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I gave up my gym membership earlier this year and decided to get my exercise by riding my bicycle.
I found the public gym unpleasant -- too many people, too much sweat, not enough exercisers willing to clean up after themselves. After reading a story about hot tubs, I couldn't bring myself to dip into the bacterial stew at the gym, and even the showers seemed questionable.
So I took to the road. Since running is too hard on less-than-perfect knees, I ride the bike. There are a few of us older and overweight cyclists out there, but only a few. Most folks my age get their exercise in a less public fashion.
It's hard to blame them. For one thing, most of the clothing worn by bicycle enthusiasts nowadays is unflattering for those of us with figures over 50, be it years or waistlines. Those form-fitting biking shorts, while they may flatter those with a firmer figure, create unpleasant sight lines for those of us with a fatter form.
I solved that problem by finding a pair of mountain biking shorts that have the padded, form-fitting part of the garment hidden discretely underneath the baggy exterior. I can wear these almost anywhere without drawing undue attention.
Another challenge is the traffic you meet. One feels very fragile when sharing the highway with Hummers, SUVs and those large pickup trucks so popular with many local drivers.
Most motorists give bicyclists a wide berth, but you always sense a bit of hostility -- real or imagined -- from many of those hulking vehicles.
That's why I favor local trails -- the paved ones that are becoming popular in many of our towns.
I know this isn't true for the real road cyclist -- the ones you see running down the road in packs at high speeds. These riders seem to prefer public streets, and the steeper the better. I've seen dozens making the ascent to Suncrest on Saturdays, and am passed by them frequently when out for a ride.
Nor is it the choice of the mountain biker who yearns for rugged terrain and requires a bike that is accustomed to hard use.
But I own neither a road bike nor a mountain bike. What I ride is called a hybrid by some, a comfort bike by those who are deluded into thinking any bicycle seat can be comfortable.
I once described it for a mountain-biking friend as a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike with the benefits of neither.
That being said, I love my bike, and enjoy seeking those paved city trails that are perfect for an hour of exercise.
This summer I've tried to ride at least three times a week, more often if possible, and I've found that I am fortunate to live only a block away from Highland, which has had the foresight to include trails in most of its new subdivisions.
I'm also a short ride from Alpine, which has many nice trails, although you never know when they might end.
American Fork doesn't have any trails. It has a trail plan showing where trails will go, but no plan to build them. So when I ride, I head north.
Saturday, I headed out for an hour and found myself drawn to the Suncrest road. But the closer I got to leaving Highland and entering Draper, the steeper the road looked. So at the last minute, I took a left turn toward Alpine and went about exploring instead of climbing. I find that more fun anyway.
Near Timberline Middle School I found a trail I'd never seen before, and turned off looking for adventure. Within seconds I was out of sight of the road, and cruising above Dry Creek, which is actually dry right now.
I heard a noise below me and figured I wasn't alone, and then I saw a doe and her two fawns working their way along the creek bed. We looked at each other for a moment, and then the deer were running with an elegant bounce. It was a magical moment.
A good urban trail will do that -- take you out of your world without making you leave the city.
You can't find that in the gym. |
