I ♥ My Bike

It's Monday, which means it's listicle time!! I'm straying off topic today, but I hope you'll stick with me. :)

I want to give a little love shout-out to my bike this week. Y'know, since it is Valentine's week after all. I may do a little running love later in the week, too. Stay tuned.

As you know, I'm a runner. I've always been a runner not actively, but it's always been my #1 choice of exercise, and resisted riding a bike for many years. Even as a little girl, I never really liked riding bike. I'd much rather walk.

Whenever anyone would ask me if I would ever consider doing a triathlon, I'd say, I'd love to except for the whole biking and swimming parts. I'm still not on board with the swimming, but I've really come to love my bike.

10 REASONS I LOVE MY BIKE

1. It's pretty. I like the green color and the overall design.
2. It's fancy. When we got rid of our car back in Aug 2010 and bought our bikes, we spared no expense and got a little fancy. It's got disc brakes and an internally geared 8-speed hub. That's about as technical as I can get and yes, I had to look that up to get the terminology right.
3. It allows me to slow down. Commuting by bike is definitely more strenuous physically, but it allows me to notice the mountains more and other things in my surroundings.
4. It helps save on gas. This is better on our pocketbook as well as good for the environment. Win-win!
5. It's fun! There isn't a lot of things that Jeff and I can do together outside he's not really a runner or a hiker, but we can enjoy a nice bike ride together.
6. It's cheap. Well, the bike itself wasn't, nor were the accessories, BUT I don't have to pay to use it. I just jump on and GO.
7. It's accessorizeable. yeah. I know that's not really a word. From panniers to pouches to safety lights and bells, there are so many cool things to make biking even more fun and convenient. Jeff recently ordered me a bunch of new stuff, and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival.
8. It gives me bragging rights. You commute to work?! How many miles?! Wow! I'm jealous! I wish I could do that! I love hearing things like that.
9. It makes me a better driver. The more I bike commute, the better a driver I become. I've become more aware of what else is going on around me when driving - watching for cyclists, walkers/runners, and, of course, other drivers.
10. It gives me an excuse to eat more. This might not be such a good thing. ;-) Honestly, though, I think it helps me crave healthier, better energy burning snacks.

All that being said, I'm driving to work today. It's only 42°F feels like 34 outside with a 15 mph wind. Um. No, thank you!

Now, why not pop on over to The good life to read lists about top “OH NO YOU DIDN’T” GIFTS for Valentine's Day. I bet they'll be a lot of fun and will probably make you laugh a lot more than this one did.

If you bike ride, what do you love most about your bike?
What would be on your list of "Oh, no, you didn't" gifts?
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