I am addicted to riding my bike!

 

I think I have become addicted to riding my bike I really enjoy getting out and about on it. When I started this journey I knew I liked biking but I never really cared as much for road biking or that style of bike. I was never big on riding in the street or near people as people seem to have a hatred for cyclists and I have had cars yell at me years ago for just being on a bike. I do not get why people get mad like this at cyclists but what ever that is their problem not mine but it did make me hate riding my bike in the street or near people. The last time someone yelled at me on the road was years ago though I did have an older lady flip me off on a trail recently I found it funny more than anything else. She thought I was going to fast or something like that and I should not be riding that fast on a trail. I was going 6 miles per hour at that time so she just hated cyclists on the trails. Getting more miles on the trials and road in the past year has been awesome and changed how I view riding in the road and other people on the trails even. Since I bought my cheap gravel bike the Ozark Trail Exploerer I put a lot of miles on it and the only time so far I had a bad encounter was with this old lady. I am hoping that this is not forshawoing for next post but either way I think I would take someone being angry at me for riding better than I did years ago. 

Seeing as I posted about the bike I figured I would share my stats about it from Strava. It has taken me 450 miles this year and each mile has been fun. This is also the bike I plan on taking on the 100 mile ride I am striving for in October. It has its flaws but so far the only things I need to replace on it are the breaks and the front derailleur. The breaks are my fault I ride in the rain and I oil the chain and other exposed parts to keep them from rusting and I am almost 100 percent sure that I got oil on them. They work but they are a bit more slidy than I would like. Like if I try to stop it will be longer than it used to be to get to a full stop and pressing them harder does not make it slow down faster it just squeaks louder. That is just some break pads that I can repalce for like 10 bucks though so not a big problem. 

There is what I am talking about when I say I am adicted to riding my bike I was writing about it and started going on about what I need to fix on the bike to get it working for my 100 mile ride. I also can not wait to go for a ride every day that I can. I have been trying to go every day now and I am almost getting that to work out. I still have a job and have to work but I can take a lunch break and ride for quick hour and now that I have been riding for a while the 15 mile or so ride takes me an hour to ride. This does not include the breaks I sometimes take but those breaks are because I want to I don't have to take breaks at those spots riding anymore. When I first started I had to break at those spots becuase I did not have the stamina to continue but now I do and could just ride the whole thing with out stopping. The spots I stop at are kinda pretty though so I do like to stop and take in the moments. Anyway aside from just trying to ride every day I have been finding reasons to ride. If I am going to the store that is not the one close to me that I walk to I will ride my bike to those other places. This is not something I would have done before or thought about because riding my bike would have seemed like a chore instead of something I enjoy a lot. I also would not have bothered unless it was the destination like mountain biking through proper mountain bike trails. One other thing I have been looking into is bike trailers for kids. This would be a thing I attach to the bike with a quick release clamp that I can put the kids in the back of and ride to where ever with them safe in the back. I dont know how really safe they are but I am thinking about looking into them more as I would love to get out there with them and to me right now more riding is alway welcome. 

Off topic of biking a little I am going to mention my weight and some thoughts about that whole situation. I have hit another road block on weight and I clearly have been exercising and I have been on a diet of 1600 calories a day that I sometimes go slightly over but not a lot. This also translates to some stuborn fat on my stomach that is not going away. Now I am not silly I know there is fat in other spots but those parts look fine its just the stomach that has fat on it that looks bad kinda. I am not about vanity but I do want that fat gone at some point and to get a little bit lower in weight as well. I fit in those pants so size is not exactly a probelm anymore but I know how I am if I don't keep up at it and lose a little more including that belly fat then I will go back to old habbits and gain that right back and not fit in those pants anymore and that would be a huge waste of all this time. 

Anyway! I am going to prepare myself for a bike ride this afternoon. Have a wonderful day and thank you very much for reading!