Your bike is an investment! Even if you didn’t pay very much for it or it was a gift, keeping it running well is key to having a good time on two wheels. Doing these 4 simple tasks will keep your bike running well and hopefully out of the shop (except for routine maintenance)!
Do I Even Like Riding a Bike Anymore?
I broke my foot in mid-August doing something really stupid and mundane. Starting to pedal, I jammed my foot onto my pedal, missed the platform and crunched the shit out my foot. Two cracked metatarsals, and nearly 4 months later, I'm still not back to my regular self. Apparently when you're over 30, bones take a long time to heal.
This injury was a huge pain the butt bummer. I had to skip the Solar Eclipse Campout Bike Ride with Komorebi and Friends on Bikes . I went to NYC in a walking boot (which I promptly ditched for a CitiBike. Don't tell my doctor.) My foot is still a funky shape and shoes no longer fit the same, but I did buy Crocs!
Thankfully, I am now healed enough to walk around without a limp (as long as it's not over a mile) and biking is no longer painful. This does mean I've taken nearly 4 months off my bike. Which feels like forever.
And now that I can get back on the bike, I haven't been quick to get back on. My first "long" ride was Cranskgiving last weekend, and it was 16 miles. Have I touched my bike since? Nope. Somehow, I went from a daily bike rider to an every-once-in-a-while rider.
I feel like my bike is a friend that I've lost touch with, and am not sure how to start the conversation again. In the time that I've been off, the seasons changed and it's now cold outside.
Instead of riding in whatever I happen to be wearing (usually a dress), I'll need to actually think about my clothing and the functionality of it on a bike.
In this season of change and difficulty, I'm trying to be gentle on myself. Just because I don't ride today or this week, doesn't mean I can't start again when the weather gets good. I started from zero a few years ago, and I can always start again.
Bike Month 2015 Wrap Up
Holy Moley! May is over and what a month! I biked every single day of the month, which is definitely a record for me! For the first time ever, I tracked every single bike ride. Here are my #s for May:
92 trips
543 miles
34 commutes
3 camping trips
FAR TOO MUCH FUN TOO COUNT!
Seriously though, this is WAY more than I've ever biked in one month. 2014 was the first year I'd ever seriously participated in Bike to Work month, and I did a decent job of biking to work. I got 42 miles in, which with a commute of 4 miles round trip, is pretty darn good! This year, however, I made an effort to Bike Everywhere, and it really paid off! My longest trip was 52 miles, which was to Ben Country, but other than that, most of my trips were 10 miles, 15 miles, or even shorter. Just lots and lots of short trips to here, there, and everywhere!
I wonder if I can rack up even more miles as the months go on?