(no subject)

[sorcyress]

Tonight was several things, including the first time I went out on my bike because I Needed to, as opposed to just wanted to, or practical reasons. It was the first time I rode in the dark, the first time I rode on Mass Ave, the first time I rode for more than an hour without locking up (I think I was out for a little over an hour and a half total, with only a ten minute rest near the end to eat some sanity candy and listen to Vienna Teng.)

(It was also the first time I brought Jackie¹ on a bike ride, and I think it worked fairly well. At some point I should create a bike playlist, eventually. It's nice to listen to the city though, too.)

I went about six miles total, maybe a little less, which means that I was riding slightly slower than optimal (optimal is six miles an hour, or one mile every ten minutes --I can walk at about one mile every 15-20 minutes) but I certainly wasn't rushing, and while I didn't have any serious stops (ie, ones where I got off the bike long enough to lock it) there were a couple of mini-stops (fireworks!) involved. So that was nice.

I am certainly enjoying the hell out of the bike, and very glad I have it. I'm debating riding it to MICE tomorrow (or better yet, to MICE by way of FluffFest) but I'm slightly intimidated by the idea of riding on Mass Ave during the day, and four miles seems slightly scary when I really still haven't determined for certain the correct way to be sitting on my bike². Plus, I'm definitely riding the bike (which needs a name --I am leaning towards Salander³ or Balliet⁴) to Spookidelica tomorrow, and perhaps randomly a bit after, so that's a bit formidable, even if Davis is, you know. Right there.

(In case it wasn't obvious, my goal is to get in a bike ride a day. Wednesday I rode to Wheelworks, then up Highland to Hub Comics and Union Square, and down Kirkland (which has my favourite bit of biking in the whole city so far, and I've ridden it every day --a perfect hill, not too steep, for gliding down with your arms spread wide) and Oxford to home, and Thursday I rode Oxford to Kirkland through Union to Somerville Ave and the Target, and back again the same way. Today I went Somerville to Kirkland to Beacon to Somerville/Elm to...Davis, and whichever street next to Davis goes the right direction, to the xkcd playground (which involved Mass Ave, v. scary) back up to Porter Exchange (or right across anyways) and home. It's nice to explore, and I'm starting to maybe learn street names a little better.)

SOYES, bike. Bike is awesome, and I'm very fond of it, and going to take it out again in about fifteen minutes, because I'm a bit of an idiot. At least I'm cute, no?

~Sor
MOOP!

1: Jacqueline Hyde, more often known as Jackie, is my ipod. I love her dearly.

2: I've actually mostly got it figured out, which is to say Wednesday I got off the bike and realized I had practically bruised fragile bits of me, which was so very not a good plan. Thursday I figured out a more proper way to sit, pretty much as a survival instinct. Currently, I think I've about got it, though I'd love if my handlebars were about four inches higher and two or three inches closer to me, so I could actually sit up straight on my bike.

3: Last name of the protagonist of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, etc. Has all the freedom she could need in the world, which appeals to me --before I got the bike, I was thinking about naming her this (or Lisbeth), now that I have the bike, I'm not as positive that the name fits.

4: Blue Balliet wrote Chasing Vermeer and The Wright 3, both of which I finally read this summer. Mostly just because my bike is very very blue, and the name has some flow to it. Would feel a bit weird about naming my bike for a real person though, especially one I don't have a particular affinity for.

Hmmm, though going off the books I read recently theme...gosh, I honestly think that Blaise would be a lovely name for her, especially as she appears to be entirely ill-suited to her purpose (she's a mountain bike, for city riding) much like Modesty herself does⁵. I don't know that the bike is near fashionable enough for this, but maybe I can do something about that.

5: Modesty is somewhat slim, and unlikely to be thought of as someone who will Fuck You Up if you cross her. She regularly beats the tar out of much larger and broader men. I want to be her when I grow up so very very badly (though I'd settle for being Willie Garvin's granddaughter.)

