My saddle story

Once upon a time there was a shiny cream colored bicycle in front of a shop's window. A young woman wearing a ruby coat entered the shop and walked towards that particular bicycle. She pointed it with her finger and nodded to the bike shop owner who immediately understood what she wanted, as this wasn't the first time that young woman had entered his shop...

...The young woman filled with excitement looked at her new lovely bicycle and thought it was time to ride it. At first she intended to go only for a short trip around the neighborhood but instead she ended spending a whole hour riding around with her precious new bicycle. After finally returning home, she carried it inside as she hadn't bought a bicycle lock yet.
The next morning she decided to go for a ride again but this time she felt a little sore while sitting in the saddle. This was the first and also the last time she ever had that feeling. Fortunately the soreness quickly passed and the third day she felt great again while sitting in her bicycle's saddle. 

That was my saddle story! When buying the bicycle I was determined to replace the original saddle as I was sure that it wouldn't meet my expectations. But after trying it I realised it was a great match from the beginning. It is wide enough for sitting upright while riding and feeling comfortable, but not too wide. It has the right amount of cushion for me but also enough stiffness so I don't feel any loss off energy while riding.
Other people that bought the same bicycle might have found the saddle perfect too, others might have found it uncomfortable and changed it. Do not take into account anything that someone else is saying about a saddle, you should always test it yourself, as what feels comfortable to one might feel uncomfortable to another. Don't forget that everyone has a different bone structure, they're not all buttocks the same! 
I will only ask you one thing though, give your original saddle a chance before replacing it! I'm not saying that a leather saddle isn't nice. Actually I love leather saddles. What I'm saying is that most of the times you see people buying a new and rather expensive saddle from the start and after a while you see the same people complaining that their new leather saddle got soggy from the rain or stolen. With a vinyl one they wouldn't have a soggy problem even during the heaviest downpour and also they'd lowered their chances for their saddles to get stolen.
I know you are thinking "What about saddle covers?", and you're right! I'm using a saddle cover myself but for other reasons that I'll post in the future. Placing a saddle cover is easy, but trying using the saddle that came with the bicycle from the start is much easier. I just remind you that you also have this option!

How did you choose your bicycle saddle? Did you replace it immediately or after trial? 

Broken Glass causes us Flats!

There is nothing like it! Everyone that rides a bicycle has come to face with a flat tire at least one time. Most of the times something like this happens is due to broken glass. 

The first time I got a flat tire was three and half months ago. I was returning home after work on a cloudy day. As my bicycle was rolling I was hearing a "fff" sound but is was discontinuous. At first I thought that my tire might had got water because there was a lot of rain previously in that day. But after a couple of kilometers I looked down at the front tire and saw that is was completely flat. 

Needless to say I walked my bicycle home that day. You should never ride your bicycle when you have a flat tire. The rim will either bend or broke and the replacement of one is pricey. 

The next day I got the flat tire fixed in a bicycle shop and paid 5 euros for a new inner tube. I asked them what was the cause, a nail or some other debris, but they said they didn't find anything. I thanked them and took my bicycle back. However, as I was walking my bicycle to get to the main road and looking my front tire while doing so, I saw a piece of broken glass still pinned on the tire. With the help of my key I managed to pulled it out. Immediately I thought that they didn't even bother to search the inside of the tire, they just replaced the old inner tube with a new one. That was the moment I've decided to never leave my bicycle unattended when even the slightest repair is being done to it.

Two weeks later I got a flat tire again. I then took it to an another place and asked for a patch and not a new inner tube. It costed me 3 euros, which was a really small difference in price, but I was frustrated and the particular bike shop didn't have an inner tube with the valve type that I wanted, so I went with the patch option. The bike shop owner warned me that this was only a temporary solution and that my bicycle tire sooner or later will get a flat again, especially because of the heat as summer was just in the corner. I said that I would take my chances and also I told him to inspect the inner side of the bicycle tire. He said OK and he later found a really small piece of broken glass. (My tire is still OK in case you're wondering. The heat didn't affect the patch at all.)

"So broken glass again" I thought. Furthermore, after discussing it with other people too, I reached in the conclusion that the number one caution for getting a flat tire is broken glass. In my case, it might have been the same piece from the beginning, as in the first bike shop they didn't search the inner side of the tire, or it could be a totally different piece. It doesn't matter. What it matters is that you see shattered glass all over the roads. Is something you cannot avoid from running into. On the roads, is the outcome of road accidents or car robberies. But in the bicycle paths is the outcome of what? 

