Bike Riding

Do you prefer a heart-pounding ride down a steep incline or a leisurely roll along a country road? How about a fun ride through a city park or cruising along the boardwalk on a bike for two? What about taking sandwiches with you or stopping along the way for lunch? These are just some of your options on a bike-riding date.

LANCE YOU AREN'T!

Whatever you do, don't go for a twenty-mile bike ride if you or your date haven't been on wheels in awhile. Select a route that compliments your levels of ability or inability. You don't want to be remembered as "that maniac in the black shorts." This should be an enjoyable ride; not tryouts for the Tour de France.

COST

It's free if you both have bikes, up to $25 each if you need to rent them plus whatever you spend on food.

FINDING A ROUTE

For safety reasons, choose a route that's far away from busy streets.

Most cycling clubs will be happy to offer advice on routes. Call your local bike shop to locate the bike clubs in your area.

Many cities have designated bike paths. Call your city's parks and recreation department to see if a map is available.

A good place to try is the Great Outdoors Recreation Page on the website at www.gorp.com. This is a great resource for routes in any area. There is a state-by-state listing with descriptions of each route.

Go to www.bikeride.com for a website with regional links and a good book selection.

For good books on bike paths and routes, try www.bikeride.com

PREPARATION

A few days before the date, check out your bike to make sure it is in good shape. If you are renting bikes, call the store to see if you need to make reservations.

WHAT TO BRING

Bring a map if the area where you are riding is unfamiliar. Or if you are like us, forget the map and bring a flare gun to help the rescue teams eventually find you.

Bring something to keep your keys and wallet in so they aren't rubbing against your skin for the entire ride.

You'll need water to drink.

The Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club www.mohawkhudsoncycling.org recommends that you bring the following: A first aid kit, identification and medical insurance cards, a spare innertube and patch kit, a tool kit for repairs, tire pump, food, water, wind breaker, toilet paper and sunscreen. The toilet paper seems like a really good idea, given how you don't want to be asking yourself "Poison oak or maple leaf?" if you are out in the wild. But instead of taking a whole roll, why not get a ten-pack of those wet-wipe things and hope that you don't need eleven or twelve.

TYPES OF BIKES

Here are some of the different kinds of bikes you can ride:

Road or Touring Bike: These bikes have narrow tires and are made for use on pavement.

Cruisers: These big boys have fat tires and only one speed. They are the ultimate beach bike.

Recumbent: The rider sits in a reclining position and pedals with his or her feet forward.

Tandem: Also known as a two-seater or bike for two.

Mountain Bikes: There are three kinds. The Downhill has front and rear shocks, the Cross Country has front shocks only, and the Light Duty is a hybrid.

BRIGHT IDEA

If you aren't familiar with a bike route that you are planning to take a date on, why not try it on your own beforehand? Of course, if you are the terminally obsessive type, perhaps it would be a good idea to confront your demons and try a route that you don't know every square foot of.

MAGAZINES

Bicycling Magazine—www.bicycling.com/ (800)666-2806. We once phoned Bicycling Magazine for information on bike riding and genital injuries and they got all uppity as if boy bikers don't have balls or anything. Nonetheless, this is a good resource for biking information. If you are concerned about your private parts, consider getting a no-nose saddle or a recumbent bike. These are very cool bikes. Our website consultant is a recumbent biking lover who firmly believes in the horizontal ride.

FOR THE HEAD ABOVE YOUR SHOULDERS

Bike helmets are like condoms for your cranium. Bike riders without helmets are fourteen (14) times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than bicyclists who wear a helmet.

When you are wearing a helmet, you might not feel as much wind rushing through your hair, but they cut down on head and brain injuries by 88%. They also offer substantial protection to your forehead and midface. (Just so you'll know, even if you survive a brain injury, the chances of it leaving you with permanent personality changes are significant. Wearing a helmet substantially decreases the chance of this happening.)

Bike-related crashes kill 900 people every year and send 567,000 to hospital emergency rooms with injuries. Wearing a bike helmet can greatly reduce the risk of this happening to you.

Helmet laws vary from city to city. Many states require people under sixteen to wear helmets, although some cities and counties require all riders of all ages to strap one on. For a state-by-state breakdown of helmet laws, check www.bhsi.org

Please check the website of the Snell Memorial Foundation for a list of helmets that are certified as safe to wear. The Snell Memorial Foundation tests helmets for safety, but does not sell helmets. Their website is www.smf.org

HOW-TO AND SAFETY BOOKS

Bicycling Magazine's Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills by Ed Pavelka, et al. Rodale Press.

Effective Cycling by John Forester, (6th edition) MIT Press.

FOR UNDER YOUR SHORTS

The folks at www.internationaljock.com carry a specialized kind of underwear which makes riding a bicycle more comfortable. You can wear it under a pair of normal shorts and have all of the benefits that those strange-looking spandex biker shorts offer minus the strange look. They also help minimize chafing.

GOOD TOURING RESOURCE

Go to www.rei.com Select the "Cycling" section under the "Learn & Share" menu.

ALTERNATIVE

Rent a bike built for two!