When I was a kid, I never enjoyed biking all that much. Biking was largely a way to get places in my neighborhood more quickly. It wasn't a passtime or a hobby unto itself, but rather, a means of transportation. About 3 years ago, I bought my first big boy bike and my relationship with 2-wheeled motion has changed.
The Bike
It was Spring of 2023 when I first mounted my stallion. My saddle was fresh and unweathered. As I drove Big Diesel down Minnesota avenue, a used bike display outside of Spoke-n-Sport caught my eye. There she was, unbridled and raring to go. After conversing with the merchant about their wares, I had secured the steed as mine own. The breed was Giant Cypress, a thoroughbred if I'd ever seen one. Complete with disc brakes, seat and front fork suspension, and a ding dinger so I could alert comrades on the trails of my whereabouts.
I'm Slow
It takes me a while to develop habits and I've found that it's always better when I develop them at a leisurely pace. Brooke and I started going on short (3-5 mile) bike rides that summer and continued to in years that followed. Biking became something that I started to look forward to. Something that allowed me to see my city through a different lens. I even have biked to work a few times at this point! Something we discussed in a book club at work (I think when reading Atomic Habits), you have to develop some sort of craving for it. With the general chaos and sense of lacking control that comes from growing up and becoming an adult, I've found my craving for biking. It's given me a way to slow down and smell the roses around me and feel like I'm doing something good for my body and mind. It's also a great way to spend time with friends and family.
A Modest Goal
On the theme of "figuring out how to adult", I've found that modest goal setting is very important for me. Set too ambitious of goals and you manifest stress or disappointment. Set no goals and you'll have nothing to work towards. Being an adult is weird because no one tells you what you need to do anymore and there are significantly less opportunities for "atta boy"s. You gotta atta boy yourself sometimes, ya know? Well my modest goal from the start was to bike the entire Sioux Falls trail. I had the goal for a few years, but this last Sunday, I got 'er done.
Modifications
Brooke (my bff and soulmate) would tell you that I'm a lover of gear. Whenever we start a new hobby or something, I'm always on the lookout for new gear. Biking was never an exception to that rule. I purchased a phone mount, a headlight and taillight, a water bottle holder, chartreuse helmet, chartreuse grips, and most recently chartreuse wheels (I know I know, it's pretty baller).
In addition to that, I got big diesel equipped with a roof rack. It was a total steal on FB Marketplace, I paid $50 for both bike mounts because they didn't have a key for the locking mechanism. I was able to purchase new keys and whatnot relatively easily. I like the look of the roof rack even if it reduces my mpg in these trying times.
Takeaways
As you age, you don't always need to be the same person as you were yesterday. It's okay to leave behind habits and opinions that once served you (but maybe aren't working for you anymore). Even if it's something small, even if it takes a long time, try something new. You won't enjoy everything you try, but adding a new hobby or passion to your arsenal every so often is a great way to avoid the inevitable burnout of life. Also, that saddle of mine that was once pure hide has begun its transition into tanned leather 🤠. Thanks for reading!
