I got a bike! My New Biking Obsession
As you might imagine, my kitchen produces copious amounts of food. Not a day goes by that I don’t have something simmering on the stove, baking in the oven or smoking on the grill. I mean, it’s great, don’t get me wrong. My family loves trying new recipes each week. But there is a downside… or rather, a backside… or more specifically, MY backside. I mean, those calories have to go somewhere, right? So I work them off with exercise. Except, here’s the thing… I am allergic to exercise. It’s probably my least favorite thing to do. Give me a choice between doing dishes and jumping on a treadmill, and I’ll choose doing dishes every. single. time. For years I’ve been searching for a type of exercise that will keep me moving on a regular basis. I get bored SO easily. I’ve tried yoga, Pilates, even Zumba. You should see me attempting to shake my behind to Latin music, it’s pretty hilarious. But none of these adventures stuck; I eventually got bored with all of them.
Then I discovered biking, and my whole world changed!
Momo is a big fan of our new bikes.
It all started on a recent trip to Miami. My husband and I rented some cruisers on the boardwalk in Miami Beach to work off some of the pasta and cocktails we’d consumed the night before. We rode for over an hour in the Miami sunshine, peddling through the gentle ocean breeze. We pushed ourselves and worked up a sweat. The time flew by. Before we knew it, we’d worked off some serious calories and had a great time doing it. We ended up renting bikes every remaining day of our trip. We got to the point where our bodies craved that hour of movement.
Then we came home, and it was back to the treadmill. See, we don’t live in a very bicycle-friendly neighborhood (streets are super curvy and narrow), or we probably would have gotten bikes a long time ago. As I went back to my monotonous jogging routine, I started wondering if we could somehow make the bike thing work. I have a Jeep Cherokee with a hitch, after all. What’s to stop us from getting a rack and taking our bikes out to ride? There are so many awesome bike paths in Southern California. Plus my husband’s birthday was coming up, and he is the hardest person to buy a gift for… but I had a feeling he would love this.
Linus Dutchi and Electra Townie
So obviously, I went for it! I bought us two cruisers, a sage-green Linus Dutchi 3-speed for me and a black Electra Townie 7-speed for him. Aren’t they pretty? I love the vintage styling! We added bells and my husband got a rear-view mirror. I added a canvas saddle bag to the back rack of my Linus so we can carry water bottles and whatever else. It’s detachable, so I can ride to the farmer’s market, shop a bit and reattach it before riding home. How cool is that?
We also got a hanging rack for the back of my Jeep, but quickly found that it was scratching up our new bikes a bit, plus it was kind of awkward getting the bikes on and off the rack. I exchanged it for this platform T2 rack by Thule. So far, no complaints! Super easy loading and unloading, integrated locks. We’re happy campers.
Our T2 rack by Thule
I was worried that once we got the bikes that we might not actually take them out much… you know, the hassle of loading and unloading them. But we’ve gone riding almost every day for the past few weeks. We love it! We feel amazing and it’s helping us to stay trim. Pasta is on the horizon… why worry when I know I can work the calories off with a beautiful ride the next day?
I think with exercise, half the battle is finding something you love to do. My husband and I are now officially bike nerds, and I’m feeling better than I have in a long time.
Do you like to bike? What is your favorite way to exercise?
robyn says
and lights and a lock. if you are going to the market you need a lock so it will be there when you’re done shopping. at dawn, dusk and evening lights, front white flashing or steady and red rear flashing are MUSTS. do NOT waste money on cheap lights. knog makes nice red flashers, bikeray makes excellent front lights. rechargable too.
cellphone, spare inner tube and CO2 cartridge, levers. learn how to change a flat.
robyn says
helmet. helmet helmet helmet. my husband and i are both alive because we wear helmets Every Single Time.
yes, we ride a lot [5000+ miles a year on our tandem, he rides about another 2500 commuting and i bike commuted 1700 per year] we do fast group rides and casual rides.
they are beautiful bikes, a bie gezunt you should use them in the best of heatlh and FOR A LONG TIME.
Tori Avey says
You have a tandem Robyn? That is SO COOL!
Kate @¡Hola! Jalapeño says
I love your bike! That color! I have a beach cruiser but it is so heavy and huge I barely ride it. I like just about any form of exercise, like you said, I have to burn those calories somehow! 🙂
Gayle says
Mazal tov on your new cruisers and a great new habit!
I am an avid bike rider. Here in the twin cities of Minneapolis / St Paul, we have a first class system of bike trails that traverse all over the metropolitan area. I went from a casual weekend rider to fairly hard core; have gone 98 miles in the past week. In the past year, I added a detachable bike basket that rides with me to the farmers market, as well as on my couple-times-a-week ride to (and later, from) the office on a route along beautiful trails circling parts of two lakes along the way.
I agree wholeheartedly with other commenters on using safety gear. As the summer draws to an end and daylight hours get shorter, I’m considering mounting lights to my bike.
Marylin Marcovitch-Parkin says
Watch the traffic !
Robin Roderick says
She’s a beaut!
Simply Gourmet says
Jealous. I love the saddle bags. Enjoy your new ride
Bunny Marks says
Nice!
Sheldon Renaissance Kirschbaum says
A peddler, you are.
Joe Hill says
Always a good idea to have backup transportation.
Angel Duncan Kania says
I see a beautiful basket to match that seat on the front…( You are a lovely servant to others) God Bless You!
Melody Coleman says
You need a basket on the front so you can put your fresh veggies in that you bought from the farmer’s market!
Don Greider says
BeautyFull!
Charlotte Schreier says
Seat sucks…broken tail bone on seats like that..change seat!
Lisa Davis says
I suggest lights as well as a basket. Hope you enjoy. I love to ride my bike everywhere in Eugene Oregon. A total bike town if ever there is one in USA.
Anna M says
They are darling! I’m glad you are enjoying them; biking is so much fun! I have to ask, where did you get the canvas saddlebags? They look perfect!
Tori Avey says
Anna I got them at iMartin Bicycles in West Hollywood. The bag is made by Linus, the same company who makes the bike. 🙂
Carla Sullivan Phoenix says
Lovely ! What brand is it ?
Tori Avey says
Carla it’s a Linus. 🙂
Angel Duncan Kania says
I love the color!
Helene Jablonka says
It’s awesome !!!! Love the color and bag!!!!!
Helen Burton says
That is the style of bike(men’s version) that my husband wants. I will find it eventually.
Alycin Kupetz Yomtov says
Nice! I’ve been biking around my town this summer and finally find it enjoyable… Especially doing some hill work out!