I took a picture for all of you to see it. I think that someone is doing it on purpose. This is clearly a broken bottle that was left there by someone. Not the cause of an accident of any kind. Realising that makes me sad, because now I understand that there are still people out there who think bicycles are just toys and us (by us I mean people on bicycles) getting a flat tire is a joke to them. 

The good thing is that the majority of people don't share the same ideas as this particular person. More and more citizens every day choose the bicycle usage over the car in our little city and when I'm crossing paths with others also riding bikes, I just smile. 

Bicycle commuting in the summer

At late spring, when the sun started to shine a lot brighter again and the temperature started to rise, I was thinking of the approaching summer and I must admit that I felt intimidating by that thought.
The previous summer, I kind of avoided long distance riding because in Greece the summers are hot and humid, especially here in Volos which is a coastal area. I should also note that I live 5,5 kilometers away from the city, so you want to know what did I do last year?
During the summer months, I was leaving my bicycle locked up in the city centre and after getting there by car or bus, I was then unlocking it and using it as normal. And all of that because I was scared of what other people told me about cycling in the heat and after considering things I've read on the Internet.

This year however, after spending several months of riding my bicycle daily and feeling the joy, I decided to continue my bicycle commuting even during summer and see what happens. What did I realise? That summer cycling can be fun! Of course you have to take some precautions. 

Tip 1: Leave the house early. 

During that time the temperature isn't that high and also the sun itself is still at a lower point which provides more shade in account with near trees, buildings and fences. 

Tip 2: Don't rush! 

That is the most important tip of them all! When riding a bicycle, you create your own breeze, which helps with cooling you off, but if rushing it, then your body's temperature will rise and produce more heat. Just keep a momentum when pedaling and you'll be fine! Especially when you're about to reach your destination, start coasting more.

Tip 3: Allow yourself to cool off for 5 minutes after reaching your destination. 

In my workplace there aren't any showers or locker rooms for changing clothes. I wear my regular working clothes from the start, but after taking it slow, as I advised above, I don't sweat that much and after 5 minutes when finished locking up my bike, I feel nice and cool. (And in case you're wondering, I interact a lot with people during my working time, never had an awkward moment!)

Tip 4: Don't skip showering at home! Also don't forget about deodorant!

I know you're about to laugh, as showering is the most obvious, but believe me when I'm telling you, a lot of people just don't shower or deny to use a deodorant! So please, for the sake of yourself (and other people's sake, too) either shower before leaving the house or just before going to sleep the previously night, and apply a generous amount of deodorant. When being clean, sweating doesn't feel unpleasant and also there is no smell at all.

Tip 5: Wear light clothing!

Let some air flow through your clothes by wearing light and breathable materials that are also loose fitted.

Tip 6: Buy and use a hat!

I have to ride back home in the middle of the day, when the sun is at it's highest point every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. But after started wearing a hat, I no longer get headaches from the sun's heat and I feel more pleasant during my ride, too.

Tip 7: Drink plenty of water.

If dehydrated, then say welcome to headaches! At least that's what I used to say before, when I wasn't drinking enough water. 

Tip 8: Start using alternative routes, where there's more shade. 

I always chase the shadows when riding in summertime. You literally feel the difference in degrees on your skin when riding through shadowy parts.

Tip 9: Wear SPF products.

During summer, for my face I simply use a CC cream, which is light, has SPF protection and allows me to skip putting on make-up and that's all! But the days that I'll be riding during midday I also spray my hands, shoulders and neckline with a sunblock. Just don't become obsessed with SPF products. Sun (in the right amount) is a friend, helps with vitamin D deficiency, too!

Tip 10: Don't listen to music through earphones.

I know you're about to say "What?", but speaking from my experiences always, I've come to conclusion that the usage of earphones rises the head pressure (by producing heat into the ears and also even if it feels pleasant when listening to it, music contributes to making excess noise) and in association with the sun's heat what's the result? Want to guess? Headaches, yes! 

So, these were my personal tips for commuting in summer after using the trial and error method! Just keep in mind to take it slow at first and you will not have any problems. For those of you that already live near the city center and not in the suburbs, then I only have one tip, don't forget to wear your sunglasses! That's all you need, as the riding distances are pretty small in these cases.

Do you have any other tips that worked for you and want to share them? 

