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| Photo by Abby Laub |
Here's a quick update if you're confused. I have some kind of nagging injury that has kept me off my bike. It's pain in my neck/shoulder/back. I've been to the chiropractor and it's helping, but it's still there. Doctor says it just has to work itself out. Pair that notion with this anniversary that comes up for this blog. I take the time, look through my pictures and share a few that I think adequately sum up the last 12 months. What does it all mean? It means that I'm left with this acute knowledge of all the wonderful things I've done in the last year and the fact that I've been sedentary for the last 8 days. I'm excited and bored, all at the same time.
It's made me very appreciative of the blog. I'm not sure that I did more last year than I've done in years past, but the blog has given me the resource to look back and see it all. Those pictures made me realize that I have a lot to smile about. I have a body that gets me where I need to go... heck, it gets me places I don't need to go, but they're places I sure am glad I get to go. I never would have noticed that without family//bike//words. The blog poises me to take more pictures (with a camera and words) and those pictures and words cause a lot of thankfulness when reflected back on. It's a beautiful thing.
So if you're reading this, get up. Get out there and do something. Take a picture or write it down somewhere. At some point, you'll be sitting on the couch with an injury, in a hospital with your family or in a nursing home by yourself thinking, "I wish I could... yada yada yada." Hopefully you will have followed through "back in the day" and you can thumb through those pictures. Hopefully you won't have regrets. Hopefully you actually did something. That's the coolest thing about family//bike//words 12 months after starting. That's also the coolest thing about being injured... I know I didn't waste time when I felt well.
No reason to worry, though. I'll be back at it soon. Until then, you'll have to settle for my thoughts, not my adventures... scary, huh?
Get out there.
Hey Derrick,
ReplyDeleteI really want to get a road bike and start riding. I'm really on a budget and really want something in the $150 range just to start and see if it is something I enjoy. There are bikes on craigslist ranging from $140 up to $2000 and there are a lot of older models on there that I can afford, but i'm not sure if it is smart to buy something from the 80's. Do you have a particular bike brand you can recommend for a beginner on a budget? Is it okay to get an older bike as long as it is in good shape? I just wanted to see what your thoughts were. Thanks!
@ Matt - I think you'd be completely fine to buy an old 80's bike. The trick is to find someone that restores them to be in great condition before you buy it. There's a couple guys in Louisville that do that and I'd totally stand behind what they do. Most of the time, I would say that a bike that has lasted that long must be pretty decent. That said, I don't think they're worth more than a couple hundred bucks. Other than an old restored bike, I think you'd need to get something from a bike shop (Dicks, Walmart and Target bikes are junk). And the cheapest you're going to find a decent road bike is $500... which is a lot for a first bike. Feel free to email me at dpurvis@southlandchristian.org to ask questions or run Craigslist stuff by if you have questions. I hope you find something!
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