish a connection with it. I found it hard to ride through a busy and crowded city. So, as you might have guessed, biking and me started out as not very good friends.

Fast forward 13 years, circumstances and desires brought me to College Station. One of my friends, who was already studying at A&M, sold me her mountain bike. Knowing nothing about riding a multi-speed mountain bike, I set out on a series of experiments on my new toy. Juggling between traffic rules and the “bike technology”, I tried hard to stay on wheels. As days passed, I became more comfortable with my bike. What initially started as riding to classes to save time, became a thing I looked forward to. It took me to explore the many parks and neighbourhoods of Bryan and College Station. It is now the thing that cheers me up when things are going hard.

A bicycle is a simple but wonderful piece of engineering. It just shows how simple things put in the right combination can do wonders. Bryan and College Station offer many bike trails which you can explore. From the ones near Bryan Lake to the parks such as Wolf Pen Creek, Lick Creek and many more, it is a great way to get close to nature, not to mention the great exercise that it is. I can now proudly say that this beautiful city has indeed helped me renew my friendship with bikes and it is the best one I have.

--- Tanvi Katke
Tanvi Katke is a Masters student in the College of Engineering