ABOUT
Welcome to Be Self Propelled, a website about bicycling, self motivation and ideas about living a fulfilling life that’s loaded with fun and adventure.
We call the site Be Self Propelled because it’s a statement that we believe in and live by. If you want more adventure in your life, if you want to have new and exciting experiences, meet new people, start your own business, learn to play guitar or do anything that you can dream of we know that YOU CAN but it’s up to you. We probably have more faith in your capability to do whatever you want than you do!
On this site you’ll see pictures and videos of long distance bicycle rides. Many people say to us, “Wow, I could never ride a bike 300 miles”, and our reply is always the same “Yes you can!”. I’ve rode long distance rides with cyclists that have only one leg, are paralyzed and have a wheel chair like bike that they pedal with their arms, are blind, are 85 years old or weigh over 300 pounds. You may have a good reason why you can’t ride but I’m going to be difficult to convince. I know, you can’t find a bike seat that doesn’t make your butt hurt. We’ll talk about seats, pedals, the right bike, the right tires and just about anything else you can think of. We’ll show you how to maintain your bike and how to repair it while you’re out on a ride. It all starts with propelling yourself to take the first step. A 300 mile ride starts with a one mile ride building up slowly and once you can ride 50 miles you can ride 300! This is the same with anything else you do in life. The hardest part is starting but like Issac Newton said, “bodies in motion tend to stay in motion” so once you start it’s not as hard to keep going. Besides, well tell you all of the secrets to making your ride far more comfortable and you might even surprise your friends having them wondering how did she pass me like that?
Bicycling is a great form of exercise, just ask your doctor. It’s low impact on your joints providing muscle building, core strength and arobic fitness. My favorite benefit is a mental one. Riding a bike takes me back to my childhood when I gained that new found freedom of being self propelled. I can feel the wind in my face, smell the trees and flowers and watch some amazing scenery go by.
I hope to meet many of you and have the chance to ride with you on your favorite route or trail.
Be self propelled,
Johnny P