I have a new hobby. That’s right, I’m becoming a bicyclist.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
The fun started this weekend, when I stopped by my parents’ house and stuffed a bicycle into the trunk of my car. That was the first test: Could I actually manage to transport the bike to my new apartment?
It was touch and go. There were a few minutes where I thought I might have to abandon this pipe dream completely, but fear not, I managed to fit the bike in the car and drove back home, elated with my plans to bike across the MCT trails of Madison County.
And then I actually got home, and had to lug the bike up the stairs to my apartment, and was suddenly a lot less eager about it.
The next day, I was up bright and early. Yes, the stairs had put a damper on my excitement, but I was still too pumped to sleep. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I was on the precipice of something great, a new discovery.
I laced up my tennis shoes and hauled the bicycle back down the stairs, narrowly avoiding taking a chunk out of the drywall with a wayward handlebar. And then I was outside, in the parking lot, perched on top of my bicycle, ready for an adventure.
Why did I want to start bicycling? There’s not some great reason. I want to spend more time outside, and I want to work out more consistently. Now that I’ve moved, I’m closer to the MCT trails than ever before. Seemed like a great chance to get back on the bike.
I used to bicycle for miles when I was a teenager, going all over town and deep into the countryside, lowkey risking my life on some of those country roads. This was going to be my resurgence. I was like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a fresh beginning, a new spark to reignite my interest. I was ready.
Did I have a helmet on? Of course not! I forgot to buy one and was too excited to start biking to put it on pause. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS. Because, of course, as soon as I lifted up my feet and started down the steep slope of my apartment parking lot, I discovered that my brakes don’t work.
Granted, it’s an older bicycle. It’s been in storage for a few years. Should I have done a routine maintenance check before I hopped on? Yes, I should’ve.
I sailed. Truly like a phoenix, I flew. I held on for dear life.
And then I was on the trails, breeze blowing in my hair, and it was awesome. I saw things I’ve never seen before, routes I’ve never been on.
And the community! Fellow bikers gave me waves, murmured “hello” as we zoomed past each other. They were friendlier than they ever have been when I was walking the trails. Who knew there was a whole community of bicyclists out there, just waiting for me to join them?
I made the mistake of getting too excited, and the next thing I knew, I had biked seven miles on my first outing. Oops.
It was beautiful, but I’m definitely feeling the aftereffects of starting a new exercise with zero stretching or experience. No better way than just to start, right? But maybe next time I try something new, I’ll stick with a few less miles than that.
I also still need a helmet. And to fix my brakes. But after I do that, the world is my oyster. I’ll be biking all over Madison County, and I can’t wait.
Where should I bike at? Where are the best trails? Let me know. In the meantime, I’ll be figuring out how to manually repair brakes and trying my best to stay upright.
More like this:
