Hi all,
I took up this craziness about 4 months ago, hoping it would provide motivation to lose weight and get in some semblance of good shape. I started with a 24” that had been a gift 20+ years ago and never ridden. I am 67 years old and was about 80 lb overweight when I started.
In my 3rd practice session I fell backward and hit my head hard. Fortunately, I was wearing a helmet. But suddenly, getting an inch or two closer to the ground seemed real important, so I bought a 19” trials uni. (I wanted the stronger tire to hold my weight.)
With the 19”, I started using a wall at a local school. Within a few sessions, I was riding the 50’ length of that wall. In the beginning, I was so inefficient that my heart rate went to 150 bpm and my breathing was maxed out after 4 runs along the wall. In one direction, I could ride past the end of the wall about 20’ before a curb stopped me. Then on to curb launches and riding across the parking lot. Attempting turns too, with mixed success. After not too much time, I transferred my newbie skills back to the 24”.
Since losing my evening light, I have been working on static mounts in my garage. I’m consistently around 90% on the 19” and 60-80% on the 24”. Time for the bike path.
Today I went to the bike path for the first time. My goal was to ride the 24” for 1 mile, in four 1/4 mile segments. It turned out to be overly optimistic. I rode about .6 miles in 3 segments. My lungs haven’t worked that hard in years! Obviously, I have a lot of work to do on my efficiency. I’ll go back out tomorrow. My goal for 2023 is to ride 2.5 miles in two segments by the end of the year.
The good news is that my mounting practice paid off (sort of). I made 4 attempts, 50% successful. For my first trip into the wild, I’ll take it. (OK, for those of you doing the math, my first mount was assisted.)
That’s my story. I’m having a blast and yes, I’m losing weight.
John