Better Road to Bicycling

So I'd had this bicycle. I'd just bought a bicycle after not having one for a bunch of years. Soon after I got & rode it several times it was completely obvious that it didn't fit me. The frame was too small, so were the wheels (they were only 24", whereas a good size bicycle for me would have 26" wheels).

In general the bicycle worked out just fine for me. I could fold down the back seat of my tiny compact hatchback of a car & "toss" this bicycle in the backseat; I actually got kind of good at it. Yet, I'd been training for & running in a few marathons, soooo, having an adequately fitting bicycle that could truly support my abilities, seemed to be most practical. Oh, & did I mention one of the gears didn't even work on it? -- Such is what one gets when purchasing such an item from a discount retailer.

I did plenty of running (well, driving 😊) around town to figure out where I'd get the best wheels for my needs & not be paying money that I, well, shouldn't be. It was on one of these adventures, when I needed to leave this current bicycle at my storage unit in case I did find another bicycle worth the purchase.

But I didn't. And when I did the math I realized that in order to get to a mid-afternoon bicycling event where I'd planned to join a few friends on a trail path, I'd need to stop figuring out which my next bicycle would be & go get the one I did already own, even) if it wasn't adequate for me. And so I did.

I realized on that ride how much the way the gear shifts had been designed wasn't suitable & made for complications, especially once I was really sweating, or maybe sweating even a little. 😏 After all, it was while sweating, an inevitable activity, that I realized actually shifting the bicycle's gears with my bare hands simply wasn't an option. And so I didn't. 😄 Because I couldn't.

Although I did learn, not too long later, the true benefit of  keeping these around. By "around" I mean that I had them in my vehicle because I've used them on exercise equipment at local parks. I originally had them because I had "at home" equipment where they'd been beneficial. When bicycling with "the group" I noticed a few others using them which made me realize that they could really come in handy & I should give them a try -- especially when turning the gear shifts.

So, there I was - nearly at the official start of Summer, making use of something I happened to keep in my vehicle "just in case". By using them I gained greater grippage of the handlebars, & therefore the gearshifts too. I haven't begun utilizing everything bicyclists use while riding on a regular basis (like these - for a cyclist's pocketing needs 😏), or these. Instead, I still use this & this, which I've from when I go on a long run.

In time, & as necessary, I will become more "trained" & "crossed-over". For now I'm enjoying the peace that comes with the contentment that it's okay to not use "sport-specific" items. And because we "share among the sports", it's a good thing that we learned to share while we were in Kindergarten. Remember this? Or, better yet, already own one? 😂

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