I got in about 30 miles today on two wheels, including a stretch on the Capital Trail along Rt. 5.
I’m so glad to see how many folks are out there on the Trail riding new bikes — which makes me think that they may be newly-active. That’s a real good thing! However, I wish more folks knew how to better enjoy their bicycles.
Here’s one way: when you’re riding your bicycle, pedal at a cadence of 90 revolutions per minute. That’s the most efficient cadence for your body, and it’s the easiest to maintain. That’s why you have so many gears on your bicycle: to maintain that cadence; to gear down and up according to whether you’re riding uphill or downhill, and according to whether you’re riding into or with the wind.
Now, pause and rotate your hands at that cadence. Is that faster than you’re used to? It’s three times faster than some folks I see on the Trail! Next time you’re on your bike, gear down and ride a few miles at 90 rpm! What a difference!
(If you’re bouncing in your seat at that cadence, then your seat is too low. Raise it so that your knee is only slightly bent when your foot is at the bottom of the pedaling circle. You’ll be amazed at the increased power you have when your seat is properly adjusted.)
There are many times I’ve seen a cyclist, with his/her seat too low, straining to pedal in too high a gear, and I want to say, “Shift down into a lower gear! Pedal faster! You’re working too hard! You’re not having much fun, are you?”
I don’t say anything. They don’t know me. I’m a stranger to them. But I know all y’all, see, so I can say these things!
And about that helmet.
Wait. You do wear a helmet, right?
It drives me nuts to see people wearing helmets on the back of their heads. I want to say, “If you go down, you’re not going to fall backwards! You need to protect your forehead and the front of your head!”
Check out these illustrations:
Well, I don’t give advice on how to wear a helmet to strangers on the Trail. But I know all y’all …
In whatever is your chosen exercise, here’s the key: ENJOY yourselves, as you care for the most precious thing God has created for you: your bodies!
