I Want to Ride My Bicycle

[jamesq]

thebrucie is loaning me his bike for awhile. This is only until his landlord builds a dog run so that they (the dogs) can't chew on his bike. After I've gotten the hang of it I'll be buying my own. I live sufficiently close to work that it makes sense to bike there then plant my ass on a bus every day - at least during the summer.

I went for my first ride today. Filled the tires and went through the backwoods of Dalhouise to garething's house. We chatted for about ten minutes. Instead of going straight back I opted to go into Varsity and bike back up the ravine that runs from Edgemont to the river.

I'm here to tell you that my biking muscles are gone from not biking since I was about twenty. I was pretty shaky, had largely forgotten how to turn, and I had to get off to walk it up a couple of low-grade hills. My hip-flexors (the muscles on the front of the thighs) are fairly weak, especially compared to my gluteus maximus (the muscles of the ass and back of the thighs) which I use for running. Of course, biking is going to make me a better runner, and biking to and from work a couple of times a week is going to burn a few more calories than I have been. All in all a good combination.

Just one more step along the way to a triathlon.

Comments

[catalytic.livejournal.com]

If I remember correctly you're even taller than I am. When I went shopping for my bike I found a great deal of advantage in buying a larger bike frame, something like 26 inches if I remember correctly. It was harder to find, but damned worth it. Made riding a lot easier on my back as I wasn't nearly hunched up as much.

Just my two cents of tidbit.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_thwap_/]

Sound advice, having done quite a bit of cycling in my past as well. It has been my experience that the larger your body's frame, the larger your bike frame should be as well.. It helps you with your posture as well as helping you to transfer more of the power from your body to the pedals.

there.. now you have 4 cents worth of input.. (G)

[nosarious.livejournal.com]

My Dad bought me a bike last year, but on my first real off-trail experience I shredded the sprocket on the back. I had to return it because it was a consumer model, and all the bikeshops had a different gear ratio.

Mind you, I bought a heart monitor which I used for running and workouts (and that was when I discovered I have the heart of a thirty year old... 190bpm... I should be dead.)

congratulations on just going out and doin' it. I started last year. (and I might just skip the internet this summer so I do it more this year)