This Vegan Biker Shoots Down The Malnourished Myth

George Washington Bridge To Rockland State Park Bike Ride

This time around I did the whole trip on my new road bike. I like it, but I am still getting used to it. I still want to make a few modifications to the bike which should be done by this weekend. Hopefully we will get to ride, but maybe not because it seems like everyone is canceling riding for this weekend coming.

First of all I want to say this forty-five year old vegan body is holding up very well during these long bike rides. I know my cardiovascular stamina has far improved since I became vegan and cleaned my organs of toxins. Last week's exercise was more strenuous compared to the ride the week before. I think that was mainly do to me having to overexert myself to get up a few hills on a high gear, because my bike was new and I didn't know how to shift the front gear down properly. That took a lot out of me, but I didn’t stop and I made it up the hills. The extra work made my recovery take a day, but this time around I was basically recovered in five minutes after a fifty mile ride.

The length of this ride plus the difficulty of the terrain would make this ride challenging for anyone, and so I must point out that this vegan rider was more than just along for the ride, and was doing well hanging in there with inferior bike equipment compared to my friend’s bike equipment.

Vegan Hanging In There With Inferior Bike Equipment

Well I am starting to move up. I started off riding a mountain bike while my friends Alex, Vicky, and Ed rode road bikes. Alex and Vicky upgraded to very very good road bikes, while Ed was already riding a very good road bike. I did end up upgrading to a good road bike. I think all in all now our bikes are pretty much in the same ballpark as far as quality, but they still have a big advantage on me because of their pedal systems.

I am using a cage pedal system borrowed from my mountain bike, while they are using pedals that their shoes clip into which allows them to generate more and consistent power. I bit the bullet and ordered some new bike shoes and pedals and hopefully I will receive them by this weekend, but now it appears this weekend might be a no-go for riding (sad face).

The Ride

All in all, I think we are all becoming better riders as we continue to ride. Ed impressed me by taking the lead for the majority of the trip. He is the veteran rider of the group and I was surprised he wasn’t doing this before. He told me he was laying back before because we didn’t all have good road bikes. The way he road I have to believe him. Much props goes out to you Ed.

Vicky, she is a riot! She is so competitive and she doesn’t want to admit it. Her new bike has made such a difference for her, and it appears her old bike was weighing her down, (smile). Now she is consistently in the front of the group. I call her the little train that could. Much props goes out to you Vicky! There was a point where Alex had fallen back because he stopped thinking he dropped something. I yelled to Vicky to slow down so Alex could catch up, but she ignored me because she was busy racing a girl who got mixed up in our group, LOL! Vicky rides to be in front all the time. Ed, you better watch out (smile).

Alex picks and chooses his battles. He saves his energy for the trip back. He made the mistake of taking some of the hills back on a high gear not knowingly, which sapped some of his energy and allowed Vicky to beat him back to our destination, or so he says (smile).

I made it back about a minute after Alex, which I think is pretty good considering they had the advantage of their clip-on pedal systems. They have all told me this system makes so much more of a difference than what I am currently using, and I can't wait to see the difference for myself.

So far I made it back 1st the first time riding, Alex was in lead the second time riding, Ed made it back 1st the third time riding, and the next time out, is it Vicky's time to make it back first (smile)?

As usual the ride was very demanding, around twenty four to twenty five miles of very hilly road each way. During the trip back home, Ed had what he thought was a brilliant idea to take different route back to the half way point. This route turned out to be full of more treacherous hilly roads than what we had been riding. While doing the ride we all thought that it wasn’t actually a good idea, LOL! Ed admitted that at one point he seriously thought about getting off the bike and walking it up the hill, LOL! Alex also told me later that the thought crossed his mind also. Ed took us on the hilliest way back possible, but we all made it through. Afterwards, Ed said he thought he might have mistakenly downloaded a map route from a professional rider, LOL! I think he just wanted us to collapse! Looking at the map above, we took the route on the route going to the park, and the route on the left going back home.

We talk about diet a lot during our breaks, as they can see how my vegan, raw diet positively affects my health and stamina. They are working on incorporating some aspects of the raw diet into their their lives, like adding juicing of vegetables. It is a process to develop this discipline but they are working on it because of its positive benefits.

I hope to get a helmet cameras to take some video next time out. I took some video with my phone, which I had “McGyvered “to my handled bars. The video was just too shaky and noisy for me to post. Till next time…

Tags: biker, cycling, nutrition, vegan, workout