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I recently crossed the country by road. Situations and people constantly reminded me that even though I’m a US citizen by birth, to others I’m a foreigner who’s in the way and taking up their space. I had experienced racism before, but I live in a small town made up of mostly brown people now, so I had forgotten a little about how it feels to be treated like a pest constantly. It’s my country, but it certainly didn’t feel like my country understands this on several occasions. When you’re standing in front of a person ready to order and the cashier tells her coworker in English thinking I won’t understand, “haha do you think she’ll even know what she’s ordering?” Right after a hotel maintenance lady came up to me and not all the other white peoples sitting around to yell at me because I’m sitting at the wrong area, and when the white people asked why they weren’t reprimanded she continues to yell into my face and my black friend’s face, “I don’t want any trouble, stop causing trouble, just leave!” Yeah. It takes its toll.
I’m angry. I’m angry at comments people I love had made about single mothers, forgetting I’m one of them. I’m angry at comments people I used to like have made about the children being detained. Just angry lately.
So, I bought a bike. Nothing fancy. A cheapo mountain bike that works and can take me from point A to point B and back again. No more renting bikes in every town I visit. I got my gear and even crotch cushioned shorts. I came to San Diego this weekend to ride my bike with an ocean view. I felt angry still, but I smiled at the passerby wearing a funny hat, I said good morning to the happy families, high fived all the hippies and hipsters, the homeless and skaters. I put my phone away so I had no interruptions. I had breakfast on a balcony and then kept riding. It gave me comfort. I felt a bit of joy.
Plus I need to lose weight and increasing the heart rate helps haha I packed in some pounds after two years of beer being my medicine. I need to get back in shape and this is a start.
My legs have been hurting the last two weeks from all this riding but my brain feels like it’s getting massages every time. I know I haven’t been around as much lately, and I miss you guys. I’ve been busy with roads, hills, valleys, winds, rain, sun, and everything that you do when you were dead for two years due to divorce exhaustion and you woke up ready for life, but were confronted with, “We don’t want any problems, just leave!” Fuck you, Ohio!
Anywho... I’ll get a nicer bike when I’m not such a noob at this.
Any cyclists here who would be kind enough to share some tips or whatever? So far I’ve been told to adjust my seat so when I have my foot on the pedal at the bottom, my leg should be straight. I’ve used bikes before lol but this time I want to do it right and stuff.
"Hipster is what happens when young hot people do what old ladies do." -Exian
I recently crossed the country by road. Situations and people constantly reminded me that even though I’m a US citizen by birth, to others I’m a foreigner who’s in the way and taking up their space. I had experienced racism before, but I live in a small town made up of mostly brown people now, so I had forgotten a little about how it feels to be treated like a pest constantly. It’s my country, but it certainly didn’t feel like my country understands this on several occasions. When you’re standing in front of a person ready to order and the cashier tells her coworker in English thinking I won’t understand, “haha do you think she’ll even know what she’s ordering?” Right after a hotel maintenance lady came up to me and not all the other white peoples sitting around to yell at me because I’m sitting at the wrong area, and when the white people asked why they weren’t reprimanded she continues to yell into my face and my black friend’s face, “I don’t want any trouble, stop causing trouble, just leave!” Yeah. It takes its toll.
I’m angry. I’m angry at comments people I love had made about single mothers, forgetting I’m one of them. I’m angry at comments people I used to like have made about the children being detained. Just angry lately.
So, I bought a bike. Nothing fancy. A cheapo mountain bike that works and can take me from point A to point B and back again. No more renting bikes in every town I visit. I got my gear and even crotch cushioned shorts. I came to San Diego this weekend to ride my bike with an ocean view. I felt angry still, but I smiled at the passerby wearing a funny hat, I said good morning to the happy families, high fived all the hippies and hipsters, the homeless and skaters. I put my phone away so I had no interruptions. I had breakfast on a balcony and then kept riding. It gave me comfort. I felt a bit of joy.
Plus I need to lose weight and increasing the heart rate helps haha I packed in some pounds after two years of beer being my medicine. I need to get back in shape and this is a start.
