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I made a big hub-ub about getting a new bike, but I haven't really written anything about it since then. Well, the bike has served me incredibly well. So well that I clear an average between 20-45 miles a week. The key is to stay consistent and there is immense enjoyment in staying consistent.

I've had to make some adjustments to the bike in order to handle everything I like to do: got new tires (the ones that the bike came with had large nubs, so it felt like I was peddling a tractor), new tubes (it's not fun to get ready for a ride and finding a flat tire), and new pedals (the plastic ones that came with the bike broke after a few long rides). Thus, I recognize all the employees at the bike shop I go to.

Finding a safe route from my house to the White Rock Lake trail, I can clear 22 miles in two hours. That's two nine-mile laps around the lake as well as four total miles to get from my house and back. I get a strong feeling of happiness when I'm able to accomplish this feat and still walk the next day.

Stating all of this, I wonder what kind of bicyclist this makes me. I care about how well I can do, but I'm not aiming to do a marathon. I wear gloves and a helmet, but that's no-brainer safety. I announce "On your left" when I pass people by but I don't run over them. I don't wear skin-tight clothing; I wear my sweats and training shoes. I don't think of myself as a bike Nazi, but I'm definitely not the type that casually rides down the street with no respect to my safety, pedestrians or cars on the road.

I'm certainly not one to drop $10,000 on a new bike or equipment. I just want to stay in shape by combining this with a regular walking schedule. I'm not trying to prove anything to anyone other than I care about my physical and mental well-being. So far, so good.

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