Tag Archives: #bikelove

Riding the Streak: What I’ve Learned From Consecutive Days of Cycling

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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.

Enjoy!

Bike Goddess

One is the Loneliest Number

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Just me and my shadow on most rides anyway.

When the song opens I think it’s in C Minor and the repeating chords halt as the vocal comes in which is pleading, resigned and sort of begs for attention:

One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It’s the loneliest number since the number one…Three Dog Night,

Three Dog Night had a number 1 hit. That song pops into my head when I read #soloriding. It’s one of many trending hashtags and when I saw it I thought of music.

Is riding solo riding a cappella? Imagine if we used musical terms for bike riding. Instead of a peloton it would be an orchestra or ensemble or band of riders. Personally, I am most in harmony with the universe on a solo ride. I don’t need people to accompany me. I’m a sole rider. Sole and solo are similiar and yet sole and the homophone soul are more in tune. 

Other expessions I’ve heard in this quarantine period is “companionless” or “solitary riding.” Again, it sounds like a rider was given a timeout in a padded garage. Stag riding could work if it didn’t sound so raunchy.

Sole riding is the way I prefer to ride. I don’t like how I am in a group ride. It’s not as though I’m hyper competitive but I am competitive enough that I start to compare myself to everyone else and then I start to feel inferior. The “leader” of the ride is checking in with everyone every 2 seconds or they are the type of leader who is a virtuoso rider and you feel like you’re an appendage holding everyone back. 

Friendly ride with a family on a tour with Sarah.

The social dynamics of a group ride can preesnt challenges. Some people are really amazing group riders. I’m jealous that I am not one. Like watching a Rapha video and the group is synchronized like a Swiss watch and they’re all keeping a 22 mph pace with the wind on their handlebars. I’m the one that stays at the coffee shop.

Should you be trying out a group ride for the first time then be preparted to be the new kid in class and you have to show ’em what ya got. The group is trying not to watching you, but they see everything you do. “Hey, looks like your back tire is embracing the road too closely.” In group rides men talk way too much about technique as though they are professional racers and taking some time out to ride with the mortals. Unless you are Mark Cavendish, please just ride your bike and talk about something else. You’d think I could find a gal pal on a ride, but the women if there are any ignore me despite my repeated attempts at conversation. I’ve tried and tried and tried some more.

The only group rides that I have moderate success with are epic group rides, like the Seattle to Portland or charity rides. Those events have a vibe of something bigger. The steady stream of people in front and behind keep a sort of pulse to the affair so you are in awe of it all. The energy of the group and event supercedes the social awkwardness.

Tour with Sarah and a group, Spring 2019.

My favorite type of group ride is a tour. Either I pay or they pay or I’m shadowing a great tour leader. If I’m leading a tour I can point out features of my city which keeps me busy in a constructive way. “On the left there’s this 100 year old tree and on the right is the site of Fort Vancouver and Pearson Airport where the Chkalov flight landed.” Last summer I started shadowing tours by my friend Sarah Bott and it was amazing. My title (given by me) was TourRookie. The people on the tours paid for the tour and they seemed genuinely interested. “The city of Portland has 279 parks. There are distinct personalities to neighborhoods, sometime called quadrants…but it’s all Portland.” There was a ride to the Portland Rose Gardens that was a symphony of experiences that made me happy to be alive. The ideal group ride for me is a tour because they are there to learn and I’m there to help them explore and provide and experience.

Taking a break while the group checks out the Portland Rose Garden.

Quaratine for me while bike riding hasn’t been all that different from my usual sole riding. Since my rigorous commute is only about 10 feet into my study at the present time I miss seeing the butterscotch poodle, who always looks at me as though I’m her kin, walking with her human first thing in the morning. I miss the man speed walking in his Blazers puffy coat. I miss seeing snow capped Mount Hood and the baby pink and blue skies. I miss the weather ups and downs of the day to day bike commute. I miss stopping for groceries and lugging stuff to and from home. I pine for shopping stops at my local Trader Joe’s. Everytime I peddle past there’s a line from the entrance past The Party City and weaving around the side of Petco. Under normal circumstances, I would park my bike at Petco. Now, there’s really no way to keep a distance so I just keep moving. I’ve done that now about a half dozen times at diffent junctures of the day hoping for a lull. I have my mask and hand sanitizer ready just in case a opportunity presents itself. Still looks like an Apple iPhone release.

Petco, Party City and then Trader Joe’s. The line goes around Petco.

The miles are no longer commuting miles, but miles in front of me and behind me. It’s liberating and exciting to just go.

One might be the loneliest number for some but for me it’s the way I prefer to roll.

One is not the loneliest number. You know that kiddie joke about Why was 10 afraid of 7? Because 7 eight/ate 9. So that makes 7 the lonliest number. That doesn’t work with the song. Sole riding is what I have done for many years and will continue to embrace because I just ride. 

What about you? Do you like sole riding or are you missing your band? 

Thanks for reading and have a great week! Stay safe out there!
Be well everyone! Go listen to the song. You know you want to.

🚲 Bike Goddess