This morning when I got on my bike and started pedaling a funny thing happened… It Moved! Absent the familiar whir from trainer resistance, pedaling was converted to forward motion for the first time in 2010. If February was any indication, this year should be a doozy, but my top plan for managing life’s challenges has just been enacted. Checking the log Monday night, last year came in at about 3400 miles. Can that be beat?
Maybe. I feel pretty good. A twinge of knee pain, but my commute times today were comparable with the end of last season. That’s a vote of success for winter’s efforts. Somehow, it wasn’t until I almost reached home at the end of the day that I remembered the first 10 mile phenomena. That is, every ride hurts the most for the first 10 miles. Just happens to be how long it takes me to really get warmed up. Luckily, my 12.5 mile commute is just long enough to let me experience that fully!
The bike is happy to be counting miles again too, as far as I can tell. A bit of tire pressure and generous chain lube was all it took to achieve today’s smooth shifting easy rolling ride. The first maintence project of the season needs to be replacement of the chain and cassette. The bike shop wanted me to replace them at least 1500 miles ago. If my next entry is about my walk home with a broken chain, I give you the right to say: “You told you so!” Don’t ask why those didn’t get done over the winter. That’s okay, I think there will still be at least a couple weeks of questionable bike weather to get the job done before spring arrives in force.
I also almost forgot how time efficient the cycle commute is. Today, I woke up a half hour later, got to work a half hour earlier, and got home an hour earlier than I would have on any day I relied on the gym for the same 90 minutes of cardio spread throughout the day. Combined with the sunlight hours getting longer, I feel like I’m finding those elusive “more hours in the day” everyone keeps asking for.
Here’s to warm weather!