juldea | bicycle day 1

I didn't intend to, but I rode almost 10 miles today! (According to gmap-pedometer.com - thank you

anitra for introducing me to it.) I rode from my house to the Cambridgeside Galleria, where I had an eye exam, and shopped a little for glasses and other things. While there I got a call from

siderea and set up a time to meet her in Davis Square a little later, so I rode there. At some point there I realized that one of my purchases from the mall had fallen out of my tote bag along the way (follow the saga of asking the b0st0n LJ community to find my underwear here.) siderea and I had dinner at Boston Burger Company (excellent), and then I retraced part of my route back through Inman Square before giving up and returning home.

My butt hurts. I'm not certain if I will end up needing a new seat, or if I just wasn't used to it and rode 10 miles on it! My knees and back are a little sore, but only a slight bit. I'm fairly certain I still need to adjust the seat height a little higher, even if it means more discomfort when stopped. Camberville is hilly and I change gears a lot, but the gears available on my bike are good for this and my ride is comfortable! All of which add up to A+++, will ride again. Maybe to work tomorrow, unless my butt is bruised.

Also, endorphins are a nice thing, and I hope you all support my getting hooked on them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Adjusting: The seat should be high enough so that your knee is just slightly bent when the pedal is all the way at the bottom. Yeah, it's more uncomfortable when you stop, but far better when you're biking. :)

Also, if you start using the bike for transportation a lot, you should get a rack, and possibly a rack-mounted bag (pannier). I really like the one I have from Arkel. It's definitely worth the money.

Re: the seat height. I know how it should be to be comfortable while riding, and it's not that high. The problem is, right now when I'm stopped, I'm already on tiptoes. If I adjust the seat higher, I will not be able to stop without actually getting off the seat. This makes me grumpy. I asked about getting longer stems on my pedals (which would extend my leg more without raising the seat) but apparently it can't be done. Ah well.

Panniers are on the eventual list of things to get if I keep riding, and especially if I start commuting. Baby steps first!

Your butt will hurt until your muscles adjust. Fwiw, I didn't bike Jan-Mar, and my butt only hurt the first week getting back on this year.

A new (women's) seat can run you $30+ (mine cost $50) but is totally worth it when you're sure the biking makes you happy. You can always move it to a new bike later. If needed. ;)

Also, you may find an odometer rewarding; God knows I love mine. :)

Well, I rode more today and my butt is fine, so we'll see. Also, argh, can we get some nice weather for longer than a few hours? :P

You will be a size 0 in no time! Good thing I believe you still live close by some wonderful eats correct? ;)

I don't know about a size 0 - I need to hit 10 first, that's a closer and more realistic goal. ;) And yes, I still live between the pie shop and the thai restaurant... om nom nom.

I started riding to work this morning (house sitting back in CT, down the road from camp.)

Apparently, rode about a mile more than I thought. I had clocked it at 4 miles one-way in my car, but gmap said it was a little over 4.5.

On another note - I gave my canoeing assistant "what to do if I suffer from a heart attack on the lake" instructions this morning... it's been almost a year since I've been on my bike, or really exerting myself at all :(

bicycle day 1

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thanks for the link