Remember the simple pleasure of when you were a kid riding your
bike, the freedom, the wind in your hair?
Remember the simple pleasure of when you were a kid riding your bike, the freedom, the wind in your hair?
Well, get ready because bike week starts right here on Sunday.
For those of us who haven’t been riding our bicycles regularly, this is a great opportunity to take another look into cycling as a regular activity for both exercise and financial savings.
The nice thing about cycling is that bikes are fun, especially when compared to sit-ups and push-ups.
And you can take the whole family along if your OK with you’re 9-year-old beating you to the top of the hill.
If it has been years since your last ride, you may start out feeling a bit sore in the saddle.
But do not fret – a little conditioning and maybe a new saddle (for both you and your bike) will do the trick.
Just try not to overdue it at first. It’s better to start off slow and work your way up than to overdue it and throw the bike back into the garage for another year.
Pacing yourself and slowly increasing your mileage will give your body the time it needs to get in shape.
You may not be ready to race Lance Armstrong for another week or two. But, if you keep a ride log describing your rides, mileage and time, you will be amazed at your improvement.
If you ride once this week with your family and a second ride to town to run an errand, you are on your way to becoming a regular rider. And just think, when you use your bike to drop off the film, pick up that gadget from the hardware store or get your hair cut, you will be able to park close and you will be burning calories instead of designer-priced gasoline.
It is better for your body and the environment. And what if this were to become a regular habit?
You could buy less gasoline and get fewer speeding tickets. You could take that treadmill out of your bedroom to make more room (assuming you have another place to hang your clothes). You could be the envy of your co-workers when you tell them about your weekend rides or how you road your bike to work.
But let’s start small. Go into the garage and dust off that bike. Air up the tires and make sure both you and the bike are safe to go.
This may mean asking your doctor what he thinks about that body of yours on two wheels and stopping by your local bike shop to talk about a tune-up or tips on how to avoid and repair flat tires.
But most of all, think about the fun you can have with the wind in your hair. Oh wait, some of us don’t have that much hair anymore. Maybe that first errand I run will be to the drug store for some Ibuprofen.
Kevin Carter lives in Hollister and is the co-owner of Off the Chain Bikes. His column runs the second and fourth Thursday of each month. To contact him, call 636-0802.