My legs have been hurting the last two weeks from all this riding but my brain feels like it’s getting massages every time. I know I haven’t been around as much lately, and I miss you guys. I’ve been busy with roads, hills, valleys, winds, rain, sun, and everything that you do when you were dead for two years due to divorce exhaustion and you woke up ready for life, but were confronted with, “We don’t want any problems, just leave!” Fuck you, Ohio!
Anywho... I’ll get a nicer bike when I’m not such a noob at this.
Any cyclists here who would be kind enough to share some tips or whatever? So far I’ve been told to adjust my seat so when I have my foot on the pedal at the bottom, my leg should be straight. I’ve used bikes before lol but this time I want to do it right and stuff.
I am sorry that you are experiencing so much trouble due to your heritage. Since Trump, I am more self-conscious around Spanish people now. I never was before, but now I wonder if they think I am thinking bad things about them.
Beer was my medicine for a while, so I can understand from whence you are coming in that regard. I recently lost the beer weight, and I've been jogging more to keep my weight under control. Also, getting out of retail to get into nursing is a huge burden lifted.
I'm glad you're doing better, and ride to your heart's content. <3
I tried bicycle-as-therapy once, didn't work. I laid on that couch for an hour and the bicycle never once asked my about my relationship with my mother.
Kidding aside, sorry for your troubles.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
I recently crossed the country by road. Situations and people constantly reminded me that even though I’m a US citizen by birth, to others I’m a foreigner who’s in the way and taking up their space. I had experienced racism before, but I live in a small town made up of mostly brown people now, so I had forgotten a little about how it feels to be treated like a pest constantly. It’s my country, but it certainly didn’t feel like my country understands this on several occasions. When you’re standing in front of a person ready to order and the cashier tells her coworker in English thinking I won’t understand, “haha do you think she’ll even know what she’s ordering?” Right after a hotel maintenance lady came up to me and not all the other white peoples sitting around to yell at me because I’m sitting at the wrong area, and when the white people asked why they weren’t reprimanded she continues to yell into my face and my black friend’s face, “I don’t want any trouble, stop causing trouble, just leave!” Yeah. It takes its toll.
I’m angry. I’m angry at comments people I love had made about single mothers, forgetting I’m one of them. I’m angry at comments people I used to like have made about the children being detained. Just angry lately.
So, I bought a bike. Nothing fancy. A cheapo mountain bike that works and can take me from point A to point B and back again. No more renting bikes in every town I visit. I got my gear and even crotch cushioned shorts. I came to San Diego this weekend to ride my bike with an ocean view. I felt angry still, but I smiled at the passerby wearing a funny hat, I said good morning to the happy families, high fived all the hippies and hipsters, the homeless and skaters. I put my phone away so I had no interruptions. I had breakfast on a balcony and then kept riding. It gave me comfort. I felt a bit of joy.
Plus I need to lose weight and increasing the heart rate helps haha I packed in some pounds after two years of beer being my medicine. I need to get back in shape and this is a start.
My legs have been hurting the last two weeks from all this riding but my brain feels like it’s getting massages every time. I know I haven’t been around as much lately, and I miss you guys. I’ve been busy with roads, hills, valleys, winds, rain, sun, and everything that you do when you were dead for two years due to divorce exhaustion and you woke up ready for life, but were confronted with, “We don’t want any problems, just leave!” Fuck you, Ohio!
Anywho... I’ll get a nicer bike when I’m not such a noob at this.
Any cyclists here who would be kind enough to share some tips or whatever? So far I’ve been told to adjust my seat so when I have my foot on the pedal at the bottom, my leg should be straight. I’ve used bikes before lol but this time I want to do it right and stuff.
I am sorry that you are experiencing so much trouble due to your heritage. Since Trump, I am more self-conscious around Spanish people now. I never was before, but now I wonder if they think I am thinking bad things about them.
Beer was my medicine for a while, so I can understand from whence you are coming in that regard. I recently lost the beer weight, and I've been jogging more to keep my weight under control. Also, getting out of retail to get into nursing is a huge burden lifted.
