Retirement: It's a Philosophy
It's hard to believe it's been almost a month since my last note.
A little administrivia... I had some home server issues in August and the machine was down for several days. Running again, but I have some power supply work to do and it will be down again "someday soon". (Which could be September.)
There's no financial information in this note. I just want to tell a Mark story.
I've been trying to walk more since I retired. Doctor's orders. I've had flat feet all my life, thanks to my mother I think, and they've finally started to be a problem. This year it's been new sneakers, then arch supports, then an ankle specialist, then another pair of sneakers, an ankle brace, and "house shoes". (No more bare feet in the house.) Things are much improved.
Along the way I decided I should try replacing some of the walking with bicycling. Should be easier on my feet. There was a time, about 20 years ago, when I got up early most mornings and road hard for 30 to 60 minutes. So I got the old bicycle out, made sure things were working, and gave it a go. Wow was the seat sore. Too narrow. I bought a new one. Maybe I should add some padded bicycle pants. Better. How about some "chamois cream"? Maybe not. Lower the seat. Move the handlebars. Now my hands are sore and numb after about 45 minutes. Maybe the old bike isn't going to work for the older, heavier me.
I went to the local bicycle shop (Two Wheeler Dealer) and tried out a few "hybrid" or "city" bikes. Less lean forward. Much more comfortable. I think I've settled on a specific make and model, but I want to think about it. The analysis starts.
At first I'm consumed by cost. Should I spend $500-ish on a new bicycle? I even tried a few used bikes, but to be honest, they weren't in great shape and I didn't want a project. The next consuming thought was about configuration. The old bicycle was a "3 by 7", which is 3 gears up front and 7 in the back, and 2 derailleurs. The new bike would be a "3 by 8". I didn't want the complication. The "next model up" would be better because it's a "1 by 9" with only one derailleur. This analysis went on and on, for days. The problem boiled down to two choices:
- Bargain hunt the crap out of this.
-or-
- Buy what you really want.
Today I put some money down on the bike I really wanted. Yes it was a few hundred dollars more. No it probably won't make much difference when riding in "flat" Wilmington. I'm retired now, so I'm going to do a few stupid things.
Tonight I happen to stumble on this video. It's more about philosophy than bicycles. I thought he made some good points. The video work is beautiful too. Makes you think. No, I have no grand bicycle riding plans. Just some daily exercise.
How Many Summers Do You Have Left? Cycling Motivation for Every Rider