Bikes

I have been walking regularly for over 2 months, and can push Mac in his stroller for an hour now.  That's the good news. The bad news is that I am in pain, a lot.  Mostly my legs, but also my neck and back.  My doctor suggested I ride a bike, which should build up my leg muscles without putting stress on my joints.

My old mountain bike, which I used to ride for 30 km per trip is way to uncomfortable for me.  I can't bend over and ride any more, not with my neck issues.

My uncle Buck gave this cool upright bike to my Mom and I.

Jeep bike

 Isn't it a great looking bike?  It's an older Jeep Cruiser, 8 speeds.  I cleaned it up, took it for a few rides, and find it better than my mountain bike, but very difficult to pedal and balance on.

 It has lovely balloon tires which should make for a nice ride, but somehow it doesn't help.  When I ride, the entire bike shakes and wobbles and makes so much noise. 

The seat is uncomfortable, and the hand grips hurt, but the worst thing is my balance.  I have to put the seat up so I can extend my leg to pedal, but then I'm so high up that I can't reach the ground.  I hoped I'd get used to it; that it was just a matter of being out of practice, but in the meantime I googled balance and bikes and found out there's a bike called the Townie by electra, that has the pedal crank pushed forward so that you can sit on the seat, with your feet reaching the ground, and still pedal and extend your legs.

It sounded too good to be true, but I found one at our local bike shop and went for a test drive and OMG, what a huge difference.  It was soooo very comfortable, but even better, felt safe and secure and stable. 

I've been trying to get used to this Jeep bike for 3 weeks now, while thinking about the Electra Townie, and dreaming about it.  The price was the only problem; I"m on a fixed income and the bike is expensive.

Then I told my best friend about it and she told me to buy it.  One of her friends just died from cancer; she was at the funeral yesterday.  Two more of her friends were just diagnosed.  She said life is too short; she would definitely buy the bike.  Then she reminded me that she owes me money; enough to buy the bike with some left over for a helmet and light and accessories.

So, I'm going to get a brand new bike, one that I can ride and feel safe and comfortable on.  One that will allow me to build up the muscles in my legs and hopefully help me to lose weight.

This is the one I hope to get; either in this color, or in powder blue:

Townie Electra

I really love this coral color.

My Mom is screaming and swearing and life here is unbearable, so it will be nice to have a bike so I can get out and about and get some exercise to boot.