Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Am I Lazy or Just a Wussie

My in-laws acquired a few chickens and the hens are laying eggs. They gave us a couple dozen eggs and I boiled three of them this morning for my AM protein. I don't know why but I feel just like a peasant in feudal France eating these eggs. I don't know if French peasants even ate eggs. I guess because someone I know actually gathered the eggs it makes them more rustic.

The French today enjoy watching pro cyclists ride through their country in a spectacle known in English as "Le Tour de France." If at forty-one I ever hope to compete in le Tour I need to start training on the bike. But getting outside and actually taking your bike with you is such a hassle! There's traffic, weather, and who knows what else?

Enter indoor trainers. I'm contemplating getting one of these things but would obviously like to make the right decision before I plunk down however many francs these things cost. I read a few reviews on Amazon and I have read about other cyclists using them, but I'd like to know if they'd be right for me. At least one plus I see with them is you're training on your own bike, so maybe it wouldn't be exactly like training outside, but at least you're sitting on your own saddle.

A pricier option is a stationary bike. This option worries me a little because I've rarely ridden one that felt anything like riding a real bike. I did ride one at a Y recently that was pretty good. It had aero bars and everything. I looked at the reviews for the Proform le Tour trainer, but the reviews are mixed, people aren't happy with the customer service, and it weighs in at about €926. That's a lot of bread for a peasant like me if I don't end up liking it.

Or, should I just go outside and ride? Wouldn't that make more sense? After all, if you want to do triathlon and cyclocross, you have to get used to the weather. I know I can read the All Seasons Cyclist and be well outfitted for any condition, and I do hope to make it out more this winter on my 'cross or trail bike, but sometimes I'd like to go down to the garage in the morning before work and knock out forty-five minutes of riding without too much hassle.

One other issue I complain about regularly is the lack of good roads around my town. I live in a thriving metropolis with a population of about 9,000 people. You would think there would be a good country road where I could ride for miles and miles without even thinking about it. There are some roads, but they don't have shoulders, and with the curves and the rolling hills I'm too nervous to get out on them. So I do most of my long rides on the Katy Trail, an old railway line converted to a biking trail here in Missouri. It's OK and I appreciate it being there very much, but it is flat and covered in fine gravel, so it's not exactly like riding on the road either.

If you have any suggestions, let me know. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go and gather some lovely filth.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Followers