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I noticed something interesting about my mom. When I was growing up she always had arthritis, tendonitis, and all kinds of aches and pains in her arms and shoulders.

That’s probably what you’d expect for a single mom with a job that involved hours of sitting and typing. At one point it got so bad that she had to install voice-activated software on her computer. But when she retired a couple of years ago she stumbled upon a cure for chronic pain.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to buy anything or click on a special link or change your religion. I’ll tell you exactly what happened, and how it relates to riding a bike.

About a million years ago when I did my first bike tour up the Pacific coast from Los Angeles to Santa Cruz, I tried to be Superman and I rode up the steep and rolling hills around San Luis Obispo in the highest gear I could handle. By the end of the day all the cartilage in my knees had turned to liquid. My bones ached and my kneecaps were floating in wet, floppy sacks the size of grapefruits.

Oh, to be young again! The next morning a part of me was thinking, “I sh0uld probably take it easy today” but mostly I just wanted to get on the road and keep moving. It hurt, but I was excited about being on the road.

A few miles up past the Hearst castle, I stopped on the beach and saw what looked like a big stack of driftwood-but it was moving. I got closer and realized it was a bunch of sea lions, all piled together and resting in the sand.

This was so exciting I laughed out loud–and then something happened that I can’t explain. It was like someone hit the deflate button in my knee joints. The swelling went away, as if the fluid was leaving through an invisible drain, and ten seconds later the soggy grapefruits had turned into tight, healthy knees.

For years after that, I had this theory that when you’re really happy and excited about something, then pain and injury become irrelevant–and vanish on their own.

This seems like my mom’s situation. Years of sitting in uncomfortable chairs, working her fingers on the keyboard, led to pain and suffering. But then something happened. She started knitting blankets and toys for her grandchildren.

Then when the economy tanked and took her retirement account with it, she went back to work like so many people are doing. She got a job in a shop that sells handmade gifts, and she started knitting hats and stuffed animals to sell in the shop as well.

My mom gets really creative with her knitting, and her stuff moved quickly. She got requests for more, and now she takes orders, sells at craft fairs, and basically–if you didn’t get this already–she’s spending most of her time sitting in a chair, working her fingers.

But she never complains about arthritis.

So how does this relate to biking? Well first of all, passion and joy and excitement are natural sources of vitality, energy and healing power.

This is why I suspect that riding on a bike trail, and best of all bike touring (or even just exploring your county for a day) will get you in much better shape than riding on a stationary bike in a gym. If bike commuting puts some fun and adventure into your day, going to work will be far less stressful.

In this blog, I’m always talking about getting around on your own power. But this goes a little bit deeper. By tapping into your emotional power, you can improve every aspect of your life.

It was pouring rain in Los Angeles today, and I was skidding all over the place as I weaved my bike around drivers who aren’t used to driving in the rain.

But in this case, the destination was more important than the journey. I was heading for Griffith Park with two goal in mind:

1. To stop procrastinating and begin doing hill sprints–as I had told myself I would do six months ago.

2. To practice taijutsu–another promise I made to myself.

Maybe there was a little bit of the macho thing going on, riding out in the rain to do strenuous exercise and crazy martial arts stuff in the mud. But even if it had been sunny, I would have done it.

We’re not in this world to sit like rocks, and slowly erode in the weather. We’re here to rise and grow and always seek greater heights.

As the drizzle streamed down my face, I launched myself at the top of the first hill, sprinting full on, trying to get up there as fast as humanly possible. Finding the limits, and pushing beyond them. Flinging past gravity, mud, exhaustion–any obstacle that dares to say, “This is all you are. You can go no further.”

Riding a bike is the same battle, in slow motion. Every time you use your own power, you expand that power. And here you are. We are extraordinary human beings, and we don’t do ourselves justice if we stay inside our comfort zones all the time. You can do something extraordinary today. Right now.

That’s why I ride.

Even just a 10 minute bike ride a few days a week will have you looking and feeling better by the end of the month. But if you’re a beginner, you might feel daunted.

Fear not! I can show you a safe bike ride in your home town. I’ve been networking with bikers all over the United States, as part of a research project into safe and scenic bike rides. If one of them is near you, we can find you a ride. Just leave a comment if you’re interested in trying this out, and I’ll get back to you soon.

Better yet,  sign up for free biking tips–just leave your name and email below:

I read all those recommended training routines in Bicycle Magazine, but even when I have the time to try and follow them (which is rare and inconsistent) I’m usually not up to snuff.

But I’ve found a way to really benefit from the saddle time I have.

Nearly all of my bike riding time is commuting in the city. I get a short stretch of biking in between traffic lights and stop signs. Normally I would take the whole route at an easy pace, the kind meant for bike touring, and get restless and frustrated whenever the usual urban obstacles forced me to stop.

Now I look at my daily bike route as a series of sprints through an obstacle course. Now when I hit a red light I’m breathing hard, my thighs are burning, and I’m grateful for the 45 seconds of rest. The results:

• More fun on the way to work, and less frustration
• I might end up in better shape after a few months of this
• I’m learning how to handle sharp turns, potholes, and bumps at faster speeds
• I get to workearlier

This connects with a very popular philosophy of bike touring. Use what you’ve got. On a tour this means fixing a bike with duct tape, broken pens, or anything you can find because the only other alternatives are walking or hitchhiking.

