Bike Riding for Exercise and Pleasure

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

07 May 2007 12:15 PM

I mentioned a week or so ago that I finally got my bike. A friend sold it to me for just fifteen dollars. The bike was in great shape, but we took it to a bike shop for maintenance anyway. My husband picked it up from the shop on Saturday. The brakes are primed, the chain is clean and reset and the wheels are aligned correctly. I was excited to have the bike sitting here in my garage.

Stomach Flu and Plans

My daughter came down with a bout of stomach flu late on Friday and she spent most of Saturday trying to recover. She could eat little more than some saltine crackers and 7-Up. We postponed our Saturday ride while we waited for her to feel better. Yesterday morning, I took my bike out for a spin.

I can hardly describe the feeling of wonder as I rode down the bike paths and around the block a few times. We often describe the ease of reusing an old skill as being like riding a bike. Yet riding a bike is more than just the ease of regaining a skill. It's a challenge to remind your muscles to move in that direction while the wind blows through your hair and across your face.

Riding is Like Dreaming

When you are riding a bike, it's a lot like racing through a dream. It's an incredible feeling. Your heart and legs pump hard as you climb hills and then your heart races with you as you come down them. When my daughter was up later, she wanted to go out tooling around on her bike as well. We rode a short mile and came home, she got the biggest kick out of the fact that Mommy could ride along with her.

It was just plain fun.

We have just a couple of weeks left for school and we're going to ride our bikes every day to school that we can. This summer, I've already promised her that on days when the weather permits, we'll get up early and head out for a bike ride. It's a great way for us to spend time together and to get exercise.

I love having a bike.

Do you enjoy riding your bike?

Related Articles:

How to Get Started ... Running

Urban Runner's Tips

Five for Fitness: Tuesday, September 5

Cycling Outside: Like it? Love it? How to do it?

Cycle Away to Nowhere

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger