I’ve been trying to get healthy and lose some weight. I was riding in fits and starts in the early summer. Finally got a good habit going. I’ve got a regular route from my place down to the bike path along the Charles River to downtown and back. It’s about 20 miles round trip. I was trying to do 1,000 miles in 50 days, but I’m not quite hardcore enough to go out in the driving rain. (I don’t have a headlight, either, so I have to keep moving up my start time so I finish before dark.)
About 244 at the beginning of the summer, 239 on July 11th, 226 now. It was melting away to begin with, but seems to have hit a bit of a plateau in the mid-220s.
I’d like to be under 220 by the end of the bike-riding weather, and then try to at least keep it steady during the offseason.
There is no end to biking weather. I live in the Midwest and bike all year long including in some snow. With deeper snow, I wait until the plow comes through and the road is actually pretty good then. You might have to ride less, but you can still do some all winter. You could also get an exercise bike or put your regular bike on a stand that allows you to bike in place with your comfortable bike settings. Never say never. Always look for a way to do what you want.
For the most part, I haven’t even been riding in the rain. And I’ve got a touring bike; it wouldn’t take much snow for those skinny tires to start going sideways.
For that matter, I don’t know if the city even plows the bike path.
I’ve got other optons during the winter, though. There’s a gym I can go to, and I’m thinking of joining a curling club.
I had started working out hard in spring and had kept it up until my dog got sick and then died. Since then, it’s been fits and spurts, and now I haven’t gotten back on track.
I took up regular cycling again this summer, too, after a few decades off. I’ve been doing a 12 mile loop 3 days/week, and walking 3 miles on the days I don’t ride. Only lost 7 pounds so far, but feel a lot better already.
Time to lengthen my route to 20 miles, so I can keep up!
That is great! It’s great excercise and biking is popular in my area. Lots of commuters ride to work. Our buses even have a bike rack on the front for bikes. You should seriously score a light for the front and back. Walmart has them failrly cheap. I’m jealous you get to pedal the Charles River. That must be breathtaking.
Spend the money and get a Brooks Leather saddle and the hideous expensive maintenance kit ($20.00 for a can of grease, a wrench and a piece of cloth). Takes about a 100 miles to break in but oh-so-worth-it.
Robot Arm, your tale of pushing your limit has inspired me to push mine. I ride 100 miles to 125 miles three four times a week. Starting tomorrow, I’m going to do my beer chaser route (34.7 miles 1900’ elevation gain) for seven days straight. I’ll keep you posted on the results of my date with destiny.
I wore bicycle jerseys when I was younger, but figured it was always just for looks. Discovered today that indeed they do have an important advantage over tee shirts.
Tee shirts are great for channeling wind through the chest area–unfortunately, they also are good at funneling particulate matter–specifically, a black wasp which stung me in the right pectoral area and almost caused me to crash.
I’ve been riding in t-shirts for a while and never had that problem. I’ve swallowed at least one bug, and managed to spit out a couple others. Just a couple days ago I got a piece of grit in my eye and had to stop while I could barely see.
Usually, my biggest worries are pedestrians and geese.
I bought a wonderful seat and that made all of the difference. Plus after a while your groin muscles sort of toughen up.
I’ve been thinking of putting up a map with a goal (say, California) and calculating how long it would take me to “bike” to Cali., with my regular biking. Mostly I just commute to work three times a week.
I ignore yesterday’s lesson. I take it slower today as I’ve not really recovered from yesterday’s ride.
On the return leg, the chain breaks near the top of the third (of four hills), forcing me to coast down a mile and then walk up the fourth hill. Expect cell phone coverage on summit to call in a ride home. No coverage*.
Time to make the best of it. There’s three mile downhill stretch that opens up to wide open spaces and coverage. While speeding along @ 25 mph around a hairpin turn, I receive another sting–courtesy of a bee. Only a mere 1/4 inch from yesterday’s injection. I am growing mighty tired of my right pec serving as a test site for envenomation.
Again, no coverage. I’m ten miles from home. Another two miles of walking and it’s getting cold from the fog coming in. In desperation, I call with no bars on the phone. I get through! My ride arrives a 1/2 hour later–not quite hypothermia, but not exactly Club Med. I’m only wearing my cycling shorts and a Tee-Shirt. It is probably the last time I will ever wear a Tee-shirt while cycling.
When I get home, I note my knobby tires are covered with thistles. No problem for a mountain bike wheel, lots of rubber between the thistle and the tube.
I pull out the thistles with a pair of pliers–“PSSSSSsssss!” is coming from the back tire.
Front tire seems okay, but after today I still have my doubts.
My inspiration is waning.
*And a special thanks to my provider T Mobile. I hope you’re eating by squirrels!:mad:
well, I think you know, but I am not really going to ride to Cali. And if I fake riding east, it won’t be long before I am in the Atlantic. I live in upstate ny, see?
I live in upstate ny, see?