I have read both of Lance Armstrong’s Books, It’s Not About
the Bike and Every Second Counts. They are both good reads and the second was
actually given to me by a coworker, an autographed copy. Now that I’m learning
a little more about cycling a couple of non cyclist have teased about the fact
that It’s Not About the Bike has a whole lot of information about his bike.
Well let me say that as I learn a few ounces of the tonnage of material to
learn about light weight bicycles… he could’ve put in a lot more info. Anyway,
I have started cycling now regularly and this week for the first time in my
life, between running and cycling I covered more miles exercising than I did
driving. After all, if you don’t watch your figure no one else will.
I’m a decent runner but it’s definitely different muscles
from cycling (though Kiana points out when she rides her bike that neither of
them make her as tired or as sweaty as they make me). I’ve gone on two group
rides, one was 35 miles (I rode to and from and made it 47) and one was 30 with
guys from Mellow Johnny’s whose easy ride I had a hard time keeping up with. I
am not sure what’s considered a short or a long ride since even my short ride
are longer than my long runs. I still haven’t been able to learn to “draft”
cause I’m just afraid to be that close, mostly from lack of confidence at this
point. Chris Brewer from Livestrong has taught me some stuff but he’s also told
me some things about the cycling community which are all turning out incredibly
accurate. They have some great jerseys, some serious looking and some more fun
looking. He has a great Scottish looking one, I met a guy from my home state
who had a great Mexican looking one, and today on my workout I passed a heavy
set guy who was wearing a Michelin tire one who said he wears “so it’s obvious
that I like my extra tires”. Cyclists apparently are more prone to tattoos so
the one change I decided to do after the surgery, get a tattoo after the follow
up apparently prepared me but I need to get some more (just kidding mom). There
is a lot more intelligence required than running. How you’re supposed to properly
pedal is more learned. Shifting gears is interesting and apparently I had shifted into the wrong
gear between the two front ones and was doing something nicknamed stomping
grapes using my running muscles instead of the correct ones. I should instead be
focusing on RPM’s (which after pretending like I knew what it was for a few
moments was finally told it’s repetitions per minutes). Speed work outs are
more fun and also more frightening because I am moving at my fastest twice as
fast I run and at my slowest, faster than I run. I have heard both about how
Austin is great for cycling and then hear about how a guy just got killed on a
common route. I am using my garmin
running watch but have now learned to compute it into minutes per mile because
I did a 3:12 mile sounds dorky to true cyclists. But again, the kindness of
humanity and of networks continue to amaze me. The first time Chris took me
cycling he said that cyclists always watch out for each other and if they see
one they offer help. I’d never needed help before today and when riding with
others I’ve seen them offer (I’ve yet to do have the opportunity it but am
nervous because I’m not sure what a guy this ignorant will be able to offer).
But tonight, I had another commitment so I didn’t have
enough daylight to spare to ride the 50 miles I’d planned so I just wanted to
get as much as I could of cycling and as is my style pushed sunset while doing
as many loops on something called the Velloway, a 5k loop in Austin only open
to wheels. I talked to a couple of guys and did a lap with them and they were
guys who had cycled for a while and were surprised I’d only been doing it a
couple of weeks. Like every other cyclist who has looked at the Trek bike
Mellow Johnny’s lent me, they were impressed and commented on how it’s from
this series with these type of tubes and wheels and I just smile and nod. Then
on the 3 miles home, I got my first flat tire. I had gotten the tire off and
was putting the other one but only a moment later, the guys I’d met tonight and
done less than 3 miles with stopped and helped me and then I got back home no
worse for the wear. We traded stories and it turned out that he had a family
member die of brain cancer and we talked about Livestrong and their events. We
traded numbers and hope to do some cycling together while I still have this
bike. But again, someone who an hour before had been a complete stranger
stopped to make sure I was going to fix a bike and get home okay (lots of other
cars passed by). Anyone who doubts humanity or community can’t possibly be part
of one like the cycling, running, church, ultimate, neighborhood or family ones
that I’ve gotten to be part of. I’ve been amused as I learn some of the cycling
information at the phrase, “It’s like riding a bicycle” because doing it
decently is not exactly something I can forget because I never knew it. In a
few weeks, I’ll ride the century I hope and the bike will go back to its owner
but I hope being part of communities is definitely something I never forget how
to do.
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