Marco bought himself a bike.
That's not free! You're saying. I know, I know, hang on, I'm getting there.
We have been window shopping for bikes for a couple of years since moving into our home along a great bike path. We have been looking at different models and types, brands and sizes, but it just never seemed like the "right" bike for me or the right time. There are so many options out there and I feel like my waist is too short but my legs are too long. I've never been very good at riding a bike. What if we bought a fancy $400 bike and I hated it? What if I never used it? What if there was no where I actually wanted to go on a bike?? So I never pulled the trigger and I never bought one.
Well, imagine my surprise then a few months ago when I was talking to a neighbor about things that were completely unrelated- my exercise "routine" (where I basically work out while doing other stuff, planks while waiting for the kettle to boil, squats while folding laundry etc.) and how great our new neighborhood bike/mail box shelter is looking, when suddenly a different neighbor offers me a free bike that they no longer need. I'll be honest, at first, my reaction was "What? That sounds like work." but after a few minutes I was really getting into this idea.
You see, spending $400 (that could have gone toward my debt) is one thing, but a free bike is different. A free bike, although not my "ideal" bike, is, well, free.
So there it sat. For months. Sometimes in the shed. Sometimes in the yard. But mostly just in the sitting position. Until a couple of weeks ago when I realized I needed to put gas in my car and the latest heat wave had finally broken and I realized that nope- I was going to bike to work today.
Cut to two plus weeks later. I've biked to work every day for two solid weeks now. I've even biked to 3 meetings and one speaking engagement! I have been logging my miles with the Runtastic Pro app, just because I hate to lose all of my other awesome data for the month (it keeps track of your distances, calories burned, time, all of it).
I gotta say, I don't hate it. Sure I still get a little winded going up some of the hills around town. And I cannot say that I'm faster than I was two weeks ago, but Marco promises that those things will come in time. Right now I'm just enjoying tallying up the money I save everyday and watching my calorie counter click higher each time I reach a destination. Free transportation, free gym membership, free fuel... Now I just need a review mirror and some awesome stickers and I'll be good to go!
*P.S. Those savings from transportation and what not are going directly into my new savings account for a new, actually my size, hybrid bike that I've been eyeing. So while they are "savings" they are already allotted to new adventures. *
Anyone else gotten anything free lately? Or finally bringing that old bike out of storage? Any bike accessory suggestions?
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