Comments

[nurrynur.livejournal.com]

"I'd love if my handlebars were about four inches higher and two or three inches closer to me, so I could actually sit up straight on my bike"

This is a problem for me too. One way to accomplish this is to get a bike with a shorter top (frame) tube.

One of the bike stores should be able to help you with making the handlebars sit higher, unless they're already as high up as they go (but I think there might be extender thingies?). They should have a knowledgeable person there who will get you to hop up on your bike, then fiddle with various things. You could also try adjusting the seat angle.

You could also try lowering your seat slightly - you won't be able to use as much leg power that way, but it might be a good tradeoff if it lets you bike longer (distance, time too) more comfortably.

[vtladyhawke.livejournal.com]

Re: sitting properly on the bike, I'm going to quote my spin-class instructor for you: "Shoulders down, knees in, butt back, chest out, and heels down." I've found this to be the most biomechanically effective posture, whether it's on the road or in class.

Also, when you're going up hills and find the need to stand, it helps to shift your body weight ever so slightly over the leg that's pushing down. However, when standing, you should try to remember to keep your hips and heels in line.

Bicycling's a wonderful activity...pretty soon you'll be wearing the silly outfits a la Lance Armstrong (which do serve a specific purpose, btw.)

Any questions, don't hesitate to give me a shout. :)

[vtladyhawke.livejournal.com]

OH, one other thing. Take your shiny new bike to the local bicycle shop and make sure that the seat and handlebars are adjusted properly for your height, and maybe have them do a once-over on the gears and componetry just to make sure everything's in good working order. :)

[whimmydiddle.livejournal.com]

Please tell me you wear a helmet. And if you're riding in the dark, lights front and back.

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

Of course I do! I had the bike for two whole days where I couldn't take it out, which was just torture, because I hadn't gotten a helmet yet!

And yes, lights front and back. :)

~Sor

[whimmydiddle.livejournal.com]

Good on ya.

lonebear's reply made me re-read, & I found this:

> It's nice to listen to the city

It's not just nice, it's life preserving.

[lonebear.livejournal.com]

And not wearing headphones.

[harena.livejournal.com]

i need to get my handlebars raised 'cause i feel like i'm bending over too much as well. i would not recommend lowering your seat 'cause when mine wasn't tightened enough and it would gradually lower itself, the less leg power/efficiency i got from it made me feel like an out of shape geezer (okay, so i am an out of shape geezer, but still!) and it was horribly depressing (and exhausting).

Butyeah, again, the bikeshop thingy (which i still need to do myself; my once shiny brand new bicycle is badly in the need for a tuneup (yes, bikes need those too!) and a proper gear/chain oiling.) *nod*

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

I miss riding my bike this year. It was too hot for me to do much earlier in the year and now my legs hit the bottom of my belly. :s Last year I put Delia in the trailer and took the bike for a lot of my errands. It was nice.

I have an old Schwinn, by the way. Her name is Dotty.

[whimmydiddle.livejournal.com]

Nice name!

[sonsashi.livejournal.com]

Most of your tuning up needs can be done quite easily and cheaply on your own. Just do some looking around on the internet and check out http://www.sheldonbrown.com/ for all of your biking needs. It pretty much has all of the information you'll ever need for bicycles. Anything you can't figure out, feel free to ask me, as I have a pretty good knowledge base so far.

Also, I recommend letting yourself be able to hear the environment around you, especially in the city. Cars are a big reason there. It really helps to be able to hear them and react to them.

Make sure to essentially act as a car. Be on the right side of the road, stop for stop lights, and at least look both ways before going through a stop sign. Don't go onto sidewalks unless you start walking. Also be wary of opening car doors.

I'm glad to hear you're getting into cycling!

[werewulf.livejournal.com]

And of course, next time you're in Columbia...

Because I am me, I have several extremely good books about bike repair. You could take one of those and practice. The best feeling in the world is taking your bike apart repeatedly and putting it back together. Makes you feel like you really understand it!