First post
For my first post here, I'll start out by explaining the title of my blog. I just recently bought a Bianche Volpe touring bike, and it turns out volpe means "fox" in Italian. Since I'm also about to sell my truck and begin relying on my bike for transportation, as well as my plans for a cross country tour this spring, I think the crazy part fits. But since I rarely use my truck anyways, given the fact that I work only 2 blocks away from my house, don't like burning gas, and simply prefer my bike anyways, I think it's a smart thing to do. So, there's a method to my madness, and a madness to my method; hence the title.
Most people would think I'm especially crazy for the cross country tour. This is because I've not ever ridden any great distance in my life on a bike. But I'm in pretty good shape (could be better, cardiovascularly speaking), and I hear about old men on single speeds doing it. Surely a healthy 22 year old man with a decently geared bike can do it too. I have no reservations or fears about that. I think the biggest challenge for me will be mental. I'll be honest and say that I've lived a relatively sheltered life up till now. I've never done anything extrordinary, or even much out-of-the-ordinary. So I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit scared about throwing myself out upon the world with basically no safety net. But it also thrills the hell out of me, and I can't wait.
So, I try not to focus on that, and instead am working on getting in better shape. However, that's hard right now since I *hate* riding in the cold. I just can't stand it, I'm a baby when it comes to cold. But yesterday it was 40 out, so of course I jumped at the chance to ride. Having a brand new, hardly-ridden bike laying around helped. It was a great day for a ride; the rain had stopped, though it was still cloudy and wet everywhere, but the traffic seemed to be less. Maybe because it was midmorning on a Friday. Didn't see any other cyclers, and only one jogger. I gave him "the nod" but he acted as if I didn't exist. That's the problem with this city, or maybe all cities, but no one seems to want to acknowledge strangers. Maybe it was because he was old and I'm just a long haired, bearded "kid." It still really annoys me.
Anyways, the ride was going great, though I'm still babying the bike. See, there is a nice downhill on this one road that I love flying down, but because I'm still not used to the narrower "road" handlebars (I previously rode a hybrid), and because the downhill goes around a bend, and because it was wet, I didn't get as fast as I'd have liked to. Maybe next time.
One of the great things about getting out of the car and into the saddle is that you see so many new things. Even on the bike, and even on old routes, you still discover so many new things on each ride. Yesterday, it was that nature preserve I must have ridden past countless times without noticing. It's right on the Rouge River's main branch, a prairie-and-forest site called the Douglas-Evans Nature Preserve. I didn't stop long, but I did grab a flier out of the stand by the road, and plan to go back some time when it's warmer to take a better look. The great thing is that I'd probably have never seen the place if I'd been driving instead of riding.
The rest of the ride went better. Even though it was only 11 miles on relatively flat terrain, I learned something about myself. The first part of the ride is always harder. Of course, because I'm usually heading west, there's usually a headwind, but I think it just takes me a while to get warmed up, both physically and mentally. I find myself bitching to myself about how hard it is or how tired I am, but after a few miles, once I get into the ride, it's extremely pleasant. I think I'm psyching myself out, most of the time. Hey, as I said, I have mental problems. Wait, did I say that right?
Most people would think I'm especially crazy for the cross country tour. This is because I've not ever ridden any great distance in my life on a bike. But I'm in pretty good shape (could be better, cardiovascularly speaking), and I hear about old men on single speeds doing it. Surely a healthy 22 year old man with a decently geared bike can do it too. I have no reservations or fears about that. I think the biggest challenge for me will be mental. I'll be honest and say that I've lived a relatively sheltered life up till now. I've never done anything extrordinary, or even much out-of-the-ordinary. So I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit scared about throwing myself out upon the world with basically no safety net. But it also thrills the hell out of me, and I can't wait.
So, I try not to focus on that, and instead am working on getting in better shape. However, that's hard right now since I *hate* riding in the cold. I just can't stand it, I'm a baby when it comes to cold. But yesterday it was 40 out, so of course I jumped at the chance to ride. Having a brand new, hardly-ridden bike laying around helped. It was a great day for a ride; the rain had stopped, though it was still cloudy and wet everywhere, but the traffic seemed to be less. Maybe because it was midmorning on a Friday. Didn't see any other cyclers, and only one jogger. I gave him "the nod" but he acted as if I didn't exist. That's the problem with this city, or maybe all cities, but no one seems to want to acknowledge strangers. Maybe it was because he was old and I'm just a long haired, bearded "kid." It still really annoys me.
Anyways, the ride was going great, though I'm still babying the bike. See, there is a nice downhill on this one road that I love flying down, but because I'm still not used to the narrower "road" handlebars (I previously rode a hybrid), and because the downhill goes around a bend, and because it was wet, I didn't get as fast as I'd have liked to. Maybe next time.
One of the great things about getting out of the car and into the saddle is that you see so many new things. Even on the bike, and even on old routes, you still discover so many new things on each ride. Yesterday, it was that nature preserve I must have ridden past countless times without noticing. It's right on the Rouge River's main branch, a prairie-and-forest site called the Douglas-Evans Nature Preserve. I didn't stop long, but I did grab a flier out of the stand by the road, and plan to go back some time when it's warmer to take a better look. The great thing is that I'd probably have never seen the place if I'd been driving instead of riding.
The rest of the ride went better. Even though it was only 11 miles on relatively flat terrain, I learned something about myself. The first part of the ride is always harder. Of course, because I'm usually heading west, there's usually a headwind, but I think it just takes me a while to get warmed up, both physically and mentally. I find myself bitching to myself about how hard it is or how tired I am, but after a few miles, once I get into the ride, it's extremely pleasant. I think I'm psyching myself out, most of the time. Hey, as I said, I have mental problems. Wait, did I say that right?
posted by Brandon at 6:53 PM
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