My Thoughts on Cycling Bibs

July 26, 2020

Clay and I celebrated our 38th wedding anniversary in June but unfortunately we were in different states at the time. Clay found an online virtual bike tour to participate in. With this sponsor you could purchase a patriotic jersey and, if you wanted, could get matching cycling bibs to complete your outfit. I was unsure about the bibs but Clay really wanted them and he wanted us to match. Therefore, he talked me into it and we decided that it would be our anniversary gift to each other.

How the virtual ride worked was sometime before the end of July you would wear your patriotic biking clothes and post a picture of yourself and a picture of the stats from your ride. Depending on the length of your ride it would determine the amount of a discount you'd get on future purchases. Now, I just needed to get home so we could ride and post the required information.

I arrived home in the middle of July so we started planning what day we would do our ride. That day came and our outfits looked great! We even looked professional, if I say so myself . But, there were a few problems!

Problem #1

You have to take off the jersey to pull the bib straps off your shoulders. Yes, that means you have to undress to pee!

Problem #2

Due to the Corona Virus public bathrooms on the bike trail are closed. So, what's a girl to do???

Yep, you guessed it! Find a secluded bushy area along the trail and pretend that I'm on Discovery Channel's show Naked and Afraid because I definitely was naked and afraid!!!

Going forward I'm unsure how often I'll wear the professional looking cycling bibs. If I do it'll be only for short rides so that I can make it home before having to go potty. Maybe I should use my discount to buy regular cycling shorts. Sorry honey, no more matching bibs!

Disclaimer: The event described above did not actually happen even though it very likely could have!

Biking in the time of COVID

July 23, 2020
41 miles
Madison County Trails

What a new world we live in! We only have 1 state left to bike in and that is Hawaii. I am so relieved that we didn't have a trip to Hawaii planned this summer because I think we would have had to cancel. We have been even more appreciative that we live in a county that has over 130 miles of bike trails. Even in this crazy time of COVID it is so easy to get out and enjoy biking and still being able to distance ourselves from others. 

One new adventure we had this summer was to enroll in the All American Freedom Ride - National Virtual Ride. You signed up and received a jersey, a race number and medal. You pick the length of ride you want to do and post a picture and your ride stats from your preferred device. We had a great ride with our new jerseys and cycling bibs (In a few days I'll write a different blog about the bibs). We rode to Staunton Illinois, ate lunch at Subway and then rode back home. Round trip was 41 miles. 

We know many people who have cancelled vacations this summer because of the COVID situation. Since we can ride a bike and still feel safe we are actually going to take a mini vacation before the Fall Semester starts and Clay goes back to teaching. We have changed a few things in the way we travel and vacation. We are staying in a VRBO, so we can do our own cooking, instead of a hotel. We will also take a cooler with food in it on travel days and picnic either at rest areas or town parks. Life is an Adventure! Make wise choices and stay healthy!!!