One of my favorite things about cycling, running, yoga and being active in general is meeting other people that also feel passionate about such things. I mean it’s one thing to ride a bike to the beach on a warm summer weekend morning, but it is exponentially better to do it with some friends. The pic is of my (now old GT) bike and my amazing friend Wendy’s Jamis on a beautiful day last summer.
I’m so excited to be a participant in the Napa Echelon Gran Fondo in May, and an awesome side benefit has been joining a team for the ride and getting an opportunity to connect with other passionate cyclists. A lot of people look at cycling as a solo sport and though, like running it can be done alone, it gets so much more interesting when you add a team, or better yet 20 teams into the mix.
People ask me how I can sit and watch the Tour De France for hours and hours every summer – but to me it’s fascinating. Everything from the technical aspects of drafting to the biological art of eating on the bike, to the social aspects of community amongst riders appeals to me. So many factors uniting to create a complex and consistently interesting sport! How could it not be fun to watch, I wonder?
Why are some people better climbers? How important is cadence? Double or triple chain ring? All of these are questions with so many different answers, or answers that evolve with the level of ones riding. Meeting others that think about and ask these kinds of questions is refreshing and wonderful. All of it makes me so psyched for my new bike and for the spring.
So, although spin classes are still currently in the rotation, it won’t be long now before I roll down the familiar Ocean Parkway, past Coney Island and onward to the beach with some dear friends. And not long after that, a flight to the west coast and a first time ever ride through Napa. So much to look forward to, come on out and join me for a ride.
Yay for your new bike! Can’t wait to meet you too
I’m fairly new to all the logistics of cycling, but it’s so interesting all that goes into it! fascinating! I need to work on climbing 