Cyclist Puppy Love

A couple of months ago I started cycling to spice up my exercise routine.

I consistently workout 5-6 days a week, alternating between outside and the gym. LET ME TELL YOU it does get boringggg. I will always keep it real here and to be real that burn out feeling creeps up on me way too often!

Do you know what I mean? No motivation ... no enthusiasm.. nothing. I honestly go through phases where I want to crawl under a rock and eat white cheddar cheez it forever . Therefore I tend to try out new activities that will enforce body movement and fun.

As I searched for my new hobby videos of cyclist shot across my screen. I enjoyed cycling as a kid so this didn't seem far fetched. Drawn into the Trek advertisement and the fluorescent jerseys the research for a new bike had begun.

It took me several weeks to find bike that suited my personality. I even went to my local bike store to get measured. Which that whole process was something new I learned. If you are getting a customized bike I would recommend to get measured to ensure an ideal fit.

I didn't end up going with a customized bike, however I used the results from that fitting to scope out my new baby. After intense strenuous research ( because I'm over the top) I finally decided on a Schwinn hybrid.

I placed my order with Academy Sports + Outdoors. My heart was set on this rad electric blue that I seen online. The only store that had the color and frame size was a little over a hour away. Overwhlemed with excitement I went to go pick it up during evening hours, strapped it to my trunk, and drove back home in the dark from a town I've never been to before.

I've always thought cyclist were so fierce. I use to think to myself as I would pass one up in my car, " look at you pedaling in that rain and killin it!" In my opinion it takes some grit to zip in and out of traffic on a bike ( commuter cyclist) or hit the trails in nature (recreational cyclist). Definitely during rising and falling weather conditions! If you are in Tennessee these hills are brutal lol. I love a challenge and plan to use it for commute and recreational.

I absolutely love my bike and It was money well spent. I'm glad I went with a mid price range for my starter bike, this gives me room to see what I like. As of right now I can definitely see myself upgrading to more of a luxury model/brand. There are so many new concepts to learn as an upcoming cyclist, and I'm excited.

My next goal is to learn how to take the bike apart to fix minor repairs. Below I listed the amazing benefits of cycling , some of them I did not know when I started ! I also listed some must haves if you are new in the cycling game!

Benefits of Cycling

• Increase joint mobility

• Strengthen bones

• Decrease stress

• Improves coordination

• Increase flexibility

• Decrease body fat

• Increase cardiovascular fitness

Must Haves

• Mirrors (recommend if you are commuting)

• Front light and back light ( white light for front red light for back .. got mine from Amazon)

• Bike lock ( protect your investment)

• Helmet ( protect yourself)

• Flat tire kit! IMPORTANT ( Inner tube, pump, lever , multi tool ect.)

• A tool bag mounted on bike to keep all this ^ stuff in

• Head on swivel ( mirrors are great but always turn and check your surroundings to ensure a safe commute or trail ride).

Happy cycling, and remember to:

ENVISION. AIM. BECOME