Today seems like a really good day to post about the last month's pedal power. You see, it's in the 40's here in Central Texas, with wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour, and YES, I spent 2 hours this morning on my bike to get our household errands run. Needless to say, by the time I made it home (traveling north from my last stop, aka against the wind) my legs felt like jello. Two hours later, I'm not quite sure I'm fully recouped, but all the more reason to sit on the couch and type, right?For most of the last month, the weather has been gorgeous (mid-60's) and perfect for biking. Gone are the days when a 20 mile ride was a novelty. Now, I go out of my way to add the extra miles onto a tour around town (almost always an effort to complete errands). I've also noticed that rather than biking on some of the larger roads where I can get to and from home much faster (but where I also tend to get yelled at from drivers), I've been taking longer, meandering rides through neighborhoods for a more relaxing (and abuse-free) ride. Let's just say, I'm loving it!
Of course, it's December now, and even Texas has gotten blustery. But to be honest, it's not the cold that gets to me (with layers on, I usually end up sweaty even on the coldest winter days). No, it's the wind that bites - though granted, I don't normally bike in 30 mph winds. The good news, though, is I didn't have to worry that my tofu would go bad on the long, grueling ride from the local natural food store to home (again, almost completely against the wind). I mean, it's perfect refrigerator weather outside, so my tofu stayed nice and cool. Hey, I can always find something to be thankful about.
Oh, just one more thing. Obviously I'm getting stronger because those 30 mph winds I mentioned didn't knock me on my butt. Yeah for pedal power!
P.S. Don't you just love the toilet paper bungee-corded on the back of the bike?
5 comments:
Sounds like a tough ride. I hate the wind, but the electric assist makes it easier to deal with. Kudos to you for using your own power!
I also have found I prefer the smaller neighborhood streets even when the main drags have bike lanes.
Good for you on riding your bike to do errands! Good for the environment - good for your health.
Chile - I hear you. I'm really enjoying getting to know some of these neighborhoods better. We have VERY few bike lanes and I've never felt nervous when I'm on one, but again, we don't have many so I don't have the pleasure often. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy waving at people I don't know as I mozy down their road :)
Ben - I used to do all my errands by bus and walking. Took forever, but since I don't have access to a car during the week, it was my only choice. Then I realized how much more quickly I could get things done on the bike. And once I was finally past the fear factor, I'm all over the place on that bike. I love it!
Ugh..I hate the wind too. Hills I can now deal with. But the wind. No no. So you have all my respect here.
Beany - I figure hills will be my last true test. Dave's mom has a whopper up to her neighborhood that I'll have to try one day :)
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