Riding a Bicycle

Still Fun After All these Years

Orange Bicycle

Even if you haven’t been on a bicycle in decades, it’s almost certain you remember the thrill of cruising down the road or whizzing through the park on a bike when you were a kid. And who can ever forget the sound of baseball cards slapping spokes?

If you have cycled lately, you’ve probably taken a different approach than you used to. Chances are you’re on a bigger bike, and maybe a more modest one. After all, banana seats have gone the way of bell bottoms.

Whatever you’re riding—or if you’re riding nothing at all—the point here is that riding a bicycle is fun. It was fun when you were young, and it can be every bit as fun now. The wind at your back is every bit as exhilarating as it used to be. And if you bike against the wind, that’s even better. Man versus element. Nature’s perfect workout.

You ought to start slowly if you haven’t biked in ages, but it’s true what they say. You never forget how to ride a bicycle.

Safety or health concerns my require a third wheel on your cycle, or perhaps some other adjustment, but there’s nothing wrong with that. You’re still cycling, and it’s still a great way to get around.

It doesn’t cost a lot to outfit yourself with a suitable bike. You don’t need anything fancy. Staff at bike shops are among the friendliest and most helpful you’ll find anywhere. If you tell them what you’re looking for they’ll nearly always give their best effort to help you. And if you’re not sure what you want, they’ll probably make some great suggestions.

If you’d like to save money, you can take those suggestions and look for your dream bike elsewhere. You don’t need to go to a bike shop at all. You can do your own research online, or go straight to a department store or a flea market. You can even find a bicycle someone is giving away.

Whatever bicycle you choose, there are a few things to consider. First, it has to be the right size, easy to mount and allowing you to extend your legs fully while pedaling. You’ve got to be able to lean slightly toward the handlebar without discomfort. How you feel on a bike the first time you ride it is a good indicator of how you’ll feel on it later, so put on a helmet and take any bike you’re thinking about buying for as long a test ride as you can. Of course, the seat needs to be comfortable. Your bottom may toughen up as it adapts to the seat, but you don’t want to take a chance on getting saddle sores. If you love the bike but hate the seat, get the seat replaced or do it yourself.

If you’ve gone for a long test ride and your knees, shoulders, and spine aren’t starting to ache, that’s a good sign.

The bike is probably your size. If one of its gears—or its only gear—allows you to pedal in a manner appropriate to your current level of fitness, that’s another good sign. If it has three or more gears allowing for pedaling more appropriate to the level you’ll soon attain, that’s even better.

And, needless to say, you want good brakes.

That’s about it. What the bike looks like is secondary—unless that’s important to you.

Once you’re outfitted with a bike, helmet, and pads to protect your elbows and knees, you’re all set. Maybe you want to ride simply to get around the way you did as a kid. Maybe you want to save on gas. Or maybe you’re just looking for the health benefits long outings on a bicycle can provide. You may be interested in making cycling part of your daily routine, or you may just want to bike on a trail or in a park once a week as part of your overall exercise regimen. It doesn’t matter. As long as you make safety a priority, you can’t go wrong either way.

You can’t go wrong, either, depending on MedicareMall to help keep you in the best possible health. We offer a wide selection of Medicare supplement plans to give you the health care coverage every senior ought to have. Please contact us so we can tell you about the best Medigap plans available and hear about that new bike you’ve got your eye on.