On a bicycle built for pain
In the run up to Xavier's birth, I had been driving to work every day. But with his birth and with Oliver staying home with my wife for the summer, there is less of a need to drive. If only I could figure out some way of getting to work faster than walking...
It turns out that my wife and I have bicycles in the garage. They were POS bikes when we got them, but a bike is a bike (especially until I prove that I'll continue to do it for some time). So I took my bike into the bike shop to check the tires and to give it a tune-up. The guys who worked in the shop were rather unimpressed with my unimpressive machine, but they fixed it up well for me. A trip to REI for helmets and I was good to go.
I've been riding my bike for a week now. It isn't a long ride, but that is just fine for my out-of-shape self. Most of the uphill is on my way to work, so I always start the day feeling fresh. I hoping that in time I'll get in better shape so that the ride to work will be less of an exertion and I will consequently sweat less.
I haven't quite come to grips with my helmet. I picked the cheapest that REI had to offer. It looks like the helmet that motorcyclists that don't want to wear helmets wear. And I haven't quite come to grips with my seat. Despite the fact that it is jelly filled, it is starting to hurt my bottom as I sit. I'm not quite sure what to do in order to make it hurt less. Maybe I'll start wearing biker shorts to work under my pants. What the heck - I've already got two kids. Why would I need any more.
It turns out that my wife and I have bicycles in the garage. They were POS bikes when we got them, but a bike is a bike (especially until I prove that I'll continue to do it for some time). So I took my bike into the bike shop to check the tires and to give it a tune-up. The guys who worked in the shop were rather unimpressed with my unimpressive machine, but they fixed it up well for me. A trip to REI for helmets and I was good to go.
I've been riding my bike for a week now. It isn't a long ride, but that is just fine for my out-of-shape self. Most of the uphill is on my way to work, so I always start the day feeling fresh. I hoping that in time I'll get in better shape so that the ride to work will be less of an exertion and I will consequently sweat less.
I haven't quite come to grips with my helmet. I picked the cheapest that REI had to offer. It looks like the helmet that motorcyclists that don't want to wear helmets wear. And I haven't quite come to grips with my seat. Despite the fact that it is jelly filled, it is starting to hurt my bottom as I sit. I'm not quite sure what to do in order to make it hurt less. Maybe I'll start wearing biker shorts to work under my pants. What the heck - I've already got two kids. Why would I need any more.
posted by mypetrock at 11:34 PM
1 Comments:
If you're riding uphill, try standing up more of the way...less strain on the nether reigions and a slightly different set of muscles to work. With like 21 speeds on my bike, it's still the only way to actually make forward progress on some hills for me (I ride a POS Walmart-bought mountain bike, which is way too heavy for the nice streets and paved paths that I take it on).
You could also wear the bike shorts on the ride, and then change when you get to work--might help with the sweat issue too :)
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