Tag: bikes

I mentioned in my previous post that I probably will not be biking to work since it would involve riding on streets like Lisbon, Burleigh, or Capitol… Those are streets you somewhat risk your life on even in a car! So where I can I ride? Well, I used to walk in the cemetery by my house quite a bit. It’s a lovely space, quiet, lots of nature and best of all (almost) no cars! In my dozens of walks I probably saw just a few cars in the cemetery. So my plan was, bike in the cemetery.

I mentioned this to a bike friend and he said “Well, check that it’s allowed… I know some cemeterys do not allow bikes.” So the first thing I did was searched for “riding bike in cemetery” and got this AmItheAsshole post… (Worth a read, but I still hate Reddit.)

So I did a bit more searching and found this brochure for the cemetery I planned to ride in.

The highlighted bit says “Walker, runners, riders and the like should remain only on roadways.” Hey, I’m a rider (or an “and the like” whatever that means) so it should be all good. I have no plans to ride on the grass or anywhere else that isn’t the roadway. So I set out for my first ride…

… and it was a little bumpy! I realized that on the main road from the entrance the road has these “cracks” every 50 feet or so, and you get a good “cuh-chunk!” riding over them. It’s a very noticeable bump. I wondered if this was by design, since it would be noticeable when driving a car and might make you more aware of your speed. Luckily it seems these bumps don’t persist through all of the roads.

On my second ride I spotted a coyote! It saw me and started to run off and I (sort of) followed it, in the hopes of getting a better look or a photo. I did manage to get a phone photo, so it’s super tiny since I was so far away… As the coyote ran through the cemetery I kept an eye on it and tried to keep track of it while I was in motion. It was actually pretty fun! I’m hoping I didn’t freak it out too badly. I had heard about coyotes in the cemetery before but never saw one on any of my walks, so that was pretty neat!

Back in 2021 I became a walking guy, and I walked a lot in 2022 and 2023, and then in December 2023 I had an extremely bad case of plantar fasciitis so I had to take a break from walking. I managed to get a bike trainer stand thing and put my bike in the basement and tried riding it for exercise while I was suffering from extreme foot pain. I missed walking outside but it was also winter so basement biking was… okay. I’d usually listen to music or NPR or watch some streaming show.

As December 2023 rolled around I had a new issue, a neck injury and some weird foot/toe pain so I took a break from walking and any other exercise for a bit to do physical therapy (thanks Erin!) and now that’s all done. I still have the weird foot/toe pain so I was concerned about walking so hey, it’s back to the bike!

First things first, I had a flat tire which wasn’t an issue on the trainer but would be on the road. The last real ride I did was the Black is Beautiful ride in… 2020!? I took the bike into Emerys for a tune-up and tire repair. They did a good job, though they did call me to ask why there was a 7 gear sprocket instead of an 8 gear, and asked if I ever had issues shifting. I answered “I don’t know!” and “Yes…” so we got that fixed. I got the bike used, so someone must have done something weird along the way. Well, it shifts better now!

It’s been a long-ass time since I biked to work and I lived in the “country” then, and since my commute to work now would probably include Lisbon, Burleigh, or Capitol, I’m pretty sure I’d be risking my life so for now I’ll stick to the car for getting to work.

Anyway, to make a long story short (which is probably too late) I’ve started riding again. I’m typically out around 7am most mornings and doing a few miles, and it feels good. I’m doing this for health and fitness since I hate going to the gym and without the daily walking I just don’t move enough.

Oh, and remember my post about reporting potholes to the city? Well, guess what? Biking into a pothole is even worse that driving over one! So if I’m out on the road and see a pothole I hit the brakes, snap a photo, and submit it.

(Oh shit, did I become and urbanist!?)