JimK:  Would you like to know what I’ve been doing? Well I’m going to tell you anyway. If you follow me on Twitter you probably already know, but I’ve been riding my fat ass off. Literally, one hopes.

My bike: Schwinn Sidewinder 2.6 FS All-Terrain Bike

A few weeks ago someone at my gym put an idea in my head that I could improve my fitness dramatically with a bicycle. I was already thinking about it for awhile, but this person helped me turn the corner from “Maybe” to “Oh! A bicycle would be awesome.”  Not having any real money, and also not knowing precisely what to buy, I went with what I know; mountain bikes from Cheaptown.  Walmart had this one on sale for $150, so I bit the bullet and grabbed it.

It’ll do for now. It’s certainly not the fastest bike. The stock tires are “hybrid” (allegedly) but far more mountain bike than road. Those are getting switched out this week for some slicks. I never get in the dirt anyway. The components are basic. The frame is built like a tank, but everything that attaches to the frame is cheap. I’m already wishing I could find a wallet with six or seven hundred dollars in it and a note that says “Dear Jim, please buy a nice hybrid with road tires and some Deore components on the drivetrain.”  Until then, I’m gonna ride this bike into the ground.

At the lot near Quinnipiac. I use this as a 7.5 mile turnaround from my house

I upgraded a few things: A saddle that fits my fat ass (although I’m not thrilled with this one, it’s better than the stock, that one hurt me badly. I’m looking at this or this as possible replacements). I got a short-travel shock-absorbing seat post, and a taller adjustable stem so I can set it based on what i want to do: up tall and close for cruising, lower and forward for serious riding. Some day when i have another, nicer bike I will set this one up as a pure cruiser. If it lives that long…some bits are already rusting. I’ve only been in the rain twice. Cheap, yo. Cheap. But it rolls when I push the pedals.  Which I also upgraded to Wellgo “Curb Dog” pedals and added some Delta strapless toe clips. My legs hurt so much less after hills and my feet stay on the pedals now.

Gadgetry is limited for now. I have this basic, cheap Schwinn bike computer. It gives me the numbers I need to plug into the stat tracker. For night riding I have this Blackburn Quadrant headlight, which is useful for being seen by cars, but useless to actually see the ground in front of you. In the back I have the Blackburn Mars taillight. That things is amazingly bright and attention-getting. Happy with that. Of course I lust for better gadgetry. I want this Garmin Edge 305 and this NiteRider Minewt light so I can actually see the road at night, but having the cash to buy them is forever a problem.

For carrying crap,I slapped a Topeak Explorer rack on there, and paired that up with the Topeak MTX Trunk Bag EX. I can carry a ton of crap in there, and Topeak sells even bigger bags if I should ever need one. Love that slide & lock thing they have…I drop everything in the bag, park it at the gym, lock it up and slide the bag off and go. Nothing left behind to get stolen except my cheap Walmart bike.

More detailed ride stats

My bike at the Farmington Canal Lock 12 Museum. This is the current setup as I rode it yesterday.

If you had told me a month ago that i would be obsessed with cycling, and that I could ride 25 miles in a single session I would have laughed in your face. Now? I am looking forward to the day when I can do two 25 miles sessions in one day. I love having this convenient bike path that gives me access to maybe 16-18 miles of perfectly safe, semi-challenging rides without fighting traffic. I love the whole Zen thing of being up on the bike, moving at a speed you could never reach on your own feet, and yet you are providing the power for the movement. Outside of jumping out of a plane or off a bridge, this is as close to flying as we humans can get.  I love the fact that you can become hyper-alert to your surroundings (and you kind of have to be) and yet reach this weird blank mindset where all you are thinking about is the ride, and the miles and the bike and the road in front of you. If I lived in a more temperate climate where you could ride year-round I probably wouldn’t even bother with a gym. I’d just get a few weights and ride, ride ride. I love it, and I had no idea it was going to affect me this much. It’s as much a mental escape as it is physical exercise.

My friend Gnat is a god-damned cycling monster, and I don’t tell her often (and I should), but a bit of an inspiration for me. When I read this post of hers...I wasn’t put off, or scared, or filled with disbelief that I could ever do such a thing. I wanted to try it. I want to get there, where I can say I rode 200 fucking miles in a single day, using nothing but my body and a bicycle to do it. I’ve already done a few searches for local organized rides and lo and behold, there’s a Century ride planned for New Haven on June 28. Now, there is little hope I could reach 100 miles over mixed terrain by then, but there are 45 and 62 mile chunks marked out as well. I think I could do 45. And hey, if I can’t, then I stop, right? I can always ride more the next day.

I would like to know who I am and what I did with the lazy bastard I really am. I’m still pretty amazed at how much I love this cycling thing. And now you know one reason I have completely and utterly ignored MoA lately, which I will rectify…I just got really excited about this and stopped doing almost anything else.

The danger: Donna also got a bike, a Diamondback Serene Citi. And she promptly fell off of it:

Donna in the ER after her crash

WEAR A HELMET. She fell doing 6 miles an hour, turned into a curb and landed half on grass, half on a sidewalk. She stiff-armed to break her fall, but smashed her head into the concrete. Her face and skull hit the sidewalk flat, like when you slap your hand down. The helmet and glasses were the only reason she’s mostly okay now. WEAR A HELMET. No matter how slow you are going, a helmet is necessary. You can do severe damage to yourself at very low speeds.

Luckily Donna did not break anything, but she has a little Post-Concussion Syndrome that is clearing up as the days progress. Her brain was not severely injured, nor was her neck hurt (the c-collar was a precaution due to whiplash). The ER scanned everything and she’s mostly just REALLY bruised and banged up, although her wrist an elbow need looking at by a specialist. Moral of the story; WEAR A HELMET. And gloves. They help. Buy a good helmet. Don’t cheap out on protecting your brain. WEAR A HELMET. And for God’s sake if you have kids never EVER let them ride without one. Even teens. Make them wear a helmet. And if you crash and hit your head, go the the ER. Better to have a big bill than a bleeding brain.

By the way: the wind in your hair only gets it messy and full of bugs. Wear a helmet. Did I mention the helmet?

Rocking the mushroom head like a fucking fashion model. What. Up.

WEAR A HELMET.