It’s an interesting question to ponder on this the last day of the month. Plus there are scores of ads and spam and political posts using the, “No Tricks, Only Treats” sort of wording. Why not grab that as a question for my blog post today.
People in my life seem to think that if I’m not doing 20 miles a day, it’s not biking. Oh, no, wait, that’s my inner dialogue judging my own self. Sorry. I get the two confused sometimes. I don’t think anyone really cares about consecutive days of cycling, but I do and that’s really all that matters. I am not sure when the streak will cease, but I’m at 820 days and it has become a marker for me of perseverance and commitment to the extent that it’s maybe the one tiny thing I can control a teeny tiny bit.
Yesterday is a case in point. I was tired and it has been raining with such determination for the last several days that my mammal instincts are to burrow in and read my books and kick this streak to the curb and begin to winter.
I saw a tiny break and got all the rain gear on and the boots and the everything and was just about to go and it started up again as if someone (Mother Nature) was watching and waiting for me. Ah, yes, fine, whatever, I thought. I’m going and you can’t stop me. There was sun to the east and rain overhead and a very intimidating group of clouds ready to bully me back into the garage, but instead I went out. Under 2 miles. Yeah, not my finest moment, but I went out and rode in the neighborhood and assessed the layers I put on and decided I would need another warmer layer under the two layers to adequately ride longer.
But I rode when I could have not. I rode when I could have sat and nested. I rode and it felt good to have ridden. I quieted the poopoo head voice in my head that says I can’t when I can. I confronted the negative with movement and I forged onward. Some days that’s all you can do whether it’s a consecutive day of cycling or not.
At least that’s what I tell myself. I think a streak can be both trick and treat. 🎃 What do you think?
My 365th consecutive day of cycling is today. I’m not stopping or taking a day off. I’m planning to continue the streak until I can’t for some reason. Here are some of the questions I’ve been asked the most while cycling my streak.
Has it been hard? Not terribly, no. At first I was recovering from surgery on my heel and my streak was broken in July 2024 because doctor’s orders. Then it was hard to remember that I was setting a schedule to ride in the summer when usually I wouldn’t be commuting to work anyway, so setting new routines was challenging for a month or so.
The most challenging aspect of riding consecutive days is traveling and there’s bicycle uncertainty. Can I get a bike in a 24 hour period? While it only happened twice in 365 days, first in April when we were taking the Amtrak to and from Vancouver, B.C., and we had to clear customs at the Canadian border near Seattle. I was counting on a ride when we got home but also knew it would be late, so I was full of anxiety over how this would play out. Seize the cycle is the best way to handle it. You make the most of an opportunity. We ended up having a layover in Seattle at King Station so I rented a Lime ride and it all worked out as if I’d planned it.
The second time was a few weeks ago. We took a trip on the Columbia and Willamette rivers on our sailboat. I brought my Brompton onboard. My husband tied down the bike at the stern and when we docked we’d unload it and I could pedal around the city. It requires the tiniest bit of planning, but completely worth it.
Did it get boring? Absolutely not. I love riding and even though I was mostly riding in my area, it’s a treat to see how many different ways you can get from point A to B. Plus I didn’t have to commute to work so I could break the route to and from and just go, go, go. There are a few decent climbs by my house and now I can say without hesitation that I don’t mind them now, much. Since going to and from some of my trusty routes I must go down the hill, then I’ll have to come up said hill again later. a portion of the hill is has a 10% grade and you know it’s just before a stoplight and traffic to the north and south and you feel vulnerable and hidden and it’s hard. I don’t love the main hill on days when the sun is a broiler and the pavement is so hot you can hear your tires sizzle. But I got over it or planned it so I wasn’t doing the climb in the heat of the day.
