Learning to Ride My Bicycle


In my teens and my early twenties I was a pretty active guy.  I regularly played tennis, did mountain biking, played pick-up basketball and hit the golf course semi-regularly.  Occasionally I would ride my bicycle to work and found enjoyment in the fresh air and exercise.

But sometime in my 30s I took a job that was 30 miles away and required additional travel. With a growing family, distant job and a couple of knee surgeries my activity level  plummeted.  It should not come as a surprise to anyone but the high metabolism that I enjoyed in my youth was tied directly to my activity and exercise.

The consequence was weight gain and the sedentary lifestyle was having a negative effect on my desire to be active.  I paid for a fitness center membership one year but I have never enjoyed going to a gym.  I am much happier getting exercise by engaging in an active lifestyle.

During this time I had become a regular commuter on our public transit.  I enjoyed helping with the environmental challenges and the lower transportation costs.  I especially enjoyed how much reading I could do while on a bus and how better prepared I was for my job because of the extra time I could spend reviewing documents.   But my belly was a constant reminder that I really needed to get more active.

I wanted to ride my bike, but I was worried about how I could dress for work and ride the rout.  When I changed offices and got about 10 miles away I went ahead and made the change.  I began with a plan to just ride my bicycle for less than a block to the local bus stop.  Then I would put the bike on the bus and ride the bus in to the office.  I would get my exercise by riding the bike home.

This routine went well for several weeks.  Then one day I got to the bus stop and after waiting for several minutes I decided to just ride to the next bus stop while I waited for the bus to catch up to me.   Well, when I got to the next stop I looked back and couldn't see the bus.  This continued stop after stop until I had made it to my downtown office.  From then on I have been a year-round cyclist.

My reading has taken a hit but I a have returned to a more healthy weight and lifestyle.  It still wouldn't hurt me to lose a few pounds and I could play more than I do.  But I am closer to the health of my youth and when it is time to go to work I leave with anticipation and vigor instead of dread and woe.

So if you want a nice pick-me-up for your own routine, just look for me on the road.  I'm usually not too hard to find in my red, orange, and yellow.

Good travels.

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