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Recently tried out riding a borrowed bike, to add to my exercise options (usually walking outdoors, or walking on a treadmill, or walking to fly and recover rockets and R/C planes).
video:
[video=youtube;2kOnLg7ggns]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kOnLg7ggns[/video]
It worked out well enough. I'm not trying to ride from A to B, just ride some for the exercise. Rode about a 1/2 mile to one spot then back, then 1/2 mile another way and back, and another 1/2 mile one way and back, for over 3 miles on each day (Not going too far in case there was a problem and i needed to walk it back). Not a lot, but, having not ridden in 40 years or so, and weighing as much as 350 for a long time (now 175-180), it's good for me.
I decided it went well enough to look at getting my own. Checked out Craigslist, which had worked well when I found a good treadmill at a good price. Found a really good bike, similar type as the one I had tried, a hybrid, not a racing bike, at a good price. One issue I had with the one I borrowed (In the video above) was with the seat as high as I need for my long legs, the handlebars were a bit low so I had to lean down and that put a lot of weight onto my hands, which got numb after awhile.
Well, Friday, I checked out the bike and it was good. A Gary Fisher Solstice series Hybrid. The owner had similar reasons as I did for wanting the handlebars up more so there is an extension post and it's set as high as it can go. And that did make a lot of difference. The bike even had a rear view mirror, which is something I had realized on the other bike that I needed in order to check for cars coming up behind me.
So, I got it. Replaced the seat with one that would be more comfortable, then then tried it out. Rode two sessions, ended the first early to tweak the seat angle before going out again. Ended up riding a total of 4.7 miles. During the first session, I was coincidentally halfway near to a Target and was thinking of going there to get something small that I'd have to drive in my car to get later. But then I remembered I didn't have a lock and chain, so was not going to risk having it stolen.
So, anyway, so far, so good. And yes, I'm wearing a helmet.
- George Gassaway
video:
[video=youtube;2kOnLg7ggns]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kOnLg7ggns[/video]
It worked out well enough. I'm not trying to ride from A to B, just ride some for the exercise. Rode about a 1/2 mile to one spot then back, then 1/2 mile another way and back, and another 1/2 mile one way and back, for over 3 miles on each day (Not going too far in case there was a problem and i needed to walk it back). Not a lot, but, having not ridden in 40 years or so, and weighing as much as 350 for a long time (now 175-180), it's good for me.
I decided it went well enough to look at getting my own. Checked out Craigslist, which had worked well when I found a good treadmill at a good price. Found a really good bike, similar type as the one I had tried, a hybrid, not a racing bike, at a good price. One issue I had with the one I borrowed (In the video above) was with the seat as high as I need for my long legs, the handlebars were a bit low so I had to lean down and that put a lot of weight onto my hands, which got numb after awhile.
Well, Friday, I checked out the bike and it was good. A Gary Fisher Solstice series Hybrid. The owner had similar reasons as I did for wanting the handlebars up more so there is an extension post and it's set as high as it can go. And that did make a lot of difference. The bike even had a rear view mirror, which is something I had realized on the other bike that I needed in order to check for cars coming up behind me.
So, I got it. Replaced the seat with one that would be more comfortable, then then tried it out. Rode two sessions, ended the first early to tweak the seat angle before going out again. Ended up riding a total of 4.7 miles. During the first session, I was coincidentally halfway near to a Target and was thinking of going there to get something small that I'd have to drive in my car to get later. But then I remembered I didn't have a lock and chain, so was not going to risk having it stolen.
So, anyway, so far, so good. And yes, I'm wearing a helmet.
- George Gassaway
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