Heeeey, and stuff.
Sooo...
Tonights post is sort of an extension and continuation of last weeks post. In case you couldn't tell from the title.
As you know, I have a "new" bicycle. It's great. I'm really liking it. I've been riding all over. And, as I'd hoped, it worked out great for the Sunday run/ride with my wife. All 16 miles. She ran while I sort of goofed off. Up curbs, down curbs, down stairs, small bump jumps... I enjoyed myself like a 9 year old boy when he gets his first "real" bike.
Since last week, I have set off converting my bike to a single speed bike. As I may have mentioned, for the riding I do, I really only need one gear. I found the proper hub and gear combo I liked and have purchased it and it is now on the bike. That is a whole amazing story in itself that perhaps I will share next week.
I have NOT been able to ride it yet as my new tires have not arrived and were not in stock at the store and as the old tire was being put on a new rim (also part of that other story for another time), the old tire split down the sidewall. I was expecting this would happen eventually which is one of the two reasons I ordered new tires. So, alas, I must wait till next week, when my new tires arrive, to see how it all worked out.
I have also been trying to nail down all the other bits I need to finish the basics of the bike build. There are a few things I'd like two do as time and money permit, but there are two other things I need to do. They are a new seat and hand grips.
The old hand grips were cut down short so the previous owner could put bar ends on the bike. Which is too bad because they were relatively nice grips. But, they are old, and too short for my hands, and now they are starting to come apart under the friction of my riding. So, I have grips coming. (unrelated, Ebay has been awesome for sourcing new, quality parts at half price or better. I have no advertising contract with them, it's simply the truth.)
The seat was an absolute necessity. My old bike had a seat that was about as comfortable as an uneven brick. My "new" bike's seat is 22 years old and has holes worn through in a number of places. It is more comfortable than my other bike's seat, but only just.
The research on my seat choice led me down an interesting path of discovery. I wanted a soft comfy seat as I have an old, boney bum. I talked with the guy at the local bike shop about seats and in my ignorance had asked him about a gel seat. He recommended against it as he's found a high number of people find that, while the seat is comfy to sit on, they start getting numbness as the seat compresses and pressure begins to be applied to areas of the leg that you wouldn't be ordinarily sitting on whilst on a bike.
I've always wanted to use the word "whilst" in a sentence.
As I started my search based on his recommendations and sampling some seats in his shop, I started reading customer reviews of seats. As the guy at the shop suggested, people were pretty split on gel seats. So, I began looking at other seats. But it was tricky because I also have a specific visual idea for my bike. This means the seat needs to be a specific color, which dramatically narrowed down my choices.
I found a seat that was the color I wanted and it was the appropriate style for the riding I do. The big question was, "is it comfortable?" It looked sort of thin. So, I started reading reviews on it.
I read hundreds of them. Seriously. There was skimming involved, but still. Out of the hundreds, I only read one reviewer who didn't like it. It was universally (almost) hailed by everyone (almost) that not only was it comfortable enough to rival high end seats, it's price was very inexpensive (and it is). Professional and novice riders alike have found this seat to be comfortable and quality.
There is that word again.
Here is what I learned in my seat search that helped get passed my hesitation. Buying a bike saddle (don't call them seats as I have. they are saddles. get it right. or else. ELSE!!) is a super individual process. What is comfortable for one bum is not for another. Part of this is because saddle comfort is almost more about the shape of the saddle, than it is about the softness of the saddle. This is because all of our back sides are shaped just a bit differently than each others. Sometimes more than a bit. This means, you can have a rock hard saddle that is more comfortable than a super cushy saddle, if the cushy saddle isn't shaped right for you.
I'm a little nervous about getting my saddle because I've spent money on it and once I get it, it's mine. That, and another truth is that it takes time to break in any saddle you use, quality or not. So, you can never truly tell right away whether or not it's going to be just right.
However, today I experienced the reality of proper saddle choice. I was at the gym and decided to do some stationary cycling since my knee still isn't prime for running. I found an open bike with a nice cushy saddle and rode on it and could never get it comfortable. In fact, I finally had to stop riding because I went numb in, um, sensitive places.
Soft saddle, shaped wrong.
And now for my point.
A persons walk is much like a bike saddle. It is usually a very individual thing. What is needed for one person does not necessarily work for another. It is not always a "one size fits all" type of proposition. What brings a person to a better place spiritually, philosophically, etc., may be very unique and specialized for that person. It may not work for someone else.
Don't walk another persons path just because they walked it. Maybe it is the right thing for you, but, maybe, it's not.
This is a tricky thing for a pastor to say, but it's the truth. My way may not work for you.
You need to do the leg work. You need to find the way that works. No one can do that for you. Conversely, no one should try to make you walk a path just because they said so. They might not have any idea what is best for you.
Do your home work. Find what is best for you. Find the way that guides you the best. Don't do the thing not shaped properly for you simply because it's there. There is always a better way.
Do that.
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