Metabiking

Until now I have tried to keep my posts limited to the experiences and locations that I see on my bike rides, but now prepare yourself for a whole post about…Biking!  One of the reasons for this is that a blog Biking @ Dickinson written by Mariah Murphy already had some great writing about the benefits and joys of biking, and I wanted to establish my blog.

I got my first road bike sophomore year of high school.  I remember trying to ride it to up my driveway and falling over painfully slowly, as I couldn’t figure out how to shift down.

My first road bike, a 2010 Specialized Allez

I soon got the hang of it and that Spring I biked the three mile trip to school every morning.  One memorable day, after a weekend of torrential rain the bridge on my way to school was covered in two feet of water.  Already running late I had no choice but to continue through the water.  I showed up to history soaking wet, and thoroughly embarrassed.

Unfortunately when I got my license junior year, my bike was pushed to the back of the garage as the exciting new world of driving opened up to me. Biking had became a chore, and almost a punishment.

Exhausted at the end of Bike MS

It wasn’t Thanksgiving last year when my newfound friends, Alec and Andrew, took me on a bike ride around the farms of Carlisle. It was definitely the shared experience of biking with friends that changed my view of biking and reminded me why I used to enjoy it so much.  We were able to cover incredible distances and discover parts of Pennsylvania we wouldn’t otherwise see.  That summer Alec and I did a Bike MS charity ride.  We both raised a few hundred dollars and spent two days covering 160 miles throughout Rhode Island.  Although I was unable to sleep without terrible leg cramps this was the most challenging and fun bike ride I’ve ever done.

One very broken bike

Although I have a road bike I often bike through the woods, jumping over roots, threading between trees, and popping more tires than I can afford.  The only downside of my woodland adventures is usually walking my broken bike back to campus.

Here are some of the best parts about biking.

1. I consider myself in pretty good shape, but whenever I run for more than ten minutes my chest hurts, legs feel numb, and I slow down incredibly.  With biking I’m able to keep a much faster pace over miles instead of a lap on a track.  I can coast on downhills to conserve energy, and blast through uphills.

2. I have a road bike, but stupidly that doesn’t stop me from exploring off the path.  I love the technical nature of dodging rocks, roots, and trees all on half inch tires and no tread.  I get the occasional flat tire, or smashed frame, but it feels great not being restricted to roads.

3. This

4. I haven’t done much in the way of bike competitions, but any type of race is fun.

5. Oh the places you’ll go.  That’s basically what this whole blog is about, read up.