Why I started biking?

 

Well, it's supposed to be for bike to work purposes. But you know what? It's also fun! And I'm not going to lie, riding a bicycle is pretty darn relaxing. So far I've only biked about 14 kilometres (from home to work vice versa) every Monday to Friday and that was with the traffic. The rest of the time I just ride around town on my own.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't have much in common with most people so why should cycling be any different? It's because I thought that biking for me is work from home only until the traffic gets too bad or I get bored. I don't bike with others and the only thing that other people can do with me is watch me fly past on my bicycle.

But that changed when I started biking with the elites. They accepted me. We biked routes that no one else would dare bike such as alongside the mountains or through the woods. Still, this group is small and we all know each other pretty well so if one of us gets behind by the group during bike ride. He literally lets everyone know.

And when that happens, everyone turns around and gives the rider a few seconds head start or he will be pushed. Then everyone catches up and rides together.

I've never been a member of a team before. It's pretty interesting, I'll have to tell you about it. Also, what I've learned on this ride is that sometimes as the slowest rider in the group, I'm always on the watch by our bike buddy. Those on a break away group are fast and I don't mind about it as long as I reach the final destination even if everyone is way ahead of me.

I've also learned that it is important to follow the group leader. In other words, the leader decide where we're going before we set out because once we're on the road, we're all following his lead through drafting. Once I learned drafting, I was able to ride at places where I normally would not be able to.

I also learned that some of the riders are really serious about this. When a car caught up to the front of the peloton, one rider broke his wrist. Now that was a scary moment for everyone, I'm glad only one was hurt.

One of the biker introduced me to Strava. An online site where we can track our rides, share routes, compete against each other and also to brag about our accomplishments.

On one of our rides, he managed to break a record that no one in our group had ever done before! He beat the previous record by quite a bit too. He proudly (and sarcastically) showed me the site and I see that his ride took about 3 hours to complete! That's pretty impressive especially since our group only averaged about 50 minutes per ride.

Well, it looks like he has a lot to brags aboput. And that started my Strava addiction. I can't wait to break more records and beat those that came before me!

One month on Strava – 200+ KM. I don't think I've ever ridden for so long in a single month. It's like I've been riding to depletion of my endurance each time I get on the saddle. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it though. I started to feel comfortable pushing myself past my previous limits. The record rides that I put down in first couple of months have motivated me into some new goals.

I've decided to ride all 100+ km (vice versa) of my mother's home town in Plaridel, Misamis Occidental.  That should be a good challenge. There are riders that go way beyond their own towns, I wonder if they're racers or just excessive fanatics. In any case, I've been trying to ride a little slower and to take it a little easier on myself so I don't end up with some other riding related injury.

Staying hydrated is also something that I'm really starting come across in my rides. Not drinking enough is one of the reasons why I ended up bonking. I got to learn from my mistakes and take it a little easier on myself. The maintenance of my bicycle has also been taking a back seat due to all this riding. I can't remember the last time I actually cleaned and inspected my bike. I think I'm going to have to take better care of it or it's going to give me problems eventually.

And here comes upgraditis! I think I'm going to have to buy new bike fork since my old fork is not hydraulic and cleat shoes for efficient pedaling. So, if you're planning to buy a bike you have to think twice. Is it for bike to work? Or more than that?

I invite you to follow my progress and I hope you return for some more updates on my riding life. Next story will be my first epic long bike ride! Thanks for your time and keep safe!

I almost forgot to mention that I've learned to appreciate the scenery a lot more. The trees, the birds, and even the rocks along the road are all so much more vibrant and colorful when you're out there!

*** This post is going to be a little biased since this is all just my own experience and I'm sure there's others that love riding just as much but don't have the means to do so. ***