This story is part of the Talisman’s ongoing series about activities that teachers are involved in outside of the school building.  Other stories in this series include a feature on history teacher Matt Wion.

Science teacher Stephen Lehman has grown very fond of biking in his free time and has made it an important part of his life.
Lehman began biking when he was young in a small area where biking was not common. He started biking on his own, sometimes going out and riding for up to 20 miles by himself.
Once he got his license, Lehman said his interest in biking decreased, since it was no longer his only form of transportation.
In the past 10-15 years, however, Lehman’s interest in biking has heightened greatly. He has had 2 hip replacements, so biking is one of the few athletic activities he can still participate in.
“I used to play a lot of basketball,” Lehman said. “[I] used to do a lot of other things but I couldn’t do that anymore…So cycling, one, was the thing that caused the least amount of pain before I had the hip replacements, and two, now that I’ve had them, it’s a good way to stay in shape.”
Lehman said his favorite part of biking is that it keeps him in shape and helps him not gain weight. He also likes the way it makes him feel.
“It feels good, so you know, you just feel better overall healthwise,” Lehman said.
Last year, he was involved with a virtual racing program, but he is not currently participating in that, saying that he does not have the time. He said he plans to pick it back up again this winter.
He is a member of a few different cycling groups, including one in Westerville. They have some routes they take often, mostly in Westerville and New Albany. He also cycles with a group in Dublin.
Although his groups mostly cycle in Central Ohio, they sometimes take trips to other parts of the country.
“We actually make a lot of trips; like two or three trips a year,” Lehman said. “This year we just went to Virginia but we’ve gone to North Carolina, Virginia, a few places, just to get [to ride in] hills and mountains.”
Lehman said that the routes he takes on the trips are his favorite places to ride because it is different from what he experiences in Ohio.
To anyone wanting to start biking, Lehman said it is important to find people that are fun to spend time with.
“Find some people that you enjoy spending some time with because, I mean, you’re out on the road for hours at a time,” Lehman said. “If you’re a little nervous, talk to other people that have done it before and get some good ideas and such, and go from there.”