Adventures in cycling

Well here we are, a month after our wedding and that means 4 long weeks of my daily grind commute. To be honest (shhhh), it hasn’t been that bad. Probably has VERYTHING to do with my walk through the park every morning by the meandering gurgling Bow River. the sound of a vast trickle tickling my ears is music far better than any iPod could ever relay. I know, I know, I hear you asking about my huge plans to cycle to work everyday. I’ve been asking myself that question each time I spend money on the LRT. However, with each passing thought, my knees start throbbing and the pain literally kicks me back to the reality of my weary aching aging body. Sigh.

So to say that I’ve been a little antsy to start riding to work is an understatement. And so, on this cold Autumn morning (just below zero. Brrr!), I brushed off the cobwebs from the mountain bike, burrowed for my winter gloves and hat and bundled up, hastily making for any exit out the door (albeit later than I had hoped to depart). This morning, I had not a care in the world. I grabbed the world by my handlebar horns and ‘tinged, tinged’ my way through traffic (that would be the sound of my bell). Go figure that it was the coldest morning yet … Brrr! Have to learn to dress better for these cold mornings.

My glorious bike ride was about 45 minutes from door to door. The only hill so far that I have faced is the 5th Avenue road going up to the school, not far off the beaten path. Not too bad really in the lowest gear; however, I am in dire need of a tune-up of some sort on my brakes. When I’m whizzing at fast-ish speeds (not to be confused with fascist), my brain starts thinking weird thoughts of how my wheels could come flying off or worse, me going flying. Ahhh! I do love flying, don’t get me wrong, but I prefer a bit of space between me and the ground. Probably why I never took up mountain or road biking to any extent after training on the Laguna Seca race tracks in Monterey California. Me and the pavement already have too intimate of an acquaintance, and I care not to reawaken the beast. Been there, done that.

It was an amazing start to my day. Riding home was a bit more weary driven, and my knees were actually paining me. Sadly, this means giving my body some time … to heal, to mend. Maybe try it again in 2 weeks? I’ll let you know if I do, and how it goes. Happy cycling!