Yesterday marked the inaugural ride on the new bike. The mountain bike. The yes, I live in the mountain bike capital of the world and I guess I'd better stop saying, "no, I don't mountain bike," bike. The now I have biking shoes, gloves, and special shorts with a magic chamois incorporated into them, on their magic way, bike.
But to ride a bike, start to get your groove, start to develop a feel for shifting, a feel for the bike's braking, a feel for remembering to relax your shoulders - this is good.
In the bigger picture and the more rational/rationalizing side of myself, I can certainly see that having specific shoes, gloves, sunglasses, et. al for riding a bike is, maybe, not completely necessary to ensure successful biking endeavors. And yet, to have shoes, gloves, and the like to gear up in and go out for a bike ride adds a level of compulsion to the whole event that I think, if I let myself, I will like.
Mind you, yesterday's ride was on hard top surfaces, on side roads and bicycle paths and a brief stint along the highway - there was, in fact, no mountainous biking involved. However, it's a tantilizing prospect to work toward, building some comfort and feel with the bike and some strength, to help ensure a more successful first outing into actual mountain/off-road environs.
There is some power in making a decision to grant ourselves a new hobby and then going forward in that decision fully. Sensibly, making smart choices and not buying the latest and greatest crazy gear nor a terribly expensive bicycle; but still, saying YES to tne concept and making it happen.
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