Bike Challenges, Bike Victories
Well, I didn’t mean to, but I kind of skipped over August entirely. That’s probably all right, because news-wise it was not pretty. I won’t dwell on news in this post, unless you count my own personal news (which I don’t).
In my home I keep three bicycles: a road bike with skinny tires and drop bars, a mountain bike with big tires and a flat bar, and a hybrid commuter bike. Two of the three are currently in the shop, one with brake issues and the other with (I believe) a busted bottom bracket. Well, at least I still have A bike at home, and it’s my road bike which is the perfect bike for this summer weather.
Despite Covid, the local bike shops here are doing insanely good business. People are cycling like never before. The shops are sold out of their inventory (particularly of the cheaper entry-level bikes), and their repair timeframes are 2-3 weeks. I have to say it’s weird to go to a bike shop and conduct all my business, including payment, out in the alley behind the shop. (They don’t allow any customers indoors.) But at least they’re open and at least my bikes are going to be fixed.
I may have mentioned before that my dad has Parkinson’s Disease. Because of him, I registered for the Tour De Fox, the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s annual ride to raise funds for Parkinson’s research. At the time I registered, Covid was only in China (that we knew of) and barely making the news here. Around May, they finally turned it into a virtual event, meaning I could choose my route (preferably close to home) and ride it on my own. The Foundation sent me an excellent care package with a T shirt, bike jersey (had to raise at least $500 for that), custom bib number, and some snacks. I chose a 70-mile route near the town of Silverton, Oregon. I could not have picked a better day or location to ride. The weather was sunny and warm but not hot, the views were gorgeous, and the car traffic was not horrible. I had not ridden that far in one day for about a year, but I did OK and I hope to do more road rides like this soon.
The weather here says it’s still summer, but I know it’ll be fall soon. I’m not really looking forward to biking in inclement weather, but until we get vaccinated (mid-2021 at least, according to the WHO) I think biking is my best option for getting regular, vigorous exercise. Who knows, maybe we’ll have an early snow and I’ll have an excuse to buy a fatbike.
Bike Newbie 