My fiancé Cameron gave me a bike for my birthday back in November last year (at a time when I was getting a bit bored with my running routine and wanted to mix it up), so I have been contemplating riding it to work since then, for both the exercise of it and also as a new strategy to avoid paying for parking at UNC. I've really just been waiting for the weather to get warmer, and then lastly I needed a bike lock, helmet, and bike rack for my trunk. I had intended on waking up at the first alarm today, so that I could install the bike rack (a process supposed to take less than 5 minutes according to the box) and finally ride my bike to work for the first time.
Of course, today started with one of those mornings where things aren't exactly going wrong, but they didn't seem to be falling into place easily either. I definitely hit the snooze button 4 or 5 times before getting out of bed setting me back at least 20 minutes of getting ready. The bike rack did not resemble the diagram on the installation instructions thus adding an element of mystery to the task. Then worse than that, the curvy shape of my bike did not exactly fit the rack though we were able to get it on somewhat secure in the end, but it definitely was not the snug fit that I was hoping for. Apparently I have a voluptuous bicycle, and I guess the bike rack is like an ill-supporting bra--the correct band size, but lopsided cups. Passing a biker on my drive to parking at Meadowmont, I suddenly got the horrible image of my bike dislodging from the rack and wiping the other bike out. Yikes. But at least not such a physically painful event for the metaphorical rack...
Minor difficulties aside, I did eventually make it to Meadowmont with my bike intact. From Meadowmont to my office was about a 20 minute ride with quite a few intense hills. The stretch of road leading up to campus after 54 turns off was intense. At one point I really wanted to walk my bike up the rest of it, but I did make it the entire way to work without having to do that. I do hope that the ride gets easier with practice and conditioning, but overall this first ride was a success. Also, what a coincidence: Today is the national
Bike to Work Day, and I didn't even know it.
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| Cameron said this makes me officially a dork. |
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| It looks like the bike is bigger than my car. |
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| Please don't rain. Please don't rain. |
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| My bike found a friend. |
ENA, I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO I'M NOT A CREEPY STALKER BUT DON'T LOOK OUT OF YOUR BEDROOM WINDOW ;)
ReplyDeleteThis post made me laugh. I actually used to love bike riding around town/to the store/to EAT delicious things but I haven't done that for years now...You've re-inspired me. ...If I can actually find my bike and if it is in any sort of functional condition.
I have faith in you, your voluptuous work-biking, and even your lopsided BRAck.
Lastly, I think it is incredibly strange and coincidental that your first day biking to work coincided with National Bike to Work Day. I guess the cosmic bike gods knew how to spur your inner-bikings to greatness.
<3 May
May, I'm so excited you wrote the first comment on my blog. So much so that I can overlook the fact that you might be lurking somewhere nearby. What an adorable stalker.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were amused by the post, and even more glad that you felt re-inspired by it. You'll be happy to know that I have ridden to work for 3 days in a row now. I intend to continue, but I fear the first day it decides to rain when I'm heading in to work.
The coincidence regarding Bike to Work Day is still unnerving to me. Bike Month is not over yet, so you should succumb to the bike gods too!
<3Ena