Today I completed a 5K. No, not a 5-kilometer race, but 5,000 miles on my bike since my family gave it to me on Fathers’ Day 2013. Yeah, it’s hard for me to believe, too. :-)
Ride on!
One Year On Sage
One year ago, my family surprised me with a new bike for Fathers’ Day. They’re pretty awesome that way. :-)
Since then, I’ve ridden “Sage” quite a bit1I guess I’m awesome that way… ;-) and bragged2Or “shared personal accomplishments with close friends and family.” I like it! quite a bit on the way. Here’s my year in review.
- I biked 3,207 miles. The number seemed really big to me, but then I looked at some math. At nine miles each round trip, I get more than 2,100 miles just on my daily commute. With lunch rides and a family vacation where I rode 200 miles in a week, the miles really add up.
- I went through some parts: 1.5 sets of tires, 1.5 sets of brakes, and a chain. Rotating the tires probably could have made them last longer, but it’s amazing how much broken glass was embedded in my tires3And not causing flats. Bike commuting tires are awesome these days. by the time I swapped them out. I probably should have gone through more brake pads. I’ve heard of going through a chain, but had never done it before. I do clean and oil my chain at least once a month, but in the winter, I probably should do it a lot more often. Oh, and I broke a spoke. When I had it repaired, they were surprised it had been my first.4I didn’t take it as a weight comment, I’m just tall. And I’ve stopped jumping so many curbs.
- We went “low car.”5Well, as low car as a family can go when all the kids have their own cars. But they use them. When our family minivan finally died after 295,502 miles, we didn’t replace it. Suzi now drives the CRV; I bike.
- I slowed down a bit. I used to think I commuted at 15-18 mph. Yeah, maybe. But that was in a more hunched down, uncomfortable posture. Now I sit up and enjoy the view. I stop at Starbucks on the way.6Yeah, I’ve done that for a while, not just the last year… I take a bunch of pictures.7Ditto. And when someone blows by me, I think of Linda Ronstadt.8Yup, and her song, “Blew By You.”
Year two starts now. I wonder where Sage will take me. :-)
- 1I guess I’m awesome that way… ;-)
- 2Or “shared personal accomplishments with close friends and family.” I like it!
- 3And not causing flats. Bike commuting tires are awesome these days.
- 4I didn’t take it as a weight comment, I’m just tall. And I’ve stopped jumping so many curbs.
- 5Well, as low car as a family can go when all the kids have their own cars. But they use them.
- 6Yeah, I’ve done that for a while, not just the last year…
- 7
- 8Yup, and her song, “Blew By You.”
I Got a New Bike
Fathers’ Day came early this year. And my family is wily. That combination turned out great for me yesterday.
Melissa invited me to Bike N’ Hike1We’ve had good experiences with Bike N’ Hike many times in the past. during lunch under the ruse of having me help her find a front wicker basket. She apparently hoped I’d want to test ride a bike I’ve had my eye on for a while. She needn’t have worried. I went prepared, taking my own helmet. Melissa and I test rode different sizes of the same bike, and
- I was oblivious to her sly grin,
- I assumed her grin was induced by riding such a fun bike, or
- Melissa is much more devious than I previously realized.
It’s probably some combination of all three.
Early yesterday evening, after being told to sit down on the couch and close my eyes, my family carried in the same bike I’d ridden during lunch and parked it in front of me. When I opened my eyes, I couldn’t believe it. I had to go on a ride with Jamison.
Today, although the forecast was wet, I biked to work. On the way home, the forecasters earned their keep and my bike was christened with rainwater.
It’s perfect! A city bike — and exactly the one I wanted. It has fenders, a rack, a bell, and even a kickstand. All I need to do is transfer over my lights and maybe my bike computer.
Now for the naming. We have a tradition of naming bikes after flowers and I’m willing to expand that to plants. I’m wavering between Sage and Lichen.2Okay, maybe I need to expand my classification to “organisms.”
What say you?
- 1We’ve had good experiences with Bike N’ Hike many times in the past.
- 2Okay, maybe I need to expand my classification to “organisms.”
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