I am having quite a good time riding the bicycle.
- Had originally purchased it to reach the ground for my evening runs. Earlier attempts to walk 4 kilometres there rendered the run redundant [add another 4 kilometres of walk back home].
- With the bicycle, I am at the ground within 12-odd minutes, with enough time-energy for the subsequent run.
- Gradually, I have taken to cycling around the city, as a goal in itself. Hived out Wednesday & Saturday for it instead of running for cardio.
- This Sunday morning, the newspaper was late in arriving. Having woken up & finding no newspaper sticking at the door, decided to take off on the bicycle, on a lark. Rode a little over two hours around the city. By the end of it, notched a personal high, since the buy. It left me sufficiently tired & engulfed me with a warm aura of satisfaction, or it could just be the sun's heat at 11 in the morning. That said, the ride was unplanned, breakfast was skipped, so famished I, therefore, was. An engagement over Brunch Buffet, I was supposed to join an hour later, ensured I ate my money's worth there. One of those instances, where the "let's catch up over Brunch" was reduced to a "let's brunch". To make it a 50 for the day, rode a bit more that evening. Not likely to repeat Sunday workouts, though. Need to give myself a day's break each week.
- Cycling is proving itself to be an achievable activity. On some days, weight training doesn't manifest itself in my mood. Instead, going for a 30-40 minute ride ensures I do something at least, to show for physical activity. 3 days, so far, in the past month, I took to pedalling, as an alternative.
- I am also able to indulge in the pleasure of looking up at the sky while moving. Quasi, pseudo day dreaming on wheels, it is. Watching the bright blue sky, you see birds flying, perched atop the high tension wire strung overhead along the road, as you slowly pass by those walking, standing, hawking induces a calming, zen-like feeling. Peddle slowly along an unhurried road for this.
- Removed the bell, I had got installed as an addition. Hardly ever used it, & the few times I did, nobody bothered to pay heed to a cycle bell. Most importantly, though, given the Derailleur Shifters fixed on the handle, the bell wasn't installed in a convenient location.
- Cycle lanes are no place for cyclists. Parked vehicles have taken it over. That said, cycle lanes weren't a thing growing up, so no deficiency of experience.
- Purchasing the Firefox Rapide has been a happy decision, so far. Got a free 1-month servicing last week. It's light weight ensures, whenever required, I can just lift it and take it up staircases with ease. Have found nothing to complain about. The price, though, should have been less by ₹ 2,000/=, I feel. Cycle prices, generally, have shot up in the past 2 years. The Rapide, for example, was a sub-20K bicycle in 2020.
- Once during a ride, the chains came undone. It happened while I was shifting gears on an incline. Got it put back at a cycle shop in vicinity. When I went for the aforementioned servicing, the Mechanic explained that it happened because of a sudden jerk that caused the chain to jump & come out of the sprocket tooth. I don't recall moving over any pothole at the time it happened. He suggested that I change gears shortly prior to commencement of the incline, rather than on the incline. He also warned me not to ride the bike in a Gear position, where the chain appears diagonal in the Top view. Have been following his advise.
- For now, my focus is on making cycling a habit. Quality of ride is no priority at the moment. Tracking my rides with a Mi 5 Smart Band. Had purchased a refurbished model last year. Saved around Rs. 3,000/= on it & it's working fine. It's successor, the Mi Smart Band 6 also available as a refurbished sale [affiliate URLs]. Helps quantify your efforts, so that you know your next target.
Godspeed