Sunday, April 27, 2008

OH my bum....all the riding...

So I have been on this bike riding kick over the past week or so. When I was little I loved to ride by bike and literally lived on my Purple bike during the summer! Contary to popular belief; Seattle is very hot in the summers at times.

Anyway, on Friday I biked around our neighborhood and then made a trip to the store which is up the street. I've never actually payed much attention to how far the store is from us, but I know for sure its more then a mile. Then I biked back with a bag of flour in my backpack. Note to self: get one of those bike cargo racks ASAP if you are going to be hauling groceries on your bike.

Can I just point out that I'm NOT one of your traditional bike riders. I seriously look silly. I have a blue chick mountain bike that is smaller then a standard adult bike because I'm so short I had to get the next size down so I could touch the ground. (which BTW I can't actually touch the ground unless I stand on my tippy toes) I also have a helmet that is a lime green color covered in daisy's because again, my tiny head couldn't fit an adult sized helmet unless I had added extra extra padding and for a helmet, you need it to fit, not make it fit you.
I don't have pretty bike clothes and I normally look like I just rolled out of bed on my bike. Eventually when I determine I'm going to STICK with bike riding maybe then I'll get some cute bike pants or something. Of course used ones naturally.
I wish I could look cool on my bike, but seriously its just too much work and expense right now. little jaunts to the store does not mean I need to go out and outfit myself in all the latest bike gear. (although some cute bike plants I think would look better then my ugly sweatpants that have a bleach mark on one leg)

On Saturday James, Noah and I all went on a bike ride and we rode from our house all the way up into SouthHill to the Goodwill. I'm not sure how far that is, but its WAY over 5 miles. Not to mention all the little detours we took on the way there. On the way home I even rode home with a 5 lb bag of apples in my backpack...I wouldn't recommend doing that unless you have a good sense of balance as I felt like I was going to fall over the whole time. OHH what I do for my family! LOL!

Surprisingly, I'm not as sore as I thought I would be. In my mind, I not only saved gas I also helped off-set my carbon emissions by NOT driving and I got a lot of exercise in the process. I do hope I can continue my bike riding skills throughout the summer to continue my exercise regimen and to save on gas. I thinks its pretty possible considering how expensive they are expecting Gas to get this summer. Ugh.
Besides riding my bike to the store helps me not spend extra on anything else. Clearly I can't carry home a cartful of groceries on my back. Although we do have a dog bike attachment where I can bring my dogs a long with us on bike rides and it can hold a lot of stuff in it! I suspect there will be some bike rides where I'll do that.

So this summer or now even IF you live close to something why not ride your bike instead. there is a lot of advantage to riding your bike then driving a car. You get to park right up front, you don't have to sit through traffic in most cases, you get a little sun and build up your Vitamin D, you get fresh air, you get to work those leg muscles and lets not forget all the memories you'll create with your family. We are really trying to teach Noah that going on a bike ride is not only healthy for him, but also for the environment. Who knows? Maybe one day he'll live in a city where he can ride his bike everywhere and not have to own a car.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful! I hope you keep it up. Your mind will thank you for the exercise just as much as the environment. I ride about 10 miles to work everyday and I always feel like I have less energy whenever don't get on the bike.