So this post is a bit more boring than most will be. I will normally try to have pictures and stories but I decided to let you all in on my bike life. I ride my bike quite a bit. I've been commuting with my bike to work and school since we got married 3 1/2 years ago. It hasn't been a constant thing, but I've definitely saved us a lot of gas by riding my bike. I had been commuting with the bike I bought when I was 12 (or maybe 14, I can't remember which) but unfortunately it was stolen 2 years ago one night when I neglected to lock it up. I was pretty frustrated about that, especially since I had just fixed it up the week before. Anyway... I found a full suspension mountain bike for $15 that was in decent shape and I fixed it up as nice as I could without putting any money into it and I rode that for a year and a half. It was not a good commuter bike though. This bike weighs about 50 lbs or more and it has extra wide tires so everyday when I got to work I was always huffing and puffing, no matter how used to the ride I got. I finally went bike shopping this last fall and found a great bike at Target. It's a hybrid bike called the Schwinn Tourist. Basically, it's a lightweight mountain bike frame with thin road bike tires. I love it!
Since I have my new bike, I've actually decided that this year I'm going to bike a marathon, that is, 26.2 miles. If that ends up being a pretty easy and satisfying goal, then I will increase the mileage of my goal. My ultimate objective (as of yet) is to ride what's called a century (100 mile bike ride) sometime in the next few years. Pretty ambitious I know. But doesn't that just sound like an awesome accomplishment? Or maybe just crazy.
Every time the weather warms up for a day or two I'm outside riding my bike. What really got me excited was when I went on a 9 mile ride and it only took me 34 minutes! It was a killer workout but it pretty much rocked! I'm also excited because we're hoping to live with my parents for the summer before I start a doctoral program in the fall (I have an interview in South Dakota this weekend, so here's hoping I get in) and my dad has agreed to ride a marathon with me. Although he doesn't seem as excited about it as I do, I think he'll like training together. It'll be a lot of fun. So when you see cyclists out there, riding away into the sunset, think of me and my dad this summer, because we'll be doing that too.
This is Ryan. I've been commuting to school by bike the last couple of years too. Last summer I did a 45 mile bike ride by the Oregon coast. I think you'll find 26 miles easy enough. I just started a biking blog too. If you are ever in Oregon or Washington and want to do some biking let me know.
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