Thirteen and three quarters miles, with one hour, nine minutes and forty-five seconds of rolling time, and a maximum speed of twenty three point four miles an hour - myself and our newest Chafer, Bethany completed her first ride as a "cyclist." We woke up early, like real cyclists do. Then, we rode without a specific destination in mind, focused on keeping our pace up, and we even celebrated the hills - all things that run counter to our cycling commuter sensibilities. Hill avoidance, sweat reduction, and constantly mentally calculating whether or not the bus would have been faster usually take up almost all of ones concentration. It is freeing to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.We set out with our sites on Shoal Creek, a local mecca for casual riders wanting to get fit.
The streets that run along Shoal Creek feature bike lanes wide enough to ride two-by-two, and on spring mornings, our kind outnumber the cars greatly. Our route is one that I did when I first started riding for reasons other than getting from point A to point B.
And Bethany did a fantastic job of climbing the hills of West Austin. She even had the opportunity to try out her granny gear for the first time. She has ridden 83 miles in the two weeks that she has had her new bike:
The bike, a KHS Flite 220, is seemingly made for her: - Non-jarring CROMO 4130 frame
- Upright riding position, with the option to tuck and zoom
- Indexed STI shifters
- Wide 700x26c urban/road tires
(From http://noquedanblogs.com/inspiracion/wouter-mijland/)Getting in shape to ride for a great cause, or a great cause, hanging out with Bethany, and enjoying the wonderful Austin weather is what weekend mornings are all about.
And getting a workout under your belt in time for neighborhood brunch specials is not too shabby either!
holla!
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