Bike riding adventures!

[rockfotze]

I have recently started riding a bike to and from work. This goes against just about all I believe in. I think bike riders tend to be douchebags (mainly the people who wear all that spandex and those awful, small shoes and hog up entire lanes while I am driving) and exercise in the mornings is about the most horrific thing I can think of. But one day when I wanted to go to gym with a work friend, I realised I had 30 mins to get from work to gym in order to make the class and for me to catch the train home then walk to gym it’d take a good 45 minutes. She suggested I take her bike since she finished work earlier and she would walk, I would ride and we’d both make the class on time. Oh. My. God. How scary! I decided to give it a ago, as I didn’t want to look like a wuss and I really did want to make the class.

Well the bike ride changed my life, in a very good way. Sure it was scary and I almost fell off it a couple of times, but it was so exhilirating to zoom down hills on a bike, going faster than all the cars stuck in peak hour traffic and knowing I don’t have to put up with that bastard train for once. I made it gym in excellent time, despite going an obscure way and going pretty slowly for the most part. I decided then and there I needed to do this more often and that I needed a bike ASAP. Of course I wanted a slick Townie bike (like from http://www.ewfarmbikes.com.au) but as it happened a work mate had one at work that he never used and after some begging he gave it to me to test out. Sadly this bike was in poor shap as the brakes had about had it so I couldn’t use it right away. BUT he did give me a helmet and so I arranged to get the brakes fixed ASAP. I sort of slacked off though, til another work mate offered me his bike which was a nicer colour (sapphire blue) and had working brakes!

Unfortunately in this time I sort of chickened out of riding to and from work again. Mostly because it’d mean I’d need a backpack and I don’t do backpacks. Then I got an amazing new handbag which came with a shoulder strap. No more excuses! So I rode the blue bike home the other afternoon and once again fell in love with riding bikes. I also found a bike path that starts near work and takes me a block from home so I miss all traffic and get to ride through a park, which made it an even nicer trip.

But was I going to be able to ride TO work? Like I said, morning exercise is pretty much unbearable to me, so it was a huge hurdle to overcome. But I did it this morning! I got up a bit earlier and forced myself to ride my bike to work! It wasn’t nearly as fun as riding home from work but it wasn’t bad at all. I also worked out another shortcut to make life a little bit easier too. It’s done wonders to my day, I’ve been in a good mood all day and didn’t need an energy drink at all today, I was full of natualy enegry for once. Oh and not catching those dreaded trains in the morning is just too good to be true.

I’m getting an awesome little bike from the work mate who gave me his blue bike, which is going to cost me virtually nothing! I don’t know if it can be riden to and from work but when I do ride it, I will look cool as.

Mirrored from rubyvelour.com.

Comments

[vikingcarrot.livejournal.com]

That's a good step. Bike-riding is way fun - I used to live on my bike as a kid, and I sometimes miss it.

Honestly, most cyclists aren't dicks, I think they're just a bit misunderstood, especially since up until the last few years, there've been few options for them and they've had to ride on the road and such due to lack of bicycle paths. My boy rides to and from work quite frequently, and it's really really healthy - you're execising, but you actually go somewhere, rather than exercising as another chunk of your day where you're not getting other practical benefit out of it.

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

The problem is the only cyclist people tend to see are the dicky spandex-wearing ones. So all the non-douchey ones get a bad rap because of the few ones who hog whole lanes and are all aerodynamic and shit >:(

I feel like I've wasted so much of my life with public transport, knowing hoe convenient it is to ride a bike! I can't wait for that sweet Rudd money so I can get a practical, new, pink bike to ride to and from work everyday. The purple bike's strictly for looking cool and flat roads.

[pixienamedkatie.livejournal.com]

^_^ riding a bike does sound waaaay better than catching horrible Brisbane trains. I walk to uni now, but when I had to catch a train to uni it was hideous. I found it put me in a terrible mood all day.
Also, your bike looks awesome.

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

It's even more fantastic in real life. My boss was in love with it and he's a proper triathlete and everything! There's something about purple, silver and old-school that looks rad.

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

I'm willing to look like a dick, I've decided, because I get to be all smug and "look at me being environmentally friendly and getting lots of exercise" while missing out on the horrors of QR trains. Hate them so much *fist shake*

[kittysuck.livejournal.com]

Gosh you're hilarious.

But it's good it makes you happy + feel better!

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

Haha ta :)

A bit of the old serotonin before work does wonders for your day, let me tell you. Plus it will make my thighs and butt look hot eventually, and that's very good indeed.

[arachnerd.livejournal.com]

i'm in the same boat you were in before the bike riding. i hate early morning exercise. i don't think i could do it.

sweet lookin' bike, though. :)

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

If I can ride a bike in the morning, ANYONE can. Mind you I don't start work til 9:30am so I still get a decent sleep in still.

[kunzenberger.livejournal.com]

I used to LOVE riding to uni... all on a bike path! Im waay to scaared to ride on the road though :(

[dienacht.livejournal.com]

The road scares the living shit out of me. Drivers and pedestrians really hate bike riders! Pedestrians are the worst though, they purposely get in your way to spite you, it seems. Love those safe bike paths, baby!