When I got home from work tonight I decided to do something I haven’t done for quite a long time. I decided to go for a ride on my mountain bike.
Once I got on all my riding gear (special pants with cushy rear, bike shoes, helmet), I went to grab my bike. I quickly found that since I hadn’t ridden my bike basically all year, both tires were flat.
photo credit: Arria Belli
I got out my little pump to put some air in the tires. Little did I know when I decided to go biking that I was going to get an entire workout before I even got on the bike! I started pumping, and pumping and pumping. About 10-15 minutes later the tires were full of air – finally! My arms were quite tired.
After the tires were fully inflated i threw the bike in the car and headed down to the mountain bike trails on the Minnesota River a couple miles from where I live.
I jumped on the bike, and headed down the trail. And then I noticed it. My back wheel was wobbling. Not good. I decided to continue riding anyway. I made it to the dirt trail, and headed down it at full speed. There’s nothing quite like heading down a dirt trail with trees on either side of you, inches from stopping you dead in your tracks. It’s quite a thrill, and I never get tired of it. Actually I do remember one time when I caught my handlebars on a tree branch and went flying. That wasn’t fun – so actually – its a thrill when you don’t crash.
I continued on down the trail weaving in and out of the trees, through tall grasses and over little wooden bridges. It’s been a while since I’ve been biking, but since I’ve been running so much lately I wasn’t as out of breath as I expected to be.
The sun was nearing the horizon at this point, so I started heading back. I made it back to my car just as the sun set in front of me. Not a bad ride – and a good workout. I probably biked about 10 miles in all, going hard the whole time. Now I just have to get that back wheel checked out.
I have got to ride my bike more!
Age: 33
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
That’s it. My bike comes off the wall!
Andrew is getting fits last blog post..My magic mile
It’s amazing how you forget how much you enjoy doing something when you haven’t done it in a while. And then you do it and it’s like love at first sight again.
Dig the pics man!
Carl Martenss last blog post..Tire Pressure: Something to Pay Attention To
There is nothing like exercising in the outdoors. What a great way to leave all the stress behind and reawaken yourself. Mother Nature at her best!