I Ride Bikes

I’m a cyclist.

I’ve been a cyclist for around 15 years. I rode as a kid before that, but it wasn’t as serious as it is now. I started cycling as an adult to improve my health and fitness.

My health story is unique.

I was healthy and skinny as a kid and then got bigger and unhealthy as an adult. I smoked multiple packs of cigarettes a day, drank alcohol on a daily basis, ate nothing but fast food, and didn’t do any form of exercise. I wanted to get healthier but hated the gym, tried out cycling fell in love, and it changed my life for the better.

Cycling led me to hiking and really saved my life in many ways.

I started out as a road cyclist, but as cell phones became better, I got way more nervous about road biking and usually only did it on organized rides. I hated mountain biking when I first tried it because I was fat, and now I love it, but I’m in better shape. I got a gravel bike a few years ago, and now it’s my go-to bike that I love riding the most.

I usually ride about 20 to 100 miles a week, depending on the weather and my schedule.

If I only get 20 miles in, it’s okay. I still go hiking every weekend. And now I’m running a few days a week while I train for a half-marathon trail run in August.

My next bike will likely be an eBike, but hopefully not for a long time.

I say that because the eBike is a plan for when I can no longer ride a regular bike. If I get too old and start to hurt while riding a regular bike, then I’ll move to an electronic-assist bike so that I can keep going. I’ve tried eBikes, and they’re fun, but as long as I can, I’m sticking to a regular bike.

I’ll end this post by saying that I used to be so into cycling that, at one time, I had more cycling kits (jerseys and bib shorts) than regular clothes!