My Very First (Real) Ride

I have been Spinning for about five years now. Some of you may think that means playing DJ (spinning the hit songs) like I have done for a career since 1969. But actually it is a great form of exercise on a stationary bicycle. Forget that image you might have of someone sipping on a soda and reading a magazine while they barely move the pedals on a LifeCycle. A Spinning class is a brutal workout. It is 45 minutes to an hour of jogs, runs and sprints that is the equivilient of a 15 mile bike ride. I got hooked on Spinning right out of the chute.
The endorphin rush is spectacular. In less than one hour and in any weather you can get a great cardio workout and burn lots of calories.

The funny thing is that most people who spin are cyclists who are there to train. I am a Spinner who just got his first taste of the open road. My sister-in-law, Kristy, took up cycling a few years ago and now goes on all kinds of organized rides. She even has done the Deathride which is a serious 129 mile, 15,000 vertical feet through three passes in the Sierras.

Our first ride was from Castroville (the Artichoke Capital of the World) down about twenty miles to the famous 17 Mile Drive on the Monterey Peninsula. What makes this ride so spectacular is the cool ocean breeze in your face and no cars to run you off the road. They have a very smooth bike path that runs along Highway 1 so you never have to worry about traffic. A stop for lunch in one of the many great spots in Pacific Grove makes this journey complete. Navigating 17 Mile Drive by bike is an amazing up close and personal look at some of the most incredible personal homes and exclusive golf courses in the world.

See you on The Peninsula!