May is National Bicycle Month and as a life long Bicycle Advocate I encourage our members to take a bike ride this month.

The bicycle remains the most efficient, cleanest and healthiest form of transportation. Besides, it’s enjoyable.

Join the Niagara Chapter Rides as a venture that with the expertise of our Coordinators and the numbers on the road with you ensure support and safety. If you are an experienced with a favorite bicycle ride contact Ron Dorr, Bicycle Coordinator at: ilikeoutdoors@gmail.com to lead a ride.

Two impediments to enjoying bicycles are the tenderness of your rump and upper inner thighs and sore arms. Either or both often discourage climbing on the bicycle second time. But its an easy solution to getting used to physical challenge by learning better habits.

The first rides should be time not distance rides. Twenty minutes three or four times a week can familiarize your body to your seat and stretching that to thirty then forty minute rides can have you ready for 25 – 30 mile rides by June.

If you run or ski you might be able to ride in any gear. But the lowest gear fore and aft can allow you to spin and condition yourself in very quick order. I worked out on stationary bicycles but one year for therapy I was instructed to keep the gears as low as possible and I had full recovery and was in better shape faster than ever before.

We also often put too much weight on our arms. To avoid this, just put more weight on our feet. I cannot emphasize this too much. While you are riding actually lift your rump slightly off your seat by raising yourself on your feet and lessen your weight on your arms at the same time.

Practice these things and by July you will be able to join the bicycling nearly anywhere. Bicycle Club folk used to do 30-mile rides by June,  40 some by July and during August stretch our distances in preparation for that Century (100 Mile) in September. Once you pass those physical and psychological barriers you will learn the easiest cheapest way to good health and enjoying your area.

Those steel cocoons (cars) we drive around in actually separate us from the world we drive through but bicycle travel joins us to them.