On your bike!

 

When was the last time you rode a bike? As a kid for me it was my first taste of freedom , to be able to wander the streets and ride to our local park. This was the early 70’s and banana seats, sissy bars and the cool bike was a Stingray with a shift gear. When I was a teenager it became the Ten speed with ram handle bars and if you got a flat tire you hoped it would not be the rear tire because it looked like a lot of work.

Time goes by and everyone is driving and who needs a bike?You might see some guys riding little dirt bikes here and there doing all kinds of stunts,but in my crowd a bike was something to add to your garage sale.

Things have changed and now there are bike trails everywhere, lanes included for bikes and parks with long sweeping paths.

So you can walk into a bike shop like I did with a couple of hundred bucks and say “let me see your best bike!” I actually said that back in the late eighties. The clerk points out an Italian sleek model with a tiny strip that's supposed to be a seat. “ This is a blah ,blah and its on sale for more then Porsche!!”  I was young and it was my first taste of bike snobbery. Same as cars and guitars and every other hobby you will run into the snobs. 

I bought the best bike I could Afford and my friend drove me to the store and I remember I lived less then two miles away and I said “hey thanks for the ride but I will ride my bike home”.  I got on the bike and it felt so odd to ride a bike again, I was about 23 or so and it felt odd. I rode home and was so out of shape I threw up when I got home. I did not look at the bike for a few days. I then figure if I rode out 2 and half miles I would have to come home and therefore I would ride five miles. What happened was after a few days I was riding five miles out and getting 10 miles a day. On weekends I would ride ten miles out to a big park and ride all day at the park and then come home and find out I was riding 70 plus miles.

I then settled down to married life and the bike was stowed away…

A few years ago when I started my weight loss journey I decided to get back into bike riding along with all the other changes I made. Now at 51 I found that bike riding has the same taste of freedom I felt as a kid.

A few things to keep in mind if your a novice or been off a bike for ten years or more. Bikes have really improved and you can find a decent comfortable bike for under $ 200.00 or so.

Trails are everywhere now.

You will burn more calories then running with less damage to your body.

Its a wonderful stress buster.

Its fun!

But!!! it  will take a week or so to get your butt in shape, flat out your ass is going hurt when you first start.

I have found after week I feel good and I look forward to my rides. I use to track my speed and distance but now I just enjoy the ride.

I find anything over five miles is fine, less then five is not much of a workout for me anymore ( funny thinking back how 2 miles made me throw up).

I like to ride a comfortable 12 MPH but every now and then I go all out for a mile or so just to see what I can do. On any given ride I will see a fellow bike rider and think we alone are on a bike race for a championship (now this is all in my head but it makes me work hard) and I will race pass the person and go all out. The result is I feel amazing and its fun.

 

So if your looking for some fun, a good work out but easy on your joints , then maybe its time to get back on your bike.

Peace and Love all