We received a lot of great submissions over the weekend and it wasn’t easy to choose one. We chose the following entry for its honesty and the bicycle exuberance described by the writer. We wish Brett R. many happy miles to come.

I love my bike for its aesthetic and mechanical excellence. It’s a simple thing. A purity of purpose. A configuration of metal, rubber, paint, grease and leather that allows me to consume geography like a butterfly in the wind. I pour my energy and confidence into it, and it returns the favor by delivering me efficiently and effectively to my destination. My bike immerses me in my environment. I smell the freshly cut hay in the pasture to my right; I see the woodpecker scurrying up the tree on my left; I hear the leaves rustling, the wind in my face, the feeling of the road underneath — I’m alive. I love my bike. –Brett R.