Safety in numbers

I was looking the time and then up to the sky. The night had fallen already and the last bit of lighting was fading away. Sadly I couldn't make it home before dark. My commute is long and has a particular part that stretches for 1 kilometer which is hilly and also pitch black after nightfall. (I will talk about my daily commute on a future post). Fortunately, my bicycle has proper lights, but what makes me uncomfortable the most when riding through this part is not the darkness, it is a dog. There is a sheep shelter nearby and after nightfall the shepherd's dog wakes up and starts sniffing around and barking to passing cyclists. So as I was reaching this place I was thinking that I had to pass through this spot and it was already dark, which meant the dog was awake. 

I looked up to the sky one more time, the sky's color from dark blue had turned to black in a matter of  minutes. I had to ride through, there was nothing I could do, right?

Well, as it turned out, there was something I could do and I did it!

I saw him way back before and actually overpassed him. And there he was at that time, right behind me, riding at my pace. There was my chance! I lowered my speed on purpose, so I could talk to him and asked him his direction and if he'd like to join me through the dark spot. For my good luck he agreed, so there we were, riding together and talking. As it turned out, that night the dog got a little bit lazy and barked while it was lying on the ground from far away. Could it be because we were riding next to each other, both with lights, and the dog took us for a car? Maybe, although I do not believe that. What is more important is that we didn't have any trouble with the dog, but even if we were, there was safety because we were two people. I know what you are thinking, two is a small number, but still a bigger number than one!

Do you have any stretches of road that are pitch black on your commute? How do you handle it? 

The Palm Tree

One early evening, as I was touring around with my bicycle exploring new neighborhoods, I passed this particular spot. It's an apartements' building that has the tallest palm tree I have ever seen! The tree is as tall as the building and considering that this is an 8 floor building (including the roof) and every floor has at least 3 meters height that means that this particular palm tree is much or less 24 meters long. 

As tall as the building!

You might think that's not high enough, but for my city it is! You don't regularly see trees that tall here. That also makes me wonder how old this palm tree really is. I don't know the growing rate of palm trees, but after examining the shape of the building and the fact that's a relatively new building I'm thinking that the palm tree was there first.

As you can see from the picture, the people living in that building tight the palm tree's trunk with a wire cable so that the tree won't lean in front and fall over time.

I've read somewhere that originally Volos had a lot of palm trees but the topical lords many years ago decided to cut them all off because they didn't want the city to look like a tropical one. But certainly I'm not implying that this tree is from back then, I just wanted to share what I've read. Not sure how valid this information is though!
Do you ever stop and take pictures of things that look unfamiliar to you around your neighborhood when you're rolling around with your bicycles? If you like to share your pictures with me along with a small description, through my contact page, I'll be happy to post them!

Bicycle chain on the loose?

You feel the air hitting your face, your heart pounding like crazy with excitement, you continue to hold on tight to the handlebars while you watch the road unravelling in front of your eyes and you are thinking "I've got this!" as your bicycle is rolling down the hill. But before you can even blink a bump on the road appears and sends you flying for a couple of seconds in the air which just adds up to the excitement...!

...But then comes the landing, and as your bicycle hits the asphalt and you hear the sound, you immediately realise that your chain just slipped. But don't feel worried, this happens to all bicycle users! 

The one time that happened to me, it was when I was still a newbie and I was all alone heading to work, with absolutely no idea how to fix a slipping chain, especially one which also has a chain cover. So I just got frustrated and decided to walk my bicycle to the nearest open shop at that early time. For my good luck it was a hardware store and the owner was really polite and showed me a way to adjust my bicycle chain again that is easy and chain cover friendly. No need for a screwdriver also!

The steps

Step 1: You place the bicycle up against a wall or something as the kickstand usage will be an obstacle with this method.

Step 2: You just find something so you can protect your hand from getting dirty. I usually grab a piece of paper or a tree leaf as they're the most convenient for me. (In the pictures I wear gloves as I was home and I also had to first take the bicycle chain off on purpose which cannot be done without getting dirty).

Step 3: You just hold with your finger the chain on one of the chainring's teeth that is placed on the bottom part. 

Step 4: While still holding the chain on one of the chainring's teeth, you start to move the pedals backwards.

Step 5: Voila! Your chain is back on, I just roll the pedals backwards a couple of times again to just be sure.

Now you are free to continue the ride!

The next time that my chain slipped, I adjusted it myself in only 10 seconds! 

Let me know if that method worked for you!

Sightseeing by Bicycle: The Argo

One great thing about bicycles is that it combines together two of the greatest features of walking and driving. It is a lot quicker than walking and it is also a much more flexible mode of transport than a car. To me that's what I love the most about it. You can go from one place to another fast enough and not worrying about parking, but also without having to sacrifice the quality of your trip, because when riding a bicycle you are totally aware of your surroundings.

