Brian Rides a Bike

So I went out for the first time today. I haven't owned a bike in at least 15 years, and I've never ridden anywhere with any sort of traffic. So I picked a route and a time I knew would have as few cars as possible. It wasn't too bad. But I do plan on staying as far from traffic as possible for some time.

Here I am getting ready. The helmet was free from a community medical center in Jackson Heights. Apparently they don't like dealing with head injuries. Lazy bums. But who can turn down free? And it came with a free tape measure (because they didn't want to spread head cooties from freeloader to freeloader) which has come in handy for rearranging furniture. I double-checked that the liquor cabinet nee computer armoire behind me would fit between the entertainment center and the wall with that very tape measure. Thanks, community health center in Jackson Heights! My precious brains and liquors are safer thanks to you. And thanks to Kate for finding it and dragging me down there. She's awesome.

Here's where I rode. According to Google, it's 1.5 miles, and it took me about 15 minutes. I really just wanted to get a feel for it and figure out what I have to remember and adjust. The main thing I need to learn is to downshift when slowing down. I forget all the time and so I'm forced to start again in high gear. Not fun. There are more stop signs and street lights around here than in New River.

All in all, I deem it a success. Now I just need to learn how to make Google Maps work better for me here...


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