I’m going to classify this under the ‘Exercize’ category, but frankly, I’m more thrilled by its ‘transportation’ aspect. I just don’t have a transportation category on this blog, and frankly, I don’t see why I should.
This morning, at 8 (rise and shine!), I went to pick a second-hand bike. I tried it, it was pleasant to ride, and so I finished digging that black hole in my bank account to shell out the needed bucks. Because I’ve been wanting a bike for ages again. Back when I was still living in this city, around year 2000-2001, I used to rent one, and then I finally saved up to buy one, and I was happy for three months, and then some asshole stole it in the corridor of the building hosting the company where I was working for, about 20 meters from my office, and 10 meters from the nearby office of our neighbours the lawyers. I was pissed off, filed a complaint, had to rent another (crappy) bike, never saw MY bike ever again, and ended up borrowing one from a family member, until it died on me. Well, under me. I’d like to blame my weight just for the sake of poetic justice, but the truth is the poor thing had really been pushed to its limits. Rest in peace.
And so I was bikeless. The theft part also explains why I picked a second-hand one. Anything too shiny and looking too new gets stolen in here. Now if only I could install a 100k A electric protection system on it, so that at least I could find a dead wannabe thief lying near it in a puddle of his/her own brains. Ahh, that would be some satisfaction.
Anyway, now I have a bike. It is currently resting against the pile of cardboard boxes filled with books, along one of my walls, taking a glorious amount of space in my 15m² (hey, I’m not crazy, I’m not going to leave it outside at night and have it stolen again!). It seems like a good bike. I hope it will fulfil my expectations–that is, carry me for 50 minutes every morning to work, and back again in the evening. That’s mainly why I wanted a bike for the summer. Because I want to MOVE and to PEDAL. I’m tired of sitting in the tramway and in the tramway again and in the bus and then walk a meager 30 m to the office door. We’re having a crappy summer, alright, but why pass on that opportunity if I can seize it?
Besides, being on a real bike is so much better than being a stationary bike for one hour in a cardio room looking at the green plant nearby.
Later on, my ass will raise hell and cause a revolution to punish me for making it suffer this way, but I don’t care.
I have a BIKE!
June 30th, 2007 at 06:03
Cool! I love combining exercise and transportation–I’m more of a walker, but really should think about biking again.
But yeah, your ass is probably gonna hurt for awhile, if memory serves. (And I never have been sure how one’s butt “gets used” to the bike seat eventually. Are there weird secret interior callouses that form? Do the pain-carrying nerves just die? What changes over time to make the seat not ache so much anymore?)
June 30th, 2007 at 13:29
I’ve never known either why the ass gets used to it after a while. But for me, as long as it does, I’m okay with it and I don’t need to know more.
I like walking as well, but the office would be way too far for me to do that, hehe.
August 9th, 2007 at 23:43
I commute to work by bicycle too! It’s a great way to lose weight w/o having to go to the gym. Plus, I hate driving in traffic and paying for parking. If you’re interested, my husband just started a great new website called introPLAY (www.introplay.com). You can create leagues and compete with others, and you can also track your workouts. It really got me into shape and I have lost 5 lbs! I have enjoyed reading your blog and I can’t wait to read more.