So the other day, when I was passing from the city's port I saw the Argo. Immediately in my mind jumped two options. Option number one to continue my ride and head to my destination, option number two to stop for a while and admire the ship for a couple of minutes. Of course I went with option two. 

According to Greek mythology, Argo was the ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts in a remarkable trip to Colchis to get back the Golden Fleece. In 2008 the city of Volos build this replica which sailed from here all through to Venice.

For that trip a crew of 50 people was needed. The participators were from different countries of the European Union. 

Imagine travelling on this ship! How hard it must have been but also what a great life experience! The crew surely needed a lot of days to finally reach their destination and back, and of course they must have been exhausted afterwards, but also full of joy and pride! 

Don't let the calm waters of Volo's port trick you, Mediterranean sea can get really "angry" especially when combined with the blowing of the wind!

Have you ever participated on something similar? Do you like the adventure?

Who's to blame?

It was a summery Tuesday morning. The man rolled out of his bed, washed his face and got dressed. Then he headed to the kitchen. After pressing the button on his coffee maker, he stood in front of the window and looked outside. "Another day begins", he thought. Then he sat on his chair with his coffee next to him and a pile of papers on his hands and cursed as he had to go downtown one more time to pay the bills...
...Later in that same day, he approached his destination, which was right in the city center. He drove around a couple of blocks, maybe more, and looked for a parking space. He found none. He couldn't use the parking space provided by the city, because it had a fee and he needed the money for grocery shopping or something similar. Finally, filled up with frustration,  he gave up the searching and decided to park his car right in front, without thinking about pedestrians and mothers with strollers.

Where he parked? On the pavement. 

New rules for parking?

...Much later in that same day, I passed that spot, saw the car and took a picture. My first reaction was angriness, but in a couple of minutes that feeling passed. You will say "How can you defend him?", well I'm not. What he did had no excuse. He could take the bus, catch a taxi, ride a bicycle or just walk. He preferred his car, OK. But the reason I won't taking it out on him is because it is not entirely his fault. It is the city's fault, too. The city encourages this kind of behavior. The city's cars are the ones you see violate the rules first and most frequently. So after some thought, I've decided. I blame both. Him for his decision to park there and not thinking of others, and the city for not doing anything about it.

Who do you blame for? What are your thoughts on this matter? 

Feeling Hot?

Today as I was heading home in the middle of the day, when the sun was at it's highest point, I started imagine how it would be if I was pedalling at a small country road in the middle of a dense forest. The thought appealed me so much that I immediately started to look around for alternative routes, although I knew well enough that there is none. I kept going and going and started chasing the half-shadows of some small trees in the near field, and then suddenly I saw it!

I was passing it every day but never really cared about it until today. There it was! A big olive tree at the side of the road with a shadow that looked so nice that I had to take a two-minute break. 

As I was standing there cooling myself off I was thinking that with cycling I'm being able now  to appreciate more the small things in life. Like the shadow of a tree, the air's breeze, the singing of the birds and the sounds of wildlife in general. I always liked to observe the nature and it's elements and cycling is helping me achieve that by keeping me outside.

You may think that this is a graphic speech and maybe it its, but as a fact it is also a truth.

Don't know about you, but myself by just looking the shadow, I feel relieved!

What do you think? Have you started noticing more of your surroundings after starting commuting by bicycle or just by starting walking more?

Welcome to my very first blog post

As you might already got from the blog's title the main theme of the blog is about Living and is also about Bicycles! For more information about the main purpose of the blog and learning about who I am and what I'm about to write in the future feel free to read the About Living And Bicycles page. 

But let's introduce ourselves again. 

I'm an ordinary bicycle owner and use my beloved bicycle as my main transportation vehicle. I've been riding on a daily basis since spring 2013 wearing my regular street clothing without the usage of any special equipment whatsoever. 

I cycle year-round and currently living in Volos, which is located in Thessaly, Greece. 

I'll be posting my experiences after one and a half year of cycling, what troubled me, the changes I've noticed in my health, some crucial but still simple technical stuff that every bicycle user should known, the beauty and the romance of bicycles, but more importantly about just living!

I will also be talking about infrastructure and comparing/contrasting with other cities, located either in Greece or worldwide.

Feel free to share your thoughts or ask me any questions at the comments below and also you can contact me through my page.

Thank you.