Recently I decided that I needed to lose weight. Well, several million Americans and I decided that, since that happens on any given week. However, I had become increasingly concerned both about my health and about my Orthodox witness. It is somewhat hard to preach on self-control if you can look down and see the top of your belly. I was also influenced by another priest in our parish who has done an incredible job of losing weight. So far I have had a measure of success.
As part of my weight loss regimen, I decided to return to a practice that I used to love, bycicle riding. When I was about 12, I signed up for a paper route. I used to bicycle miles every week, for it was a small town and I had about 150 customers. The bicycle had twin panniers mounted on it in which I carried my papers. While I hated bad weather riding, and winters could get mighty cold up in Ohio, I certainly enjoyed riding my bicycle. Eventually I stopped with the paper route, but I kept my love of bycicles.
Years later, when I returned from the Army and was living in Mansfield, OH, I decided to return to bicycle riding. I bought myself a Schwinn at the local bicycle shop. It was the first bicycle that was my size rather than the stock size that many stores stocked. It was expensive, but I thought it was worth it. I had the bicycle through seminary and last two years of college, though my wife tells me that she cannot remember my having it when we met in college. I rode miles on that bicycle and thought nothing of it. It was “only” a 10 speed, but that was all that was easily available in 1973. My current bicycle is a 24 speed, something which did not even exist back then. For those of you who know bicycles, I own a Giant Roam 2.
So, I went and bought a bicycle, which I have faithfully been riding several days a week for several miles. I did find out some things:
1. Bicycles appeared incredible expensive to me today. Then I used a financial calculator only to find out that the $110 that I spent in 1973 would be about $570 today. So, I realized that I am getting old and beginning to suffer from that syndrome that says that prices are too high. It helped me to go back and look and see that the minimum wage in 1973 was $1.60.
2. For those of you who say that you can still get an under $100 bike at several stores, such as Wallmart, K-mart, etc., I tried that. Within three weeks a pedal had come off, a tire had gone flat, and the shifters would sometimes shift into the right gear and sometimes not. I gave up and bought a better, and more expensive, bicycle. So, I do not recommend such a bicycle unless you are an occassional rider and only for short distances.
3. I still have fast reflexes. I found that out the other day when I heard some squealing of brakes behind me and quickly took my bicycle off onto the berm of the road. A tow truck went past me with another car on the driver’s left. Apparently even though the tow truck must have seen me, the driver chose to wait to change lanes until the last second only to find out that he was being passed. For a man who turns 60 this year, I can still react quite fast to the sound of a squealing brake. And, I did not even wipe but stayed upright and pedaling. Sadly, drivers today still behave every bit as badly towards bicyclists as drivers did back then.
4. I still have a fast release of adrenalin that can surge through my legs and get them to pumping faster and with power. I found that out when a golden retreiver decided that he wanted to retrieve me. Even all these many years later, dogs still do not realize that bicyclists are not the same as deer and squirrels.
5. Finally, I found out that bicycle riding is still fun and worth doing. I am putting in about 30-35 miles a week now and beginning to research bicycle trails. Unfortunately, most of the trails in this area are designed for mountain bikes rather than hybrid bicycles or road bicycles. There are some road courses laid out, but these do not have actual bicycle lanes, they are simply surface roads that lead past interesting places. And, I am simply not attracted to mountain biking though I am impressed by those who participate in that sport.
So, keep me in your prayers, both that I might press through to lose all the weight I need to lose and that the Lord would keep a couple of guardian angels at my shoulders, particularly ones who might keep vehicles off of me!
Looked like it was working to me when I saw you at the wedding. You looked great! As far as bicycles and cars, be careful. Accidents for cyclists in Miami appears to be on the rise every year. Between texting and cell phones, people just do not pay attention. From what I understand, it’s pretty much the same in all states. I’m always wary when I have vehicles around me. Be safe big brother. Whatever would I do without you to agitate? And don’t forget to turn your cell phone off during services. Some little imp may call it just to embarrass you. 🙂 Love you.
That was interesting Father. When I was a kid I bought my first bike with babysitting money. I don’t remember what kind, but remember it was green. Every morning in the summer the neighborhood kids would meet and ride in the Arnold Arboretum which was a 350 acre park in Boston near our house.
I haven’t ridden much after that, although I do have a bike. It is the kind you referred to earlier, breaking down, not shifting properly, and a generally unpleasant ride.
We’re in this one together as I have been making attempts to drops some weight (though I’m sure you dont weight as much as I do!) though in my case the biking is done within a gym as my lungs are sensitive to the crushing humidity and oppressive heat of summer (and on the opposite spectrum- the cold of winter) I’m not sure where exactly you live- if its city or suburbia. Either way, ride safe and good luck to your goals! 🙂
I also rode a bicycle frequently while in college. I even used to take my son with me in the child seat. We would ride all over Binghamton, NY by bicycle.
Now, I am 41, still trying to get the weight down where it should be, and recovering from back surgery and a recently sprained ankle. My doctor told me the best exercise he could recommend for strengthening the ankle would be bicycling. I figured that would be good for some weight loss and exercise all the way around. So, when I get the “walking boot” off in two weeks I will be looking for a bicycle. I’m in a fairly rural area now with some roads that have very little vehicle traffic, but we also have a 26-mile bike/walking trail network in a nearby city as well.
I wish there was such a network near where I live. I do recommend that you avoid a cheap bicycle, lest your experience be so negative that you decide that your memories were not good ones. A good bike bought from a bike shop that can “fit” the bike to you is worth the time, effort, and money.