Bicycle Ride

Yesterday was another orders out day, and the weather was so nice that I got out the bicycle to run my errands. 

Now, if I said it's been many years (more than 30) since I rode a bicycle with any regularity, it would be an understatement.  I finally got back on a bicycle last fall out of necessity, and rediscovered my childhood love for bicycle riding, the warm spring breezes flowing through my hair, the thrill of riding down a steep hill (although I now use the brake to control the speed most of the time, something I didn't do much of as a kid), the deftly dodging obstacles, and the feeling of freedom.  What I did not remember was the aches from muscles not used to riding, the practice of balancing correctly, and the muscle tone needed to round those corners.  All this made for an interesting ride first ride of the season.

I had 2 errands to run.  One was to pick up a package at one post office, and the other was to mail packages out at another post office.  The reason for the two post offices is one is pick up only, the other is drop off only.  I have no idea why it's done this way, just that it is.  I could go almost entirely downhill by picking up the package first, then going to drop off the packages going out, so that's how I planned my route.  With the packages going out safely tucked away in my backpack, I started off. 

My first challenge came with the first hill.  Now would be a good time to mention that the bike I use is a hand-me-down from one of my sons, and it has some idiosynchrosies, much like it's previous owner, the most notable of which is it shifts when it feels like it, most often up hill, and I have gotten countless bruises on my knees from it doing precisely that.  I managed not to bruise my knees yesterday, and for about a mile it was smooth riding, with me enjoying the ride tremendously.  When I got to the first post office, I ran into challenge number 2: the package I was picking up was too big for my backpack, and I don't have a basket on this bike.  Thankfully my son had left a bungie cord wrapped around the seat post of the bike, so after some time fumbling, I was able to mount the package New York style above the front tire of the bike, and the bungie cord around the handlebar column.  I glided easily to the second post office, where I found that I had perhaps attached the package a little too well to the bike, since it now didn't want to come off, as well as the kickstand becoming cranky and deciding it didn't want to hold up the bike anymore, and I would need a wrench I didn't have with me to tighten it up.  Luckily the post office has windows so I could park the bike where I could keep an eye on it while I mailed out my packages, which I did.  Then it was off again, across the strip mall and a block up the street.

That's when I ran into my old nemisis, "The Hill".  This is no ordinary hill, more like a monster of one that runs 3 blocks up at an angle that would make San Fransisco proud.  As usual I hopped off the bike and walked it up, panting by the time I reached the top as usual.  The half a mile home was a breeze, mostly flat with a slight uphill grade, and the weather was beautiful.  I am, however, being reminded by various muscle groups that I have not ridden a bike since last fall, and they are going to take some time to get used to it again.