In an urban bike commute, you practice this philosophy through better training. The “duct tape” is the time and circumstances you have available. Use what you’ve got.
Try this. Seek more challenges, fun, and rewards without changing where, when, or how long you ride. The secret is to change how you ride the bike.

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Want to get in shape fast? I’ll kick your butt until your legs turn into sleek pistons of steel! Get a training plan from a professional coach!  Click Here!

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Almost everyone knows the benefits of bike riding. But I’ve been thinking about the similarities between biking and various martial arts.

Both are essentially practical survival skills that benefit your health and physical fitness as a “side effect,” (Although for many people this side effect is the main reason to take up the art.)

If you get into it at all, it can become a lifestyle with social, mental, philosophical and spiritual dimensions. The experts incorporate daily rituals that include stretching and breathing, possibly visualization, and eventually dedication to the care and maintenance of your equipment. (For the bike Samurai, your bike is your sword).

Could this evolve into the richness of a martial art? Are there certain qualifications to be considered a master? What do you have to do to become a bike blackbelt? Who are the different, rival schools? (Think Karate vs. Kung Fu, Mountain Bikers vs. Roadies or Commuters vs. Messengers.)

At what point does a “sport” become an art, or a way of life? Are we there yet?

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Want to get in shape fast? I’ll kick your butt until your legs turn into sleek pistons of steel! Get a training plan from a professional coach! Click Here!

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You have to eat. When you’re at the end of a hard bike ride (or sometime in the middle of a long one), you’ll recover faster if you give your muscles some protein and glycogen to work with. A boost of antioxidants can’t hurt, either.

A lot of nutrition companies have gotten rich selling sweet and milky “recovery drinks” that are designed to give you exactly these things. The trouble is they all taste like malted baby formula. Luckily, you’ve got alternatives.

The real quick fix is a bowl of cereal with skim milk. This gives you the right balance of amino acids and carbs, and the cereal is probably vitamin fortified.

Better still (and my personal favorite when I’m really at the end), eat a big fat burrito with a pint of beer. Just as long as it’s good beer. None of that watery Coors shit.

Buon appetito!

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Want to get in shape fast? I’ll kick your butt until your legs turn into sleek pistons of steel! Get a training plan from a professional coach! Click Here!

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It’s easy to go for a bike ride when you’re bright-eyed and frisky, the weather’s perfect and it’s the beginning of a long weekend with no urgent chores or immediate plans.

For the rest of the time, try this.

Just ride for ten minutes. Anywhere. This will get you warmed up, and it makes it easy to get in the habit of riding your bicycle a few times a week. No matter how tired you are, or how cold it is, even if it’s raining, you can handle ten minutes.

And the benefits of bike exercise, even for just ten minutes, are incredible. Research shows that a 10-minute bike ride can lift your mood. It’s long enough to flood your system with endorphins that relieve pain and can give you a natural high that has been documented.

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Want to get in shape fast? I’ll kick your butt until your legs turn into sleek pistons of steel! Get a training plan from a professional coach! Click Here!

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If you happen to be really busy, you can still take a 10-minute bike break. Come on. I guarantee the rest of your day or evening will be a lot happier and more productive.

Over time this ten-minute ride can really tone you up. If you’re biking to lose weight or lower your blood pressure, these baby steps will help you right away, and they’ll psyche you up for longer rides. Pretty soon you’ll be ready to ride you bike to work, do a long distance bike tour, or even tour southern Italy on a bike.

If you have time to read this, you’ve got time to go on a 10-minute bike ride. Seriously. Go for it.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and any health claims about the benefits of biking, bicycle fitness, or the amount of calories burned while biking have not been evaluated by a competent medical authority. You should consult with a physician before going on bike rides. Also be sure to obey all local traffic laws, unless you’re really feeling ballsy, you’re riding a fixed gear, or you work as a bike messenger. Don’t drink and bike. Always wear a SNELL-approved helmet. You’re probably going to die anyway, so don’t sue me. I warned you.

Last week I posted my first video ever on YouTube. It’s about a bike trip up the California coast to visit my mom in Port Hueneme.

Anyway, there’s a reason most people bust out laughing when they see it. I keep my helmet on, play up the dorky aspect of biking, and try on purpose to be a nerd.

Because biking is for everybody.

All the bike magazines are filled with pictures of supermodels. Even the non-profits like Adventure Cyclist feature bicyclists who have made it a lifestyle, and tend to be in great shape as a result.

Most of the bicycle media portray cyclists as ultra-healthy athletes, and there is some truth to this.

But it’s enough to discourage a lot of “normal” people who would probably like to start riding, but say to themselves, “I’m too old/fat/weak/lazy/ to ride a bike.”

But the truth is, you don’t have to be an athlete to start biking. If anything, biking is one of the easiest and most fun ways of becoming more athletic. You start to see this happen pretty quickly once you get into it.

I had to start somewhere, we all did, and that’s the whole point. You don’t have to be an athlete just to start.

I was a nerd, back in the days before it became cool to be a nerd. Then I started bike touring, and my self confidence improved even faster than my physique.

But the quirky geek is still in there, so when I make a video about biking that’s the role I’m going to play.

Now I have a request for you. If you’re a biker, make a point to encourage people to ride who are especially insecure about their size, weight, or physical ability. Especially if you had to deal with those issues yourself at some point in your life.

If you like to show off, then start making videos. Here’s mine:

By the way, if you’ve ever had an interest in touring Italy by bicycle, check out the touring Italy FAQs page: http://www.bicyclefreedom.com/?page_id=19