I love cycling. It’s my transport, it’s my freedom, it gives me great cardio and helps sculpt my quads.
It’s environmentally friendly and cheap to run after initial cost, locks, replacement tyres, inner tubes, lights and locks, chain oil and weekly car washes (mine gets dirty quickly using the beach bike lanes in and out the city thanks to wind and sand). Living in a city it’s just a quick as a car in traffic. Plus I never have to pay for parking and there’s always somewhere a parking space! It’s not so nice during the winter in wind and rain. That said minus the rain if you have a tail wind you’re laughing.
I love cycling, however there are some factors I never considered when I started cycling as transport;
I get through leggings and shorts quickly.
Leggings get shiny seat patches that no amount of washing can remove. If I can cover them up I’m okay, but if my tops skims or my jacket isn’t long enough I get self conscious that my bum has 2 large shiny patches that everybody can see. Similarly with denim shorts in the summer months. In addition to the fabric fading from wear, if I don’t clean the seat, I get discoloured patches, that again no amount of washing or stain remover can remove!
If you have fine hair say goodbye to cycling with free flowing locks.
It gets quite windy here and if my hair’s down the wind can strip the moisture out of it. Not to mention the tangles. I now wear a baseball cap (helmet on long rides) to prevent cow licks and looking like I’ve been dragged through a bush backwards. On advice of my hairdresser, wear my hair in a plait. Such chicness.
Always with a rucksack.
No cute handbags for me. If I’m not cycling to the gym, I go for cross body bags big enough for my purse, phone, mirror, hand sanitiser, lip balms and spare hairbands. The rest, as in water, snacks, make up, camera, beach stuff in the summer has to go in a larger bag. I did used to use a larger shoulder bag and place the bag in a basket. I gave up with the basket when people started using it as a bin. Drink cans, water bottles and the final straw a used nappy/diaper not even in a nappy/diaper bag. It was removed after that incident. Add that the basket wasn’t strong enough to hold what I put in in anyway and kept breaking. Now nearly every where I go I have a rucksack with the chest clips. It’s practical, fits the smaller bag in side but forget it when its comes to looking stylish. It kinda takes away the look, but what can I do? I like cycling, I have to find away of carrying everything around.
Ventilation
That rucksack again. It never lets the air in. In summer you think of cycling and an amazing breeze cooling you down. Add a rucksack you can kiss that goodbye. In the winter as I dress for off the bike, I can get hot quickly cycling (translate, running late) and as the sweat can’t evaporate properly it can turn to cold pretty quickly. Nice when it’s cold and you’re walking around with a cold damp back.
Bobble and pilling marks.
Similar to shiny patches, thanks to the rucksack, coats, jackets, tops too can get shiny patches. The straps and bottom of the rucksack cause tops, coats, jackets to bobble or pill.
I feel like a bag lady.
With no boot/trunk to put things in, whatever can’t be fitted in the rucksack, goes in bags over the handle bars. If I’ve been grocery shopping after the gym, those bags including gym bags can be heavy. Add the 3 locks, yes 3 as the tyres are quick release and I like my seat that have to fitted somewhere on the bike. The bike can get heavy quickly. My poor bike!
Seriously though, I love cycling and as transport. These cons aside, if you cycle as opposed to taking public transport or walking, the places you can go just got a little bit bigger!
Do you cycle? What are your cons and pros of cycling or your favourite type of fitness or sport?