Do you have a favorite route? Not really. I’m not bound to a commuting route like when I was working, so I just go. I go wherever I want and try different routes and explore. I am reminded that this is exactly how I rode my bike as a youngster. I’d wander and see what was around the bend. Just riding. It’s less about the miles and pushing myself than it is the consistency of riding every single day. I did make a point of documenting it with photos along the route. It was part of the journey to find a good backdrop for my bike to pose.
Did you set a minimum number of miles every day? I get this question the most. I wanted to ride every day for the pure joy of it. Going from commuting 22 miles a day, 4-5 days a week to potentially nothing because I don’t have to commute any longer could have been the end of my riding. I could have turned my bike life into a hobby and less of a daily obsession. I didn’t want that to be the case. I wanted to ride just for the satisfaction of riding. The challenge of doing the thing every single day and not so much for miles. I didn’t wanted to overthink anything related to my bike life. Sure, maybe by the time I was 6 months into it I’d shoot for at least 30 minutes or 5-10 miles, but I also embraced the Grant Peterson cycle philosophy and showed up for my ride. Anything else is frosting. Old habits die hard is a cliché for a reason and it challenging to silence your inner critic and not let the commuting habit boss you around. Whoever coined the phrase “Follow your bliss” had to be a cyclist. The feel of my legs moving and my eyes taking in all that is around me is exactly what draws me to cycling. It feels amazing!
Did you participate in any group rides? Nope. There was a time for that in my life, but I prefer solo riding. I wouldn’t rule it out but no, I did not participate in any organized rides in the 360+ days of riding.
Did you use an eBike? Me-power versus e-power is interesting to ponder. I have nothing to prove and I have bikes because I’m a cyclist! I did occasionally use my eBike. My 2012 Kona mixte was my primary ride. It’s not one OR the other, it’s both. There are some days I didn’t have the legs to deal with hills or heat or rain and it was safer to eBike, so I went electric. It kept me in the saddle where I might not have had the me-power to ride. I also used my Brompton (foldy bike) because it’s easy to take on and off train or bus. This always makes me think of the iconic line about having more insurance coverage in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes”. The character Evelyn Couch, played by Kathy Bates utters the line, “Face it, girls, I’m older and I have more bikes!” She actually says insurance. She has more insurance. I have bikes and for the first time in my life I can ride whatever I want. Evelyn agrees!
Why? Or as my husband says, “You keep telling me why, but I don’t understand it!” It is a good basic question and while I could quote the phrase “because it is there” which is a famous quote attributed to George Mallory, a British climber who perished on Mount Everest in 1924. That quote certainly encapsulates the inherent human drive to explore and conquer challenges, particularly in the face of formidable natural obstacles like mountains, or biking up 10% grade hills.
I don’t have a therapist, but I guess if I was on the couch and talking about the why of my riding, I’d say it’s one of those things I can do. It all started in gym class when I was a wee lass and I couldn’t climb the rope or was told I’m not good at sports. I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m not a runner and I’m not a lot of things that physically fit people look like they are. I am not slight of build and I have been told, “You don’t look like a cyclist,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. Simply put, I wanted to see if I could. I was inspired to do so by a cyclist in Toronto. An added benefit is that my legs are toned. My gastrocnemius muscle, both the medial and lateral are defined in a way I envied on “serious cyclists.” Just the other day I sort of noticed this definition on my own legs and I really wanted to set up a photo shoot because for the first time it’s defined enough for me to say Hello!!Legs by cycling. If you follow this blog, you know I’m not one to have a gym membership and I don’t run and while I do enjoy swimming, that’s not my thing either. I ride my bike.
One comment from a Strava follower was “You must be so strong after this experience.” I do feel good and I want to hold on to that zeal of just doing the do and riding as much as I can for as long as I can.
What’s next? I’ll keep on doing what I do. Getting out there and riding my bike! I wish the same for you.
Thanks for reading and get out there and ride your bike. Tomorrow will be day 366!
