I thought I was just simply receiving a salary and a nine-to-five grind, but since joining OCTA's Marketing department, I have gained something wonderful, a new hobby. Initially I had one goal in mind: don't embarrass yourself at bike events. I just wanted to be hip with the jive, cool to the touch and a bunch of other sayings I don't understand. You see, the cycling community, is an isolated one. They feel that they are disrespected by traffic engineers, motorists and people who don't wear Lycra. Isolated communities often build high fences and quite frankly, I wanted to do some breaking and entering.
So I got a bike (1980's Univega Gran Rally) and took to the roads. I was a little hesitant at first, but OCTA's Urban Cycling Workshop (shameless plug) helped me feel safer on the roads and more at ease from a mechanical standpoint.
My next step was commuting to work. The 12 mile journey is made more difficult by a few school zones and stretches that lack bikeways. Nevertheless, it's a pretty easy ride, and with a shower on-site, its surprisingly not a logistical nightmare. On a similar note, this is something I would highly recommend. I have been a little lackadaisical on doing it lately, but exercising before and after work makes you feel pretty great all day.
Finally it was time to embark on a team ride. I accompanied (read: slowed down) my coworker Charlie and his team on a 40 mile trip through Santiago Canyon. We left Jax Bike Shop Irvine and headed through Lake Forest to Mission Viejo. From there, we headed up El Toro road to Santiago Canyon. At this point, I began to cramp a bit, lost my balance and took a slight tumble. I had failed rule #1, "Don't embarrass yourself". It was definitely a low point, but I was wearing a lycra suit, so I shouldn't have expected much. Fortunately, it was a minor set back and we were back on the road in 5 minutes.
The most interesting part of the journey was our stop at Cook's Corner. I will set the scene: A crowded patio where old men in leather jackets fawned over $10,000 motorcycles. A crowded patio where old men in lycra fawned over $10,000 bicycles. The juxtaposition of these two groups was hilarious and surreal.
We continued onward, albeit slowly, up the canyon. I really enjoy the varying speeds of cycling. We were suffering up a hill at barely 5 miles per hour. Then at the top, we screamed down at 37 mph! The last half of the journey was mostly downhill and we were back at Jax Bike shop in no time!
I was exhausted, my throat hurt and I sounded like a poorly aging Kermit the frog, but I had survived! It was a great overall experience and I am poised to attempt it again soon.
