Saturday, September 15, 2012

I want to ride my bike


There, I said it.


Wednesday I spend a few hours at the dentist.  Thursday I wake up feeling like I was hit in the face.  So what do I do?  I drag my bike to the shop to get it checked out.

Today my teeth hurt, my gums are sore and my lip is still swollen and I am thinking about riding my bike.  I think a psychologist could have some fun with my behavior.  I certainly seem to be fixated on this idea of riding as a way to improve my condition.  Or maybe I’m just obsessed.

Riding is supposed to be good for you but I don’t know how healthy this behavior is.

Today I got the bike back from the shop and decided to try to ride it right away just to see if I could.

I was a little wobbly leaning on the car to test the seat height – it was a little high – but once I started, and got off of the grass, it wasn’t too bad.  I set off down the driveway and out into the street and I was riding.  Yay!  The steering on this bike is very sensitive so I have to be careful there, but moving does help with the balance so that worked out well.

However, I actually hurt myself trying to get on the bike.  It seemed so natural just standing on the pedal, pushing off and swinging my leg over the saddle.  Unfortunately right now not being flexible enough to do that without hurting myself is also natural.  I was afraid of that – I didn’t feel that confident no matter how natural things might have been.  I managed not to fall over but it was a close call.  What I need to do is get my leg over the cross bar by leaning the bike over while standing, get on the pedals and then sit down once I am moving.  Getting off is about the same though it comes across as more of a controlled fall as I get off the saddle, step off the pedals and to the left to get my feet on the ground.

I do not actually fit this bike as my legs are a little short so I can’t straddle it with the bike upright.  Hence the lean to the left to get both feet on the ground.  It ain’t pretty but it works.

I am woefully out of shape and can not go very far.  We’re talking fractions of a mile here.  My muscles were letting me know from the start that they haven’t been used in this way in a long time.  I expect to be very sore on Monday.  Still, I am considering going out again tomorrow.  I won’t go very far and I won’t be out for very long, but I’ll do what I can.

Right now I am just inordinately happy that I can actually ride.

And I might be just a little bit obsessed.

2 comments:

pasoc said...

Congratulations! That is a huge victory. Is the seat as low as it can go? Can you put blocks on the pedals to help with the height at all? How about a stepstool to make it easier to get on the bike?

And a controlled fall as stopping? That's what the walls did for me at the ice skating rink (back in the day).

beatthereaper said...

I used the car to lean on to get on the bike but a step stool would actually help. I can reach the pedals, it's the frame that's too big. Training wheels might help.

I can stop, I just can't get off the thing. I think using walls might be a good idea.