Friday, August 10, 2012

Biking At The Beach And at Home

I have been biking everyday from 7th to 59th street on my $65 K-Mart 10 speed. Love the exercise and flatness at the beach, and I feel like I am riding at a respectable pace. But the Schwinns consistently cruise right past me. I have always wanted to be a part of that biking group, with the cute matching outfits and fancy bikes. Right before we left for vacation we were at a party and some members of the local biking club were there. Everyone of them was very fit. I was pumping them for all kinds of information. Where do you go?  When do you go? Are there women in your group? How do you train?  They were very happy to have an interested audience and were sometimes raising their voices over who could answer first. Then I asked, "Well, what happens if I couldn't make it the whole way?" Total confusion by this question, and silence. Finally, one of the guys speaks up, "That is not an option."  Guess my $65 Kmart bike is not making the cut anywhere!
Posted by Annmarie Pipa at 3:16 PM

75 comments:

  1. Ha! I guess it never occured to them someone might NOT make it all the way~

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  2. I'd rather ride with you and your Kmart bike any day...if one of us couldn't make it the whole way, we would just stop for an ice cream!
    xo

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  3. LOL. That is a great exercise though! Sounds nice and relaxing.

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  4. Your ways sounds nice and relaxing. :) What a great workout you must get! Have a wonderful weekend!

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  5. I hate that "Failure is not an option" bravado!

    Dude...you are riding a bike!! Don't be going all macho it is not cage fighting.

    Dollars to donuts that guy was a swimmer in high school!

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  6. Wow! I admire you for what you are doing! I used to bike every day when my kids were little...took them on a "flower tour"...I miss it.

    Also...it's about the lungs! I bet yours are fit as can be!

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  7. Ha, think I will stick with my stationary bike in front of the tellie :)

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  8. Hey, you are doing it! I keep thinking it would be a great way to get fit, but I never seem to get around to it. ;)

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  9. LOL-At least you are riding- good for you. Guess you know YOUR place now!!!! xo Diana

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  10. Your way sounds best to me. :)

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  11. If it makes you feel better, I couldn't even keep up with you on your K-Mart bike!

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  12. I think we may have similar bikes!

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  13. Phooey on the fancy riders in their cute outfits and snazzy bikes. If you're enjoying your bike and are getting exercise on it, that's all that matters. I'd go biking with you any day. (I probably couldn't make the distance, though ...)

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  14. just go at your own pace and rest when you feel like it. I think it is great that you are doing it at all.

    ♥charlotte

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  15. hmm...but if you think you are on good pace why you need some bunch of people to have you accommodated...or motivated?

    You are already doing it...keep your pace...

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  16. My 65$ walmart bike is not cutting it either, I believe it only has 6 speeds and is more of a mountain bike, but I've blown out the 6th gear ::Face palm:: I think being part of a biking group would be awesome as well!!

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  17. That's funny. No one has a friend with a car?

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  18. ROCK ON with your K-Mart special!!! 10 to 1 odds you are way cuter than those with the fancy schmancy Schwinns anyway!!!

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  19. LOL, it sounds like you and I have the same concerns about biking. I don't even own one. I never have. I can kinda ride a bike but not as well as most people. I'd love to but don't know if I'll ever get there.

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  20. I give you full credit for riding, whether or not you can make it the whole way or not! Good for you!

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  21. Biking is wonderful exercise. keep up the good work.

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  23. I'd rather be on the K-Mart bike myself. sandie

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  24. Ha...not an option...there we have it..the very bike, bike group. Ummm let's see...$65 or $6500.

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  25. WOW, u r lucky, at least u r doing a workout :p
    not only eating like i do

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  27. Riding a bike should be fun doesn't matter if you don't make it all the way.

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  28. Checking in from Another SIlly Baby Blog...thanks for the follow :) I'm envious of your beach bike ride and I'm sure you can make it on any bike (unless you get a flat!)

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  29. pedaling slow and easy and enjoying the view along the way is the way i would go.

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  30. If you ever road a higher quality bike you would part with your $ 65.00 ten speed in a heart beat. Cycling is well worth getting into. You don't have to be a pro. You need to ride at a high enough level so that it is enjoyable.

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  31. My husband and I bought great bikes at our local Goodwill store for $15 a piece. We'd love to ride, lol.
    Before we moved back to the city, bike riding was an everyday thing for us. I hate riding in the city though. Maybe one day we will get back on it.

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  32. I haven't ridden a bike in years but I'm toying with the idea of starting again. There is an $89 bike at Target with two speeds (stop and go) and coaster brakes that I have my eyes on. I'll be in the "nice and relaxing" category with you.

    My son is a pro...his bike is worth more than my and my husband's cars COMBINED. He is in the "failure is not an option" category.

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  33. My guess is that you on your $65 KMart bike is worth more than 10 of those snotty ones on the fancy-schmancy bikes!

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  34. I took the kids and the bikes over to Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday. We rode for four hours straight.

    Except of course, when we stopped for ice cream twice. :)

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  35. Well it must be nice to be that confident. I haven't ridden a bike in so long... with my rickety joints I couldn't swing my leg over to get on LOL.One things for sure you don't need a fancy bike to have fun and get a little exercise. Keep having fun and thanks for visiting!

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  36. Hi Annmarie, biking is a good exercise, keep up the good works. Sound like lots of fun.

    Have a nice weekend.

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  38. I would much rather ride with you on the beach than with that group.

