Finding The Right Bike!

The secret to picking out the right bike is not listening to anyone! There are bike shop owners who can lend tips and suggestions, but beware, what I have found out is that their advice can be biased and self-serving. So why listen to me? Because I am not going to tell you what type of bike to buy, but rather, help you find out what you want in a bike. The rest is up to you.

The first thing that you have to determine is what you expect to do with the bike. Are you wanting to race, exercise, ride on dirt trails, or just cruise around the neighborhood? Or maybe a combination? This is where you have to make your first smart decision. What do you want the bike to do? There is a bike for every type of riding. And remember, if you start with one bike and decide to try another style of riding, you can always buy another bike. You can't have too many!

Once you decide which type of bike fits what you expect to do with it, then you have to go and try some out. Whether it be new or used, make sure you find the one that is the best fit. The majority of shops let you test ride their bikes. If they don't, go to another shop. This is not the shop you want to do business with. Remember, bikes come in different sizes to fit short people to very tall people. This is where bike shop owners can help size you to the appropriate size frame. But beware of them trying to redirect you to something other than what you have decided you want. They may try to sell you the whole store if you let them, so stay on target with what you want. Also, visit multiple shops. They each carry multiple brands, which differ in how they fit a rider. Comfort and fit is the next important decision you have to make. No one brand is the best, and each company may have a lot to offer in quality bikes. But get branding out of your head. You are looking at what feels good to you and looks good to you.

What? Looks good? Why does that matter? If it doesn't look like you want it to or if it's not the color you really like, then are you truly going to enjoy every aspect of riding? A bike is a personal machine and an accessory to your life. It's yours. It has to speak to you and speak to others about what type of person you are. It's like a trustworthy friend that you can always enjoy coming to and sharing quality time with.

Now comes an even harder decision...paying the cash for the bike. There are bikes for every budget, but remember you get what you pay for. It's better to spend a little more and buy a quality bike that will hold up with minimal periodic maintenance rather than buying a low quality one and spending a lot of money in excessive maintenance. Besides, if your bike is always needing adjustment and work done on it, it's not reliable and you definitely won't enjoy riding it. So, shop wisely!

Once the money has been laid down, ride the damn bike! There is nothing worse than someone buying a beautiful bike and letting it sit and waste away in the garage. This is your final decision to overcome, and that's to get off your butt and ride. It's easy to talk about what you want to do and it's easy to buy things that you think you will use doing those things. However, in reality, actually getting out and doing it is the hardest part and you have to stay on task. But, you can do it and you won't regret it.

Oh...and don't forget to personalize your bike. Put a rack on the back, a basket on the front, maybe a bell, or any other item you would like. Upgrade the seat to something a little more comfortable, or change the grips to something other than black. Again, your bike is a personal machine that needs additions that give it the functionality and aesthetics that fit your lifestyle. Enjoy the bike and make it a part of your life!

Kids Need To Play Outside!

What happened to kids being able to go out and ride their bike, build a fort, climb a tree, or play hide-and-seek? What happened to them being able to go out and explore their little part of the world while pretending, learning, and creating as they went? What happened to them being able to go outside and get dirty and maybe a skinned knee? 

I know I'm not the only one that has realized that kids don't play outside much anymore. And I know I'm not the only one that is saddened by that. Yet, kids still don't play outside much. I have talked to many parents and read countless articles supporting kids needing to get outside but have seen very little physical support. And I know that some parents will argue that their kids play sports and get a lot of outside time playing them. While that's healthy and fun, I am talking more about time outside doing unplanned things that they themselves get to come up with. 

It is through this type of unhindered playing that kids strengthen themselves. They make themselves who they want to be. They learn things on their own, build and fix things on their own, socialize on their own, and best of all, learn to be themselves on their own. 

Now, if your kids aren't used to playing outside on their own, they may not know what to do at first and may not be motivated to come up with the endless ways to occupy themselves. However, I found in my own experience of changing the downward spiral of kids growing up too fast, that once they catch the outdoor itch, they beg to go outside. Even if they have to be kicked out of the house a few times first. Trust me, the motivation soon comes. There's nothing like going outside to see your kids playing hardcore in the dirt or running around the yard playing tag. It's priceless!

A Better Tasting Ride!

Coconut Macaroons - High energy,
 great tasting, and easy to make.

Like most other riders, I got into the habit of packing all the popular, expensive, and not always great tasting food that is heavily marketed for today's riders. How easy to grab a few sports bars out of your pantry and toss them into your pack. But, also like many of those riders, I got very tired of them quickly. 

So, I began researching healthy, high energy, and easy to make foods that would pack well. Oh...and tasted great. There are many great resources available on the internet and once you start experimenting, you will find that you can add much of your own creativity as well.  

There are many benefits to making your own riding food. For one thing, fresher ingredients. Who doesn't like that? It also costs much less. I think we all like to save money. There is definitely more variety.  It's fun researching and coming up with new things to try.  And let's not forget the most important thing, it tastes better! 

I believe we all fall into the traps of the quick and easy, or this is what the pros are using and all the hype that goes with it, that we forget about about what we can do ourselves. Just like the great feeling of accomplishment we get when we finish a long ride on our own power, there is a similar feeling when we feed that power with our own, homemade fuel. There is power in being self-sufficient. So, start experimenting and enjoy a better tasting ride!