Today will mark 164 consecutive days of riding my bike. On Thursday, August 8th of 2024 I started the streak. I would have more but I missed a week recovering from surgery on my left foot to remove a cyst on my heel. I was bummed, but that’s how it goes. Streaks are interesting in that you don’t always consciously know you’re in a streak until you think about it or someone points out that you’re consistently doing something.
While it did start in August, I was inspired by a cyclist I saw on Threads. Now I don’t see said cyclist post on Threads as much (or at all as of today), but in late November he was at 1552 days of cycling. He always says, “riding bikes every day until I can’t for some reason, day 1552.” He would post an amazing photo of his bike with some amazing angle and I thought, “I love this. I wanna see if I could do this.”
I love it and while I am far, far away from his total…all I can do is get out there and ride. The streak days stack up and here I am thinking of the day ahead, not the thousand days ahead.There is something pretty basic about staying grounded in there here and now.
With temps below freezing lately, it’s definitely a challenge but I’ve been doing the DO and getting it done. Frankly, it’s been a refreshing change of pace from my old commuting days and I think I’m riding better, harder and with more confidence.
What were my old commuting days, you wonder? I rode my bike to and from work most days of the week during the school year. That means I’d often take the weekend or holidays off since I didn’t have to go to work. Also a great scenario but since I retired/graduated from work to my own thing I wondered how my cycling habits would change since I didn’t HAVE to get up and ride to and from during the week.
Liberating is what it is! I can wait out the rain or the wind gusts and pick the time of day to get out there and ride. It’s like the hearing the angels sweetly sing because I have choice and I still choose to ride. Now back to the streak. while it is about the numbers, it is also about the rhythm, the routine, and the joy of showing up for myself, day after day. Showing up for me, myself and I, alone.
I’ve learned I love cycling from a place in my soul that goes beyond anything I ever thought about. I feel I have GOT to ride every day. It sounds corny, but it is my thing. The feel of the bike and the rolling wheels and dance of time through space while I move with the machine to get to places far and near is magical. I mean even with and against traffic and distracted drivers and all the hullabaloo, it’s still so wonderful and feels like an accomplishment. I love it even more when it’s cycling to cycle and not to commute. With a cycling streak, it’s a magnificent reminder when you’re in the moment and you love the moment so much that you decide to be intentional and conscious of the moments and crochet them together to make yourself stronger of both body and mind.
Like the Threads cyclist, I take a photo (most of the time) of my bike in some unusual spot with a cool backdrop to mark the moment and then I continue my ride and post about it later. Many times I post on Strava and Instagram but lately since all the Socials seems to be in such flux and decisions about whether to stay or go are paralyzing, I am making note of them in my phone on the caption for the photo. I don’t post about it every day but I’ve been hoping to revive my Blog and also take some time to share more about my bikey ways here and on YouTube in the coming months. If you’re interested, please follow along.
1550 days from today is Wednesday, April 18, 2029 and what I hope is that I’m still cycling and streaking, but let’s be honest, who know what tomorrow brings. All we have is the here and now and I plan to get out there and ride. I gotta keep the streak going.
What I’ve learned is that this streak is mine and I’m working to stay in the saddle and doing the do. It feels like fist-pumping-crossing-my-own-finish-line every single day. That’s what I’ve learned.
Thanks for reading and riding and I hope you too get out there and ride your bike.
The sky looks like Milk of Magnesia and I’m not impressed with the forecast for the day. Not raining does not mean sun. There isn’t rain today but I did experience a brief misting. There is snow in the forecast for Wednesday, but for now it’s just dull.
I won’t say how stunned I am about how quickly this month is passing. I won’t drone on about the fickleness of the weather. I won’t invoke the various frustrations I’m having with the morning temperatures which hover in the high 20s and only climb to the mid 30s. I’ll reject the notion that spring is in the air, because it’s not. The gardening shops are putting out the pansies and it’s all I can do to resist the urge to buy them to brighten up the yard, but the fact is that there’s still frost on the roads and rooftops in the morning and I’m going to stay firm in my commitment to waiting. I’m here to announce that I’m trying to keep a steady cadence in life and I’m overjoyed that Monday is a holiday.