I'm glad you're doing better, and ride to your heart's content. <3
Thanks, kit. I think maybe some of us are wondering those things and I can understand that it can make you feel weird. It sucks that there’s so much division lately causing these feelings of fear, defensiveness, prejudice, guilt, and shame. It’s like we’re taking steps backwards. It shouldn’t be this way. And congratulations on your career milestone! Hope it works out for you, kit.
"Hipster is what happens when young hot people do what old ladies do." -Exian
(July 7, 2018 at 6:18 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: I tried bicycle-as-therapy once, didn't work. I laid on that couch for an hour and the bicycle never once asked my about my relationship with my mother.
Kidding aside, sorry for your troubles.
Boru
"Hipster is what happens when young hot people do what old ladies do." -Exian
Jack, hit the road!
It's good that you're going for the bike. It really helps to keep your mind off crap and provides a proper workout.
Sadly, out only exercises your legs... I'd suggest you complement it with some upper body workout.
Hints: use your gears. Use higher gears if you want to push it harder, but bear in mind how good the materials on your bike are - I've once bent my front cog wheel because of putting too much force on it.
It is easier to put some force on it if you lean a bit towards the side where the pedal is going down... Thus keeps you leaning left and right and might provide a bit of side abs workout.
If you mostly ride on a proper track or road, perhaps look into getting a hybrid cycle, next time, instead of a mountain bike.
Do wear a helmet. And take care of being visible and being able to see, if you ride when it's dark.
A backpack makes your sweat more.
Wear sports shirts that handle sweat properly. I've ruined a few t-shirts with my sweat.
As for racism, I can't understand it... But I'm in Europe.
(July 7, 2018 at 6:48 pm)pocaracas Wrote: Jack, hit the road!
It's good that you're going for the bike. It really helps to keep your mind off crap and provides a proper workout.
Sadly, out only exercises your legs... I'd suggest you complement it with some upper body workout.
Hints: use your gears. Use higher gears if you want to push it harder, but bear in mind how good the materials on your bike are - I've once bent my front cog wheel because of putting too much force on it.
It is easier to put some force on it if you lean a bit towards the side where the pedal is going down... Thus keeps you leaning left and right and might provide a bit of side abs workout.
If you mostly ride on a proper track or road, perhaps look into getting a hybrid cycle, next time, instead of a mountain bike.
Do wear a helmet. And take care of being visible and being able to see, if you ride when it's dark.
A backpack makes your sweat more.
Wear sports shirts that handle sweat properly. I've ruined a few t-shirts with my sweat.
As for racism, I can't understand it... But I'm in Europe.
Thanks! I love this! I do wear a helmet. And I’m riding both roads and off roads. I’ll watch leaning towards the pedal that is going down like you suggested. I liked that.
"Hipster is what happens when young hot people do what old ladies do." -Exian
All the assholes that used to keep a lid on their crap have crawled out from under their slimy rocks after cheeto von tweeto got elected. Sorry to see you got that kind of crap. You don't need it, and neither does anyone else. If the stores you were were a chain, perhaps a gentle letter to the CEO about how the company's employees treat people is in order. Riding a bike is a lot of fun, and yes, if you are riding by the beach or something, is quite enjoyable.
Aside, can be ignored: I can't ride my bike anymore yet due to the rate at which my hands are (not) healing quickly enough (for me) after carpal tunnel release surgery. I just went and hooked up my travel trailer, as we are going to camp for a couple of days. I had my son along because I don't have enough strength in my hands to do what used to be a snap.
If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.
Been years and years since I biked. I had also heard the "leg fully extended" rule but that never felt right. I set mine so that there was still a slight bend at the knee. It seemed like that still gave me force thru bottom of the stroke.
And buy a shirt that states "bike powered by stupid honkies".
I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem.
to the CEO about how the company's employees treat people is in order. Riding a bike is a lot of fun, and yes, if you are riding by the beach or something, is quite enjoyable.
