All Factors Considered

Day 168: I'm ashamed to admit that I did very little bicycling last year, taking my exercise largely as a mix of hiking and kayaking (oh, and Morris dancing), so I resolved to remedy that sorry state of affairs this year and began today with a measly little seven-mile ride. I would have preferred riding a rail-trail to pedalling up the highway, but all factors considered, staying local was the better choice. First of all, it's been a year since I sat on a bicycle seat for any length of time. Second, Morris dancing and hiking use a different set of muscles than pushing pedals does. Third, I wasn't sure how my injured shoulder would take to leaning over the handlebars. Fourth...and the most important item in my decision-making process...the damn bike won't fit in the new car! Despite the fact that the car is wider, the dimensions are constricted in the arch behind the rear seats, and the trunk depth lacks about 3/4" inch for accommodating the handlebars. Looks like I'm going to have to invest in a cheap bike rack if I'm going to stick with the program.