First Ride!

The Genesis 500 is a folding bike, so getting it home from the store was easy, even in my small car. One center joint, and it folds in half. I had help loading it, which is good because it is heavy. The battery sits on the back carrier, and it's part of what makes the bike heavy, along with the motor. I will have to see if I can lift it in myself - and also investigate how easy it is to take the battery off for loading.

I was so excited when I got home that I could only skim the first part of the manual. Once I found that the battery had already been charged at the store, all I wanted to do was take it for a ride! Forget adjusting it to fit me; forget safety check, just go. I am NOT recommending that! I did it check that the brakes worked. :) And off I went.

The day was not only cold - about 29 degrees - but also windy. I wore a winter coat and winter gloves and was fine. Cumbersome, yes, but worth it.

I have a short loop near my house that avoids most of the hills, and I decided to try that first, because I used to ride it on a normal bike, and I know how it feels. Within a block I felt the effects of little exercise, and that first response from my body: "Wait, we're going to do what?!" But I went on, and by the third block came the first hill. Time to try out a little power!

The battery has a key, and you turn it to the "on" position before heading out. Then, when you want power, you push a red button that looks like the ones in movies - red, square, the one that drops the bomb, the one that causes dramatic music to play whenever the camera focuses on it. So I pushed it, feeling the drama of unleashing all the power in my electric battery! I turned the throttle, and zoom! My hill became as easy as a plain. I do believe I love this bike!

I didn't realize it at first, but once you have pushed the red button, you can just leave it on for the ride. Its purpose is to disengage the throttle while you get onto the bike. If you're holding the handle bars while you swing your let over, you might accidentally twist the throttle and zoooom - you bike takes off before you're all the way on.

It was glorious to be out, cold and all. I was delighted to see my first robin of spring - actually about 30 of them. A whole flock were hunting worms on the median on Regent Street.

When I got back, my husband came out to admire the bike in more detail, and pointed out a few things I should probably have checked before riding. So we filled the tires to the correct pressure, turned the front reflector so that it actually faced the front, and adjusted the front brake to the correct tension. Ahem. At least now I'm really set for my next ride.

New Bike!

Today I purchased freedom. At least that's how it feels. I bought an electric-assisted bike from Len's Electric Bikes, took it home and rode just under 2 miles. Not a record-setting distance by anyone's standards, but soooo exciting for me.

I'm Anna and I'm 58 years old, going on 90. At least some days. I have joint pain, I have hot flashes, I have problems with my heart. I'm suffering also from a long, gray winter. I need to get outside, feel the sun, and do something fun and active - and for the first time in my life that has become hard to do.

Please forgive me if I give a few details. They're relevant to why this bike is important to me - but I promise in future this will not be a medical blog! 

The joint pain came from - of all things - a sledding accident. It happened three years ago, and I am just starting to face the realization that this may never go away. My lower spine is chronically uncomfortable, from above my waist down to my tailbone. The sacro-iliac joints, which are where the hip bones connect to the sacrum, are painful. And I have bursitis in my hip joints. 

It's amazing how many activities cause pain in at least one of those areas!

I used to kayak, but that's a bit harder to enjoy when the tailbone is sore. I love to walk and hike, and cross-country ski - but any rotating of the pelvis makes the s-i joints really complain. I need a cane to do steps, primarily because of the bursitis. I can't sit comfortably for very long; even lying down gets uncomfortable after a while. The phrase "limited mobility," which used to mean only other people, now describes me. 

But I can sit on a bike. I can't sit comfortably on a chair, but a bike seat is small enough that - well, to be direct - my butt sticks out past the back just enough that my tailbone misses the seat. Woohoo! I can be outside and I can be mobile!

Unfortunately, I have been unable to exercise for too long. I have a desk job and I'm out of shape. And I live near Hilldale, where there's a hill in every possible direction from my house, and they all go up!

Then I read in the paper that "TV Lennie" had come out of retirement to open a shop selling electric bikes, bikes that had a power-assist when you needed it - and I thought I might have my answer. I read about all their bikes at lenselectricbikes.com, I checked out other options on Amazon, and on the weekend I drove out to look - just to look! I test-rode two bikes, and fell head over heals for the Prodeco Genesis 500. An hour later I rolled back into my driveway after my first ride on my brand-new bike around my neighborhood. Ah, wheeled mobility!

I volunteered to write this blog about my experiences this season. I hope this becomes a record of success, because I will truly enjoy reporting that I am getting stronger and better. My plan is to include all the information I would want to know myself - good and bad. I hope other people will find it fun and I hope helpful. Please come along for the ride!