For the Love of Bikes

Life is better on a bike!

Page 60 of 102

Running–Ugh.

December 6, 2011 /

I hate running! It hurts, it gets my heart rate up much higher than cycling ever does, it’s jarring. I hate it.

So, today I ran three miles. Three painful, slow miles. But, I did it.

Feeling like I do about running (HATE it), you might be wondering why I did it – good question.

Here’s why:

Running is supposed to be great cross-training for a cyclist.

Running is a relatively quick way (compared to cycling) to get an intense workout in.

Running builds bone density which at my age I need.

I’m considering doing the Redman Half Ironman next September, which unlike the Aquabike event will require me to run.

It’s cold outside and I’m too big of a wimp to ride.

I’m looking into Chi running and Pose running? Anyone know anything about it or any other method that turns a non-runner into a passable runner?

Tomorrow I’ll ride the trainer. Dislike that slightly less than running. Sigh.

Bike Parking

December 1, 2011 /

Today brought a bike ride and leaf raking. Wow, it just doesn’t get much better than that.

Another beautiful day in the low 60’s (is it really December 1st?) although with a little wind. It’s December though so no complaining.

Riding along I saw quite a few people putting up Christmas decorations or raking leaves (why should we have all the fun) in shirt sleeves. What a treat!

I’ve never been to this particular store on my bike so I didn’t know if there was parking or not. Parking as in something to lock my bike to.

This is what I found.

2011-12-01 14.08.20

It was a tight fit getting my cable around the post but it worked. As long as the postal worker didn’t come by I thought I was in good shape – and they didn’t. One thing I like about shopping on the bike is it restricts the amount of stuff I can buy which makes me prioritize my shopping. Save $$ by using my legs instead of gas and by buying less. Win-win.

Once again my belief that drivers are more respectful to you as a cyclist because of what you’re wearing (or riding) was reconfirmed. Wearing street clothes you look like a person riding a bike. You look like a person riding your bike somewhere – i.e., engaging in the same behavior they are – transportation – albeit different modes. This makes you seem like them and they treat you accordingly.

On the other hand wearing bike shorts and a jersey you look like an athlete riding where you don’t belong. It amazes me how different drivers are when I’m riding my bike to run errands. It is a different bike than I ride when I’m training and that’s probably part of it too. Whatever the reason or reasons I love the civility!

Personally, I think one of the best things we can do to get more people riding is to blur the line between people riding bikes and cyclists.

For the Love of Leaves

November 30, 2011 /

Not really.2011-11-30 16.24.51

My afternoon was spent dealing with leaves rather than taking the bike ride I had planned. I’m not complaining, raking leaves on a day like today isn’t a bad way to enjoy it. The sun was shining and illuminating the grass, the birds were singing. It actually was pretty nice.

Must admit though it’s never occurred to me that a perfect fall day for biking might be a perfect fall day for raking leaves. Turns out it (sort of) is.

Getting the leaves off the grass isn’t something we typically rush to do, but we had beaucoup work done earlier this year (pictures) to take care of major erosion from an 11 inch rain we had in 2010. (Drought in 2011, monsoon in 2010. That’s Oklahoma for you.)

Anyway, with all the blood, sweat and bucks we put into repairing it, including getting  fescue grass to grow, it was important to get the leaves off of the fescue so it wouldn’t die back over the winter. We actually had to have a little patch work done today because of a heavy rain we had a month or so ago (feast or famine with rainfall) and new erosion it created. They laid new matting to hopefully prevent any future problems.

2011-11-30 16.20.582011-11-30 16.22.10

One thing I know is when the first snowfall of any substance happens, I’ll be using our new bobsled course. The curves, the gradual slope – I can’t wait!

‘Tis the Off-Season

November 29, 2011 /

calvins-dad-snow-biking1Yeah, I know it’s the holiday season, but once we’ve moved into the holiday season it also means we’ve slipped into the off-season for biking. Bummer.

At least for most of us it’s the off-season. I know there are courageous, tough-minded people who ride all year… I tip my helmet to you. Heck I used to be one of you – riding when it was so cold and snowy/icy that my balaclava would freeze to my face.  Ahhh… those were the days. 

Those days are behind me, I’m not into cold weather suffering, and now after I’ve managed to get in the best shape and condition of the year it’s time to…. what???

Speaking for myself (that’s pretty much all I can do, right? Sometimes even that’s a stretch), I don’t want to let go of all that hard earned fitness (only to work like the devil to get it back next spring), but on the other hand I know a certain break from the “hard stuff” is needed. The question… my question is how much of a break?

For example, we bought a spinner last year and in keeping with my new “stand up and hammer to build power” approach to climbs I spend part of my spinning standing and hammering. Is that okay in the off-season? No pain or soreness afterwards so it seems to be okay but maybe it’s not good this time of year. From what I’ve read the priority in the off-season should be LSD rides building those base miles with the majority of that effort being in HR zone 2. Boring, but easy.

Part of my approach will also be to cross-train by running, yoga and using the elliptical. Also working in strength training too. No wonder I hate the off-season! Biking is fun, except for yoga the other stuff isn’t.

Regardless of the no – fun winter time training some amount of it is necessary or I need to get over my wimpy ways and ride outdoors. Perhaps we’ll have a mild winter and this will all be a moot point. Thinking smile

Just in case I’m researching off-season training and will come up with a plan which I’ll share here. If you have a plan or approach you use how about sharing it. Deal? Deal.

Biking around the Earth

November 27, 2011 /

If you’ve managed to log at least 24,901 miles biking, you’ve covered the circumference of our little planet.

I never thought of it when I crossed the 25,000 mile threshold of miles biked, but this guy did and made it a goal.

Michael Marley has been cycling for nearly half a century. In that time, he’s racked up thousands of miles – more than 24,901.55 miles, to be exact.

Michael Marley, of Dallas, has completed his goal of cycling the circumference of the Earth or 24,901.55 miles. Marley started logging miles in 1992.

Marley, 51, of Dallas Township, recently accomplished a goal he has been working on for nearly 20 years – to bicycle the circumference of Earth in cumulative miles.

While he began to log his miles in a journal in 1992, it wasn’t until Marley turned 43 that he set his lofty goal.

“I looked in the mirror and thought, ‘I’m getting old,’” he said. “I already had logged about 11,000 miles by then, and I asked myself how much longer could I bike, how do I conclude this?”

Read the rest of the story.

« Older posts Newer posts »

For the Love of Bikes Blog (2009 - 2023) is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Based on a work at www.loveofbikes.com.

© 2025 For the Love of Bikes

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