How To Build A Bike Habit

[yolfer]

http://bikeyface.com/2013/05/08/small-steps/

Cute cartoon about becoming a cyclist. I'll transcribe the serious/important part, which is a plan for going from "drive everywhere" to "ride everywhere":

How To Build A Bike Habit

1. Enjoy your neighborhood

• Bike close to home
• Bike with friends/groups
• Bike to meet friends for cafes, lunch, dessert
• No schedule/deadlines
• Use bike paths, side streets, low traffic roads [ed: this is good advice no matter what]
• Have fun!

2. Have adventures

• Explore further from home
• Take new roads
• Longer fun rides
• See how far places are on bike
• Experiment with route planning
• Do a dry-run biking to work on weekend

3. Build a routine

• Bike to work one day per week
• Increase frequency gradually
• Good weather only
• Rest sore muscles
• Develop experience

4. Challenge yourself

• Run errands
• Learn how to carry things
• Bike in different weather
• Bike in unfamiliar places
• Go longer distances
• Bike in formal clothes

5. Habit & Addiction
"Blizzard conditions with a headwind during rush-hour before a holiday weekend and possible meteor strike and/or zombie alien invasion? Of course I'm biking."

What I like about these steps is that most biking advocates try to start people on steps 3 or 4, and forget that must of us had to start on step 1 ourselves. I'm guilty of this myself.

[Jamesqf]

Though as a matter of fact, I started my adult biking career by doing a trip through the southern Sierra Nevada, including Sequoia NP.  "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" :-)

[boy_bye]

That is an awesome post! I think I went through the first two of those stages without realizing it -- I'm at stage 3 now and well on the way to stage 4!

Question though: I'm about 6 weeks in to commuting twice a week, and I'm getting stronger for sure ... But why are my legs still sore? I guess I am riding a little faster as time goes on, but I was thinking the soreness would go away after the first couple weeks and that has definitely not been the case. In fact they seem more sore now, sometimes. Is that weird or normal?

[matchewed]

It's like any exercise. Try giving yourself a rest day and see how you feel. But over a long enough timeline you won't feel sore with a standard commute. Also are you doing any other activities which are leg intensive?

On topic - I feel like I bounce around those stages but I can see how it's a good framework. :)

[nktokyo]

Good post.

I think you could shortcut a lot of it by making it more convenient to bike. Put your keys somewhere so inconvenient that you might as well just bike :P

[Russ]

Question though: I'm about 6 weeks in to commuting twice a week, and I'm getting stronger for sure ... But why are my legs still sore? I guess I am riding a little faster as time goes on, but I was thinking the soreness would go away after the first couple weeks and that has definitely not been the case. In fact they seem more sore now, sometimes. Is that weird or normal?

"It never gets easier, you just go faster"
-Greg LeMond (first American Tour de France winner)

IMO being a little sore is normal and you're probably more sore now because you're able to push yourself a little harder. your body would probably love one or two rest days though to let yourself recover fully. Then when you get back at it, because your muscles will be starting fresh at full capacity, you'll be even faster and be sore less often!

[boy_bye]

That's a great quote, Russ -- and most likely correct as I guess I have been ramping up my speed, my miles, and the size of the hills I'm willing to (try to) climb. I have been taking a day off between bike rides, but maybe I need a couple of days.

At any rate, I'm sorry to thread jack -- I really liked that comic!

[tmac]

I just printed it out and put it over my desk. Thanks for the link! Now, back to the living room to finish installing my fenders!

[matchewed]

Ya know Yolfer... thank you for killing my productivity for the afternoon. :)

I didn't follow the link until today.

[yolfer]

Ya know Yolfer... thank you for killing my productivity for the afternoon. :)

I didn't follow the link until today.

Sorry! :)