Weekly: ride my bike

I’m very proud that I learned to change them myself (it wasn’t hard). And it’s sitting in the entryway, not the basement. Haven’t taken it out much yet though. :( I dunno why not! I’m afraid of traffic, I guess – and my weekends have been really busy or really rainy lately.

There are some nice paths nearby though. I’m hoping to try them out before the month is out.

Right now it’s stored in the basement, hard to get to. Also, it spent the winter sitting on flat tires, which now have cracked sidewalls (it’s ok, they were quite old to begin with).

I realized a few months ago that I need a few easy regular destinations so that I can get more comfortable on the bike. This means no big hills, not too far away, and a place I would enjoy for its own sake.

My summer biking destinations for this year are the weekly farmer’s market (so I can practice biking with small and large loads) and a nearby urban state park. They are both in the same direction (roughly), about 3 or 4 miles away, with no big hills. The park also has biking trails for more practice. Wooo! Can’t wait!

My 16 year old car, while still running and insured, has expired plates. I do not think it’s worth it to renew them. For one, I would have to get a New York DL (which I haven’t done), and for another, I would have to put $$ I don’t have into getting it ready for inspection…only to (likely) have it quit on me in the next few months.

So. I need to make better use of the almost-new bike sitting in my basement. Primarily I would like to use it for commuting back and forth to my internship this summer. It seems doable; the library is between 5 and 6 miles away, a manageable distance. The only problem is finding a workable route. The main roads I would normally take are not very bike friendly, and at least one of the back ways is really not an option due to MASSIVE glacial hills.

Aside from finding a route (which I plan to do on some weekend afternoon in the near future), I need to obtain a maintenance kit, a helmet, and something reflective (maybe a big-ass yield sign for my backpack). Oh…and I need a phone # for a cab service or two in case of disaster.

My sister and her girlfriend bike EVERYWHERE in Baltimore. It is probably a marginally more bike-friendly city…but surely if they can do it there, I can do it here.

And I’m not hardcore enough to ride in the snow. So this goal goes on the back burner until spring.

Had to go to the hardware store to pick up an ounce of small wire nails and nothing else. Considered the car briefly, but couldn’t justify it – my desired goods would fit into my hip pocket, and it’s a lovely cool and partly sunny day (if a bit windy).

Biked. The ride itself was great. I think my shifter is either a bit sticky or my chain is a little loose; I really know nothing about bike maintenance (other than changing an innertube), but I think I need to learn. It got me there and back just fine, however. One small annoyance: a truckful of hooting high school (or really dumb college) guys. But they were mitigated by the darling family of four also out for a bike ride (mom, dad, and two kids, each on one of those extra wheel “tandem bike for tots” attachments).

...for the better part of a year, and I have barely ridden it anywhere. It’s silly. So I decided to quit that silliness and begin riding it more often. Today, instead of driving to the grocery store, I biked. It was only about 3.5 miles there and back, but not bad, not bad at all! I will be biking to the grocery store from now on, or at least until it gets cold (or until it’s time to return the beer bottles for deposit…).

It was a good feeling. I didn’t notice that I was working particularly hard until I hopped off the bike at home and felt it in my legs. Whew! Hardly felt like exercise until that point, though, which is great. Biking is awfully fun, but I never remember that fact until I’m actually on the bike.

I’m definitely going to ride back and forth to campus when regular classes start up again…I’ll just need to get some lights, and a helmet.