Connecting With People.

One of the best things about getting out and enjoying outdoor adventures, is the ability to connect with others, whether that be with spouses, best friends, or the people we meet along the way. Even in my solo adventures, I have had the luxury of meeting and enjoying conversations with new people. It's part of the adventure. We aren't just trying to find new places, we are also trying to find new people and cultures.  And maybe in the process, find a little more of ourselves. 

There are so many people on this globe and a lot of them have some very interesting things to share. Opening yourself up to those connections allow you to expand your little part of the globe while they get to expand theirs. Communication, whether it was used for information sharing or social entertainment, has been a way of life since the beginning. It's who we are. It's what we do.

Don't have time to ride your bike? BS!

Finding time to ride is always a challenge. However, despite what you may think, it is not impossible and in fact you can ride everyday. We have all been stuck in that job that feels like it takes our entire day away. We all have after work commitments such as home projects, children's school events, church activities, etc. But, for our physical and mental health, we owe it to ourselves to get out and enjoy the benefits of riding a bike. And the best part is, that the more you get out, the more time that magically materializes.

Here's how to squeeze in some extra bike time.

1. Set a time aside for riding everyday, even if it is only 15 minutes or so.  Get up a half hour early, or buy some bike lights to go out after dark. A quick jaunt around the block or two will make a difference. The act of just getting out is the hardest part. 
2. Keep your bike maintained and easily accessible.  If your bike doesn't function well, or you can't get to it behind all the clutter in your garage you might as well forget about it. But, if it's sitting where you see it and can't ignore it, you're more likely to grab it and go.
3. Instead of running your simple errands in the car, take your bike!  I can get to just about anywhere I need within 15 minutes. The grocery store, the post office, whatever.  There is no better way to do what you need to do and save some gas in the process. And when I can't pack everything in my backpack, I use my trusty bike trailer. 
4. Find a riding buddy or two!  It's always easier to do something with team support, for you and your team mates. 
5. Ride local group rides and sign up for charity/fun rides.  There are usually group rides available in most areas that are free to join.  Many of them are sponsored by local bike shops or individuals who want to build support for biking. And most of them are designed solely for relaxed, recreational riding only.  There are also charity rides and fun rides that you can sign up for, obviously with entrance fees to raise money.  But even better, not only do you get to do something you love with hundreds of other great people doing what they love, but you do it for a great cause as well!
6. Download MapMyRide or Strava.  These free apps allow you to track your rides.  You can see where you have gone, how long it took you, how many calories you've burned, and even post it to your friends.  These apps just add a little more fun to your ride and can help feed your habit.  

Documenting Your Adventures!

Isn't it great to have the ability to snap a photo instantly when you want to or need to?  Throughout history, people have always documented their adventures.  From writing it down, to drawing it or painting it, to photographing it, it's been done.  But never as easy as it can be done now.

Think about the efforts that were taken to capture the moment, before the technology of today's cameras and phones.  Moments that were handwritten, sketched, and painted took quite a bit of time to produce.  Hell, by the time you got done painting a beautiful sunrise, it was probably the next day. And forget about an instant capture of a person in motion. And what about the ability to share what you did?  Back then you could show someone in person, put it on the wall,  or mail it.  But now, just
post in on Facebook, Twitter, etc., write a caption, and tag everyone you know so they can see it pretty much instantly.  What a change!

It's great to have the the technology to document life.  I am a big advocate for keeping past experiences alive and there is no better way than with today's advancements.  The only thing I would urge, is to try to capture them in the best way you can.  Sometimes, we take the luxury to snap a quick shot for granted and don't do the moment justice by getting the best shot we can.  Instead we get a mediocre one.

That being said, take advantage of the innovations that have been brought to us and get out and use them.  Experience more adventure and take more pictures and videos along the way!

Don't Forget About The Big Muddy!

The Missouri River is such an important part of history.  The importance of this vital river goes so far back into the history of man that we can only imagine what is was like. But we do know that it has played an important part in our expansion west to just about everything to do with the Kansas City area. And we should be grateful and enjoy what it can provide us, especially in the way of adventure!

However,  I am finding by my many conversations with people that this mighty river is highly underappreciated.  The views being expressed are that the Missouri is nothing more than a dirty, nasty, and polluted river that is not useful for much more than supply transport. And definitely not worth recreational purposes.

I must disagree!  Unless you have been on the river and experienced the power and thrill you can't say anything.  There are many adventurers out there taking advantage of what the Missouri can offer and enjoying the views and history that only it can provide.  Yes, it's dirty, but it's been dirty since the beginning of time.  Missouri is a muddy state.  

As for the pollution, welcome to what humans do. But if more people don't take an interest in the Missouri River and just forget about it instead, then it will only get worse.  Unfortunately, the majority of the lakes and rivers in Missouri have some form of pollutants in them.  But the levels are low enough that there are no issued warnings to stay out of the water, that I have yet found.  The Missouri Conservation Department supports the use of the river, does regular monitoring of water quality,  and issues warnings as needed.  

And just let me say, a view like the one above from a kayak or canoe is quite a sight!  The thing about history is that it is always continually changing.  The river changes, the city changes, and the people with them.  Get out and experience the history and the adventures yet to be had.