ca·dence\ ˈkā-dᵊn(t)s \noun
- a. a rhytmic sequence or flow of sounds in language
b. the beat, time, or measure of rhythmical motion or activity
c. a regular and repeated pattern of activity- a. a falling inflection of the voice
b. a concluding and usually falling strain- the modulated and rhythmic recurrence of a sound especially in nature
I love this word. It has so many great meanings, but most of them seem to culminate in cycling. The “beat” of the music during a ride, to the rhythmic flow of the peddles as you push yourself onward. The faster the cadence the more intense the ride.
Sure I had a bike growing up, but in the neighborhood I lived in, there was no safe place really to ride other than up my own driveway. Once in a while my mom would ride with us to the cemeteries and let us bike there. In my various fitness quests I picked it up here and there. I biked to work in a few of the places I lived. I joined an early morning cycling class for a month. I even dabbled in triathlons when I needed something beyond running.
After my first triathlon, I realized I hated biking. The swim was easy and the run even more enjoyable. The biking though, every moment I wanted to jump off that bike and run instead. I convinced myself that it was my teenage year fat tire mountain bike that was holding me back. I decided to upgrade to a beautiful Specialized racing bike. It was a lovely black and red thing (named HarleyQuinn) and so light that biking felt instantly easier. But the problem with a racing bike is that it has skinny little tires that can’t handle the roads in a city. After getting a hole for the 3rd time I became disenchanted with it. It was great for racing, but casual rides around were a danger. Trail rides out of the question.
I shelved the bike around the time I dropped running because life got in the way. Two years later I got a trainer I could mount the bike to as a gift. It got used twice. Sat for a few more years.
Then something strange happened. This little thing called COVID. I asked for a hybrid bike for my birthday in April. It had beefier tires but was still light. I wanted to give it a try again. Well, the rest, as they say, is history. My Trex bike (named Quicksilver) was rivaled only by my kayak for my favorite way to spend a COVID summer. I put the bike rack back on my car and hit all the trails in the area I could find. I made excuses to ride to local restaurants for take-out lunch. Solo or with some company the bike was a perfect fit for me and finally made cycling enjoyable. The bike had made all the difference. My longest ride was a solo 52 miles….a real half-century.
When late fall hit and I knew I couldn’t stomach another windy and freezing bike ride, I removed the rack and put him away for the winter. The melancholy was real.
Around that time some luck happened and my yoga studio was collaborating with a gym that had spin bikes. I dove back into sunrise spin classes at 6 am, and evening rides with teachers I really enjoyed. Moving along to the beat I found the love for cycling outside easily moved over to a studio bike. Bouncing to the beat made me realize that there may be something to all those Peloton addicts I had been hearing about.
When the studio closed again due to NY shut down policies, they rented out the bikes. I was first in line and got to take one home. Now I found myself hopping on for 20-minute “pocket” workouts on my lunch break or warming up for lifting on the bike. I started googling home fitness bikes so that I could purchase one when I eventually had to give my rental back.
Things change so quickly these days so now it looks like my rental is here to stay and keep me cycling through the rest of this winter. So tell me, what do I name my new bike?