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  39. i dunno i read what he is saying different...there is no option, you just make it...

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  40. I love biking but don't do it enough. Right now, with the temps up as high as 116 here in Arizona, it is far to hot to think about going anywhere on a bike! I bought a pretty nice bike a few years back but then my son outgrew his bike and wanted to borrow mine and things with my bike went downhill from there.

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  41. You are active and healthy. If my country has 4 seasons weather, I will try biking too.

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  42. I used to love riding bikes when I was a kid. I just don't own a bike any more. :(

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  43. There are some days I really wish for a bike and then just as I round a corner on my rural street I am over it and yes almost ran over it ...the biker who braves biking in the rural narrow street of our community YIKES!!!

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  44. Hey, a K-mart bike is better than nothing!! I need to get a bike this year.

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  45. Of course you'd make it all the way. I have no doubt.

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  46. I love that you are riding!!! Phooey on the nay-sayers! :)

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  47. well, you are doing very well bikin g everyday. I wish I could do that too:) But, my nature of work requires me to drive patients to diffirent errands. ANyway, have a nice weekend.

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  48. I was thinking of getting a bike to mix things up. I am going to go to KMart to check it out. Have a good weekend!

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  49. I am proud of you. You go girl.

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  50. Just been riding today in the country ; my bike was borrowed and it was probably the most pleasant day of my holidays ! Groups are groups and you are YOU ; I say enjoy it !xx

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  51. thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog...now I'm a follower of yours. your posts are too funny!!!
    Debbi
    -yankeeburrowcreations

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  52. Well at least you are doing something! Hats off to you for biking on your $65 K-Mart bike:) Have a blessed day, HUGS!

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  53. I went to the bike store for serious cyclists in search of a bike that fits me. I'm 5 foot 1 and have a back and foot problem. I didn't want to reach for the handle bars. The sales guy pulled out the perfect Schwinn for me. And he said, "I just bought this one for my mom!" It is a granny bike, but I love it! And even on my Schwinn I wouldn't finish either. :)

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  54. I absolutely love biking. There is nothing like getting to cover lots of beautiful open space and enjoying the view as you burn those calorie. Seriously, nothing better.

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  55. Hahaha, you get left behind! I see pro bikers here and they do leave people behind. Some groups do wait but usually we will see one lone biker changing a flat tire and then their matching group ahead still going. I also see tons of women, older folk and larger folk. Someties we see bikers who are obviously touring the coast with big over grown bushy beards and toting a lot of gear and im jealous.....that's my dream. Biking is great, join a group if you want!
    ~Christina

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  57. Haha! I can totally relate. You know, we all have our own special skills and talents. Maybe you couldn't "go the whole way" with this bike group, but YOU write a most excellent blog. You go the distance that way! :)

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  58. I know how you feel - my husband and I get on our bikes and feel so proud when we go a reasonable distance, but many of the people on our local bike trail ride 30-50 miles a day to the beach and back. That is just not an option for me on my little aqua bike with the basket on the front - even if I do wear biking gloves and biking shorts. I have a niece who cycles with a team like you described and she was recommending bike "saddles" (seats) that were well over $100 and biking shorts that were just as much. We're just not that hard core. I think the most miles we've ever ridden at once was 18 - and I was about dead. But we do have fun - you just need to find the right group to belong to! And as someone above said, if you get tired, stop for ice cream!

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  59. Petal on--at your own speed--on your own sweet bike!

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  60. Eeek, "that's not an option" ? Well, I wouldn't want to join that group!

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  61. in the words of dory the fish with a little altering "just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling"

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  62. Psshhh... I bet you do very well with your bike! You go girl!

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  63. I did about 10 miles on my bike there other day, that route sure looked flatter when going by car!!! Keep on biking…….Thanks for popping in, Laura

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  64. That's a classic Annmarie! - ejoy your cycling, its a wonderful form of exercise and very liberating - at your own pace! :)

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  65. We've started cycling too, finally, after all 4 bikes have been repaired.. it took a while..

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  66. I much prefer riding at my own pace and why not. If it's what I want to do, then so be it. I'm proud of you for biking, it's great exercise.
    Sam

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  67. I would keep going with the K-Mart special. It's not about the equipment - it's about the thought behind it.

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  68. Oh funny! I knew some people in those biking clubs and their bikes started at $2,000...which I thought was crazy, but they last longer than most automobiles do with less maintenence required!

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  69. The people in biking groups are crazy. My brother does that and it's amazing how many miles they ride at one time. I am not sure how they do it.

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  70. Ha! I love that they didn't understand how someone could ask that. (I would TOTALLY be wondering the same thing.) Thanks for stopping by to follow me, and I'm following you now. :)

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  71. There's nothing wrong with solo biking. Reading your post has made me determined to get back on my bike.
    Every Sunday for about 5 years, I'd take off for a 20,30,and the very occasional 35 mile ride around my locality. I remember finding places that I didn't realise existed having only passed in the car, and the country roads out of the town were a joy. In a club, you have to keep up, which is ok if you also bike a lot.

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  72. Geez, well if they can't even imagine someone not making it, then they probably aren't the group to join! :)

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  73. Maybe find a group which is more inclusive :)
    But, there are advantages to biking solo, too.
    Enjoy what you are doing and how you are doing it!

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  74. haha

    That is not an option.

    Alrighty then.

    ;)

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  75. Hardcore bicyclists are a tough bunch to join if you're not into competitive bicycling and pushing through the pain.

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