Notes
Went over to Fish Creek Linear Park - nice ride on the single speed. Except for a brief climb up a short hill, kept it all under MAF.
I haven't bought a seat bag for this bike and thus have no tools, spare tube, or CO2 to fix a flat. That stressed me out a little while driving to the linear park - I just knew I'd get a flat at the far end - making for a 6 mile walk with a flatted bike. While riding I thought back to when I was a kid and we never worried about that kind of stuff. Sometimes, it sucks being an adult. Anyway, I didn't get a flat - so all good in the end.
I also thought about how I usually arrive at the simple. My evolution in running was similar, but from a cycling perspective, it looks like this: when I first started riding, I had to have the cycling jersey, the padded shorts, the clip-in pedals, the special shoes, etc. It all started feeling like "a production" when all I really wanted to do was go ride my bike. I started skipping the jersey and padded shorts, although it took a month or more for my butt to toughen up. Now I ride with a t-shirt and whatever basketball or running shorts are handy. I stopped wearing the helmet. Then I switched back to platform pedals - I'm not sure where the cycling shoes are anymore. All that to say, that now cycling is simple. I grab the bike from the garage and go. The most complicated part is maybe filling up a water bottle. And when I ride the single speed - it's even simpler - no thinking about which gear to shift into - just pedal and enjoy the ride.