So you bought your bike. Probably paid a pretty penny for it. If you’re like most of us, it won’t be your last bike. And your next bike will cost more and be worth it. What you don’t want is for that shiny new toy to sit in your garage, collecting cobwebs. Whatever you paid for your bike, it won’t be worth it if you don’t ride it.
Maybe you’re not out to become a bikie. Maybe you just want to have fun, or lose weight, or meet people. Maybe you want to get outside more or ride with your friends. Maybe you’ve come to the realization that there’s more to life than a forty-hour-a-week job and sit-com reruns.
There’s a danger with new bicycles. The danger is that your shiny new bike will end up in the garage next to your Ab Machine and all the other exercise equipment you’ve bought over the last few years with the best intentions. Your bike should be a tool and not a sculpture. You should use it for something besides hanging your clothes on.
It doesn’t have to be that way. You need to establish a long-term relationship with your bike. Make it more than a seasonal romance. More than a fling. But like any relationship that you want to last, it needs to be established with certain rules.
You want to start prepared. If your first ride isn’t comfortable then your second ride might never happen. Get bike shorts. They make them now so they’re not just skin tight stretchy, letting everybody know all about your business. And the padding between your seat and the saddle can change the tenor of a long ride from agony to accomplishment.
Wear a helmet. I didn’t at first, and on one of my early rides, I went over the bars and got stitches in the back of my head. I got a helmet immediately thereafter and wore it on almost every ride from then on. Even though I wore it all the time, I didn’t really use it again for a number of years, when I ran a red light and t-boned a minivan, sliding across the abbreviated hood and landing on the street on the other side. See, there’s a difference between wearing your helmet and using it. You wear it all the time, but you use it to keep you skull intact. After I went over the hood, I used my helmet again, and if I hadn’t had it on, somebody else would be writing this piece. My point is Wear a Helmet. The odds that you’ll ever really need it are slim, but the stakes are high.
You’ll probably want gloves. They provide a little padding between your hands and the handlebars and protection if you take a little spill.
Bring water for sure and a little food, maybe. On a longer ride you’ll want to refuel. But I’ve been on rides where I ate so much, I gained weight.
And you’ll want the minimum of tools. A patch kit, tire levers, and a pump, at least. Get the guys at the bike shop to show you how to use them. Or I’m sure you can find a video on the web.
As a fail-safe, bring your cell phone. But save it for emergencies. Don’t call for a ride just because you’re tired unless you’re really spent. Then make a commitment to ride. Getting on your bike again as an adult can be a little intimidating. Maybe you’re out of shape. Maybe you’re shy. It doesn’t matter. You need to make the commitment to ride your bike. Often. At least once a week.
Make a record of your progress. Take pictures. Keep a diary. Keep a log of your rides or post them on GeoBetty.com. GeoBetty lets you compare your times with other riders or your past self.
Remember when you were young and running around the neighborhood? Remember your first bike? Maybe it had high-rise handlebars and a banana seat. Or a pink and white basket and plastic streamers. Maybe it was a BMX bike with freestyle pegs you’d use to carry hitchhikers. I’m sure that first bike left you with skinned knees more than once, but what I remember from my first bike was the unbridled sense of freedom. Riding my bike around the neighborhood was like flying at low altitude, skimming over the sidewalks, cruising across the park.
I don’t want to get all Zen about it, but your bike can be a vehicle to joy and enlightenment. If it doesn’t change your life, you probably already had a great life to begin with. Either that or you’re doing something wrong.
