My journey to that ‘Hard Rock glow’

This article is by Portland resident Carissa Conklin.

I have a faint memory of being a young girl learning to ride a bike in the church parking lot. Falling more than once on the uneven gravel. 

With only the encouragement of my parents and older siblings, which was more like tough love, I refused to give up until I could balance on those two wheels. I remember feeling proud of the matching scrapes on my knees that proved I worked for it. 

Since then, my only riding experience has come few and far between. I’ve never owned a bike of my own. 

All of that changed this June when I walked into Something Cycles in Portland, Oregon on a Friday afternoon to purchase my first adult bike. 

I have wanted to get a bike ever since I moved to Portland last June from the coast. I observed friends in the cycling community and was always curious about the glow that seems to permanently radiate around them. 

My life had other plans for me, though. 

That July, I started to care for my mother in Eastern Oregon during the last weeks of her life. In August of 2025, my beautiful, incredibly caring mother passed away after a very long and difficult decade-long battle with terminal cancer. I will never be able to put into words what it is like to witness the loss of my mother. I remember moments sitting on the couch with her, showing her bikes on Facebook Marketplace, and telling her that I would be getting a bike soon. It feels good to know that she was a part of the beginning stages of my bike journey. 

But after her passing, the intense pain and out-of-this-world loss made it impossible to think about bikes. I decided to let myself walk all of the roads of grief that felt easiest — cheap and free dopamine — I drank tequila, I rolled joints, I avoided moving my body. It felt easier to replace my healthy habits with ones that made the pain a little less jarring. 

And then came a new year. After several months of gloom, the magic of a Portland summer presented itself to me. I don’t believe it was just one thing… I think it was a lot of little things that really pushed me out of the darkness.  Lying on the lawn at Irving Park and watching the trees sway in the breeze. Shooting hoops at the basketball courts. Finding a sports bar in SE with the perfect vibe. Whatever it was, I was determined to get myself a bike and experience all that Portland has to offer. To get that glow I have always envied.

I tried Facebook Marketplace. I thought since this would be my first adult bike, I might as well not spend too much money. 

To be real, I have maybe ridden a bike once or twice since the age of ten. I didn’t know anything about anything. I read Reddits. I talked to friends. I stalked bike people’s Instagrams. 

I was influenced by someone who said, “Facebook Marketplace is a great place for a used bike, but if you know nothing about bikes, it might not be the easiest place to start.” 

Finally, one of my friends, Dave Coyne (*shoutout* co-owner of Obelisk Brewery in Astoria, Oregon), told me about Something Cycles on East Burnside, run by Nicholas Sorenson. 

When I walked into Something Cycles, I was greeted by Nick and his adorable shop dog. I told him that I knew nothing about bikes but was ready to jump in. He showed me his lineup, and I don’t know who picked who, but I decided to go with a 90s refurbished MTB. A Specialized “Hard Rock.” 

I knew how cool my bike was the minute I saw her. Nick encouraged me to take her back to the parking lot and give her a ride before committing. And, quite frankly, I was shocked I even remembered how to ride. 

I did one solid lap and knew she was mine. Nick kindly added a rear rack and mounted some new lights on her, and I was on my way… 

I loaded her into the back of my RAV4 and took her immediately to my aunt and uncle’s to show her off. My aunt wanted to name her immediately. I told her I needed more time to get to know her before I was ready to give her a name. 

There is nothing quite like the first few rides on a bike. My hands were positioned on the brake levers at all times. The solid stops at every stop sign, even when there wasn’t a car in sight. The obsession over whether my saddle was at the right height. 

I am not going to lie, the first few rides, I thought to myself, “Did I make a huge mistake in getting into this?” And then, one evening after work, I rode my bike to Irving Park, and laid in the lawn like I have so many times. Except, this time, I had my bike leaned against a tree beside me, and the breeze felt just right. 

That night on my ride home, I felt a little more confident, and I swear the wind whispered in my ear and told me that my bike’s name was ‘Sasha.’ She has been Sasha ever since. 

Personally, the greatest gift biking has given me is the grounding human experience that being on a bike provides. I love how present I feel on the bike. I am more in tune with what is going on around me. I don’t feel a stick on the road if I am driving my car. I don’t huff and puff going up a hill when I drive. It’s nice to be closer to reality and the ground I am crossing. In a way, it taps me into the world in another way, it unplugs me from the matrix. At times it feels like magic. 

Since purchasing Sasha, she has rarely left my side. I have only stored her in my apartment’s bike garage for three days while hosting my sister, nephew, and their dog Birdie in my one-bedroom apartment. I was sad not to see her in her designated spot, perfectly propped up against a closet right next to my work desk. I find myself more comfortable when she is around. 

I’ve added a chartreuse-colored handle stash cup holder to her handlebars and changed out her saddle for a B17 Brooks classic leather. A set of Shimano PD-GR500 Flat Platform Pedals have been ordered and are on the way. 

In the future, I may shorten her handlebars by 20mm on each side and change out her quill stem to an angled option, raising her handlebars by a good inch (all tips given to me by Jason at Endurance PDX, who offers professional bike fittings). I plan on putting some Velo Orange 26” Snakeskin Fenders on her, and will change out her grips for an ergonomic style, but those are projects for another day. 

This April, Sasha and I are headed to Ireland. I booked the trip for the week of my mother’s birthday. I can honestly say that getting into cycling has helped me on my grief journey. 

Life is made easier from the view of a bike. It forces you to be in the present moment and connected to your soul in a real way. Every time I ride my bike, I know my mom’s energy rides with me and I am grateful.

Whoever wants to get into biking but hasn’t been able to commit to it yet, let this be a source of encouragement. I know you won’t regret it. 

— Carissa Conklin is a proud Oregon Coast native currently living in the Irvington neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. When Carissa isn’t biking or writing she enjoys many of the simple pleasures life has to offer: strong coffee, farmers markets, and a good jigsaw puzzle.