Holly Berry, my newest bike, is simply lovely and I enjoy taking her on rides she hasn’t been on yet. Today we went to the waterfront and looked at how the Milk of Magnesia sky met the gunmetal gray of the Columbia River and I enjoyed looking at her candy apple red frame against the backdrop of winter dull. She’s gleeful in a sea of dullness.
Icing on the paths.
Last week I decided to ride in spite of the weather. I didn’t care if it was icy, I was going to give it a go and commute anyway. We had a late start on Tuesday because there was a bit of a dusting of snow at higher elevations but since school started 2 hours later I figured it would be okay. I’m glad I did so at least I have a sense of what it looks like when I ride in those conditions but I don’t know if I would do that again. Probably I would but I hopped up onto the sidewalk at several points on my commute since the bike paths were icy.
Frosty sunrise commute.
Why do you do it? People ask me that all the time. They cite various issues, like safety and time and of course the unpredictable weather. I guess I do it because it’s beautiful to see how nature works and behold with my own eyes how spectacular it all is. That and bragging rights! There are things about commuting that people often say seem dull. I don’t really get that because I can’t fathom commuting by car. While it is a challenge some days to get in gear and ride, I’d much prefer that to the alternative. I get to witness the sunrise and sunset and the birds and the blooming of everything. It’s like having a front row seat to a performance and sometimes it’s beyond awesome.
God rays and the ride home.
Winter is long and cold and sometimes it feels like it will never be over. I often remind myself in a commute that the seasons will change and to settle in and enjoy the moment I’m in. It’s not easy but when you breathe in that cold air and open your eyes wide you can see that it’s pretty special to just be in it all.
Wherever you are in the world and with whatever the season, I hope you’re doing well and enjoying the ride.
Thanks for reading! Get out there and ride your bike
How many miles does it take for you to know you have the right bike? I was thinking about that today when I took the adorable Brompton out for a ride. I always figured she’d be *just* the travel bike, but that’s silly because she’s such a wonder of engineering and she rides like a goat eats grass. She’s efficient and sturdy and she can go places other bikes can’t. I have hit the mark where my Brompton, (I call her Katniss) has 200 miles and I’m thrilled I have this marvel of a bike.
It took less than 200 miles to discover her talents. Today she seemed to be calling to me to take her on a trail not too far from my home. It’s wooded and rife with nooks and crannies that are fun to explore. It follows a creek and there are a few bridges to cross and it’s enchanting because there are grasslands and glens and city neighborhoods all around you.
Grasslands and glens abound on the Burnt Bridge Trail.
With its low center of gravity I feel nimble and quick on my Brompton, like Michael Flatley Lord of the Dance on wheels. I didn’t think I’d go on the trail today. I was riding around and then I went down a hill and knew I was close to the trail so I meandered about like I was looking for my glasses in the dark and found an entrance I’ve never used before. A little more and a bit more still and then I was on the trail and I kept going. The bike felt amazing. The ride felt solid and commanding. Note that I ditched both the saddle it came with and the Brooks Cambium for a Specialized saddle and all is well in the nether regions. I say this because saddles always need a few more miles of testing than bike frames require. Sometimes you have to try a few to find the right fit for your tushie. Here’s a link to the one I really like right now. The picture makes it look rather wide yet notice it on my bike. I love this one and have put this saddle on three bikes.
This is the right saddle for some BUT, not for me. I’ve had it for years but still my bum doesn’t love it.
Recently I had the rear rack added plus bigger wheels on the rack for when I take her into a store. At 200 miles I feel like my Bromptie is ready for anything. I do have a few bikes in my life because I love bikes and cycling. I don’t want to limit the Brompton to travel only so I was riding and wondering about commuting to work with my Brompton. People do it. I don’t know about that yet because I haven’t tried it. I hear people travel the world with their Bromptons and while I can’t do that quite yet I can say that she’s capable of any trips, even if it’s to the store or work.
New rack and wheels on the rack.
I’m happy to have a Brompton in the fleet and I’d tell anyone who’s thinking of getting one to do so. They are spectacular machines that deliver a great ride.
Katniss Everbike with a view.
Thanks for reading and following my blog. My bikes and I appreciate it. Have you ever tried a foldy bike? What did you think of it? If you have any questions please post them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you. I’m new but I’m loving the Brompton ways.
I’m a year older tomorrow. I don’t feel older. That’s good. I do feel wiser. Since my last birthday which involved a masked party in my mom’s garage (which was great), the pandemic has been the top story. This whole year has been about surviving the pandemic and getting the vaccine and pivoting in ways that let me know I should practice yoga. At work, remote and in person have given way to roomers and Zoomers. Every day has been an adjustment to an ever changing landscape of challenges. Like the spokes on a wheel help the wheel hold its shape. Each day of my 58th year has been a spoke helping to move me forward and get me through.
Spokes are pretty amazing when you consider what they do for a bike wheel. They take all the stress we put into our bikes. As I understand it, the spoke pulls the rim toward the hub. Spokes have to put up with all sorts of stress. Consider those potholes you hit because you’re watching traffic. Consider the time you lob yourself over a curb to avoid a squirrel or what about just trying to go a little faster and on the road only to end up on gravel or worse. The tension makes them stronger.
That’s all well and good for a wheel but what about life? It has been a very tense year. School is extremely stressful and even if you are doing your very best you feel like an utter failure everyday. Everyone does and you can’t even complain without hearing someone best your story with one of their own. “Yeah, you’re right,” I want to say, “You are working harder.” We have these signs on campus that extol positive messages. I’m all for that and yet I overthink them. One is “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Okay, so what should I do instead? I feel both driven and lethargic. I tell myself to focus on the students and think about them first and foremost and in the same moment I feel ignored by coworkers. An island. Alone. We are isolated and every meeting and most interactions fall short of community and connection.
My balance.
A maladjusted spoke makes the wheel out of true and wobbly. I love the way that sounds: out of true. Whoa! Conversely if it is balanced than it is trued. It is aligned and working in the community of spokes. Truing in bikes is making those tiny adjustments and getting the spokes aligned so they can handle the stress and tension of the ride ahead. It takes work to true a wheel. Typically there are 24-36 spokes on traditional bikes. Truing a wheel can mean hours to weeks of time to get it into balance. We are making similar adjustments.
That’s just it. We all have to make tiny adjustments to be true and aligned and balanced to withstand the stresses of whatever is around the corner.
William Shakespeare said it best, “To thine own self be true.” He probably was not talking about bikes but he and I share the 23rd as our birthday and I think staying true and honest to yourself is as much about balance and alignment as a spoke is to a trued wheel.
Here’s to fair weather and trued spokes and another day to ride. Stay safe!
Bike Goddess
Thanks for reading. How do you find alignment and balance in times of stress and worry?
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The day is dawning and you’re feeling invincible. You race the birds and you tell the squirrels to scoot and shoo and get up the trees and it seems like you’re the only one on the roads. Two miles, three, five… then you get your sixth flat.
Six flats in five months and two of them were in the garage when the bike was parked. Not a good way to start any day. It’s one of the top three reasons people stop riding a bike. That’s based on pure opinion and informal chitchat with people who claim they stopped riding a bike years ago because they could get a flat. When people start talking about what they hate about bike riding, flat tires are in close proximity to the other classic reason, “Because it makes my butt hurt.” For me, this summer was all about getting under the rim of the whole issue of my flat tires.
I’ve biked for as long as I can recall and I have commuted for 20 years. I ride all the time. What’s the “normal” amount of flats a rider might get? I have no idea. My normal was about twice a year. Usually there was a giant nail involved. Sometimes a staple that didn’t look like much but ends up being a slow leak. Nothing too extreme. I’m a fanatic about checking my tires, so for me this flat issue is out of the ordinary.
Over the summer that changed significantly. Let’s say that I was thinking by the time I had my third flat that I should learn the fine art of fixing a tire. In July, that’s what I did. Good for me, right? I learned and when I had my fourth flat, I fixed it and thought that was it. The bike gods were testing me.
I was gone for three weeks and did not ride the bike experiencing all the flats. Then I started to analyze the number of flats. Six flats in 13 weeks seems out of the norm. Seems extreme and even careless, as if I’m intentionally riding in glass or looking for contruction sites and purposely riding in lanes made of tacks or something. I was flummuxed. Was it the tire? I was thinking my bike hated me and I needed some sort of tire-exorcism. Did someone have a voodoo bike and puncturing the tires?
Two weeks ago, I went on a 30 mile ride and I came home and parked my bike in the garage just like always. I looked over the tires and everything seemed fine. They were inflated. Then it happened again. I went to the garage the next morning and I had another flat. Can you imagine my utter shock and dismay at the whole situation?
Later in the day I drove my bike to the bike shop because something bigger had to be going on. Owning the bike for only 13 weeks, maybe I used the wrong tube or didn’t pay attention to some detail. Let’s go over it all again. We did. The owner, Wake was very helpful and we went through the tire with a little vacuum and he did give me some great tips on getting the tire back on the rim. I was a sponge soaking up all the technical details and thinking I would like to be a bike mechanic. It was very satisfying. He lubed up the chain and I was feeling great about it. I concluded that yes, it was me. I had missed a step and this would be the end of the cycle of flats.
Thanks Wake for all your help!
I came home and went for a ride to clear out the funky feelings I was having about a variety of issues not related to biking. What a great ride. I had a renewed sense of joy. The chain was lubed and not squeaking like a broken swing, and after 10 miles I felt like my bike was healed.
The next morning… yep, flat as a pancake. Again.
At this juncture, I’m done. I’m want my money back. My bike is clearly defective. I couldn’t deliver the bike back to the shop. I had to be somewhere else, so my husband offered to help me out. He took the bike back and this time the tire and rim were replaced on the back and the front tire was also changed. I was happy that the shop could see what I’d been dealing with over the last several weeks. My husband texted me he was on his way home and the bike was in great shape.
I was home when he pulled the car into the garage. I was thrilled to see my bike and filled with certainty that this was the end of the flat period. I’m looking at the bike on the rack and guess what? Another flat! The bike was on the rack and this time the front tire was flat. The flat disease was spreading! I was shocked and dismayed and so frustrated. My husband pulled right out of the garage anddrove back to the bike shop. Come to find out, they were out of the Shrader valve tubes in the size needed, so they resued one of my old tubes with the intent of replacing it when they got more tubes. The old tube split during the drive home. They did have some new Presta valve tubes, so one of those replaced the one in the front tire. My husband reported that there might be some concerns about two different valves on the same bike, but someone said, “This is Bike Goddess you’re talking about.” I love that and I really like that I have two different valves. How cool am I?
It’s been two weeks…
It has been two weeks since my last flat. Flat tires can deflate a person’s confidence about riding a bike. I still go out to the garage just to see with my own eyes that the tires on the bike are fine and fully inflated. It’s reassuring. There could have been something on the rim that was not sitting right with the whole tube and when I think about the slow leaks and the types of flats my bike was getting it does seem like something was happening that was harder to diagnose. I’m grateful that the bike shop techs were asking questions and trying get me to articulate exactly what was happening.
Flats make even the most experienced rider apprehensive about riding. Have you ever had so many episodes of flats? How did you handle it?
