Bike trip
Last saturday, the 22nd I rode my bike from Rainier beach to Bothell. I have been wanting to bike around Lake Washington for quite some time snd this trip was a way of measuring the lake. I for years have had the notion that the lake was 56 miles long. This turns out to be wrong. It is only about 26 miles long. perhaps I doubled it long ago as an estimate of the length of the total circuit. It took me just about 2 1/2 hours to make it to Bothell, so the complete circuit should be an easy day.
Esay time wise, that is, my legs were abit rubbery by the time I got to Bothell and my butt is still sore. However, I got to Bothell 9:30 AM, so I'd have the rest of the day to do the other side.
My bike is a '65 Peugeot that I got in L.A. in '65. I no longer can reliably get to use the lowest 5 gears, but it seems to me that it is harder to flail up a steep hill in granny gear than it is to walk. Of course, it does seem kind of wimpy to not ride all the way, but then the Tour de France was going on all the time I was doing my little jaunt, so all things in proportion, wimpy is relative.
I'm thinking of giving it a name. My first car was Lucille and my amphibian is Gokwiis. Perhaps I'll call it "Fidelio"
Bike tips from Lance Headstrong:
Clothing Tip#1; The reason bikers wear those colorful tight fitting suits is because they are so in shape and so good looking that they make themselves look ridicolous as a courtesy, so you and I won't feel so bad when they go whizzing by like a blurred rainbow. You and I can wear normal clothing, so long as it isn't likely to get caught in the chain.
Clothing Tip #2 You might consider wearing a light, reversable shirt or jacket, bright red or orange on one side, and camoflage on the other. This way, you could wear it bright side out while pedalling and turn it inside out when pushing. This way, no one would know that you wimped out.
Clothing Tip#3 I like to wear a loose fitting shirt and leave it unbuttoned so that it flaps out behind like Superman's cape. This also has the benefit of announcing to aforementioned fast riders that you do not take all this very seriously, or that perhaps even that you are not completly compos mentis, and they will try to avoid you as they zoom by like popsicles on meth.
Esay time wise, that is, my legs were abit rubbery by the time I got to Bothell and my butt is still sore. However, I got to Bothell 9:30 AM, so I'd have the rest of the day to do the other side.
My bike is a '65 Peugeot that I got in L.A. in '65. I no longer can reliably get to use the lowest 5 gears, but it seems to me that it is harder to flail up a steep hill in granny gear than it is to walk. Of course, it does seem kind of wimpy to not ride all the way, but then the Tour de France was going on all the time I was doing my little jaunt, so all things in proportion, wimpy is relative.
I'm thinking of giving it a name. My first car was Lucille and my amphibian is Gokwiis. Perhaps I'll call it "Fidelio"
Bike tips from Lance Headstrong:
Clothing Tip#1; The reason bikers wear those colorful tight fitting suits is because they are so in shape and so good looking that they make themselves look ridicolous as a courtesy, so you and I won't feel so bad when they go whizzing by like a blurred rainbow. You and I can wear normal clothing, so long as it isn't likely to get caught in the chain.
Clothing Tip #2 You might consider wearing a light, reversable shirt or jacket, bright red or orange on one side, and camoflage on the other. This way, you could wear it bright side out while pedalling and turn it inside out when pushing. This way, no one would know that you wimped out.
Clothing Tip#3 I like to wear a loose fitting shirt and leave it unbuttoned so that it flaps out behind like Superman's cape. This also has the benefit of announcing to aforementioned fast riders that you do not take all this very seriously, or that perhaps even that you are not completly compos mentis, and they will try to avoid you as they zoom by like popsicles on meth.
posted by Lane Savant at 12:27 PM
1 Comments:
Good work! And thanks for the pointers on apropriate clothing... it's even possible that you've inspired me to get a bike and do my part to save a little of the ozone. After all, if a dude like you can walk up the hills, why can't I???
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