More biking.

[gridlore]

I'm really starting to get into this. At kengr;s suggestion, I've been doing short trips, mostly around our extended block. This has been good for developing a little muscle and endurance.

Last night, I actually made a useful trip. Kiri had forgotten to pick something up at the store, and aster a really long day, didn't want to move, so I hopped on my faithful charger and was off! Remind me never to ride during rush hour again. Getting to Safeway wasn't so bad, but coming back I was almost creamed twice by inattentive drivers. I guess I need to signal in a more attention-getting manner.. a MP5 might do the trick ("I'm merging, damn it, and you're bleeding!")

Still haven't figured out all the gears. I'm still in pretty low ranges on both derailers. Contrary to what common sense (and twenty-odd years of driving a stick) tell me, the lower gears seem to be easier. I may head down to Almaden Lake Park and experiment on the trail there.

Oh, and I look ,like a total goober in a biking helmet. But then again, everyone on Earth looks like a total goober in a biking helmet.

Comments

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

From the perspective of someone who's never fired one, you'd think firing an MP5 from a moving bike would be a tricky thing to do. Recoil, moving platform, not much stability. Think you could hit anything?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

The MP5 has very little recoil. And at close range on full auto, firing at a torso-sized target, I'd get at least one or two rounds in.

Of nothing else, the sudden appearance of bullet holes in the windshield would encourage then to look for riders.

[bunyip.livejournal.com]

Friends and I have discussed a Barrett Model 82 loaded with SLAP for the engine blocks of the idiots in SUVs. ;-)

More Biking

[(Anonymous)]

Hi doug,

what I recall from back when I was doing some serious cycling is that it's best to use as low a gear as you can manage for the speed you want. A high 'cadence' (pedalling rate) means your muscles get tired more slowly, which seems contrary to logic to many people. 'Slow but hard' cycling is more work than 'fast and easy'.

Keep to as low a gear as you're comfortable with, and as you get fitter/more used to cycling switch to higher gears - to increase speed, not to slow your cadance.

--
Rupert Boleyn

Re: More Biking

[kengr]

Chalk up another weirdity about me then. My muscles (at least my leg muscles) work much better is "slow but steady" than in "fast, but light load".

I just plain *cannot* pedal very fast, *especially* at "lighter" loads.

Then again most of my leg musculature was developed by long walks and climbing a 500 foot slope several times a day when I was a kid.

Re: More Biking

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

Ah! Thanks makes sense. Thanks.