The 400 pound mile

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Bike seat from hell and hill torture


Sorry for the disappearing again, I have been soooo busy this week.

I guess Ill start it off last Friday. I went and picked up a bike from Walmart. 100$, comes with a 90 day warranty. I figured I'm a big enough guy, I will be using that warranty. Also picked up a helmet, water bottle/holder, a light, gloves and a lock. The accessories came to as much as the bike!

So 200$ later I take the bike home and there it sits all day Saturday. Sunday comes around and we do a little tinkering with the bike, fixing the seat height, tightening things, making it all fit.

So comes the big day Sunday...

Sunday I start to commute for the first time ever. 12 miles one way. I leave the house at 1:10pm heading to the gym which is a mile from my work. 1:30 comes around and I realize this stock seat from Walmart is hell. It takes me an hour and 20min to go the 11 miles to the gym, mostly due to the fact the seat was hurting so much. So as I am pedalling along in pain, I realize the second mistake I made.


I went along highbury ave, which in London is a pretty big road, it is also a hilly road. So here I am, first time on a bike in years, first time working out in a few weeks, huffing and puffing up a hill, on the verge of a heart attack, stroke and busting a lung open all at the same time.


And that was only halfway up the first hill.

After walking most of them ;) I Finally get a sort of flat road that takes me to the gym. I get to the gym, change, and start heading back towards work.


This is where I realize that nice flat road was actually a downhill grade road. So in the seat from hell than is trying to become one with my bowels, I push along that hill and finally make it to work around 3:20.

That was just the way there, the best was yet to come.

As I am pulling out after my shift, heading home, my seat becomes loose. It shifts up and down with my weight. On top of that the seat hurts already. I more or less walked the bike home, save for the downhills where I coasted down. It was a long long walk home. On the bright side, I found a old Road Bike that had been left out for trash, and walked that home.

Well that is enough for today, I commuted today too, but I will share that story later.

Thanks for all your support guys.

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