Step 2: Learn to Ride a Bike

So I fund-raised the $1,000, got my bike, and put it together...now I suppose comes the part where I learn to ride it? 

My Giant Avail 3!

As a Gaucho-alum with 4 years of Isla Vista cruisin' under my belt, