This blog is dedicated to everyone of a certain age who owns a bike, would like to ride it more, but just can't seem to get around to it. Or think that cycling is for young people. Or think the weather never cooperates enough to go for a ride.
My "certain age" is 46. I was born at the tail end of 1969. Before Woodstock. Before the second moon landing. Back in the days when some people were still waiting for color TV and the Internet was a small network used by scientists and the US military.
If you're my age and think it's too late to start cycling, I say bullcrap. It's never too late. I started cycling to work regularly just three years ago. I ride to work every day, in any weather, all year round. You don't have to go to that extreme to be a regular cyclist, but commuting by bike is the best way to get yourself into a regular exercise habit.
We didn't have much of a winter here in Edmonton this year, but I've ridden in temperatures below -30°C, winds gusting up to 100 km/h, and downpours that had me riding through a constant puddle all the way down the block. Weather isn't an excuse to stay off the bike.
What do you need to become a regular cyclist? The short answer is, a bike. That's it. If you want to get the most out of your riding, there are other items and practices that will help, but all you need to get started is a bike. Any bike. Even a piece of crap from Walmart. Wayne Gretzky didn't start playing hockey with a $150 stick. Michael Jordan didn't start shooting hoops in $300 shoes. If you've got a bike, you can ride.
Next post, I'll cover some of the items that will really help out once you've spent a bit of time on the road and committed yourself to regular cycling. For now, here are my stats for today:
This morning's ride: 6.91 km
April month to date: 142.3 km
2016 year to date: 759.2 km
Total on current bike: 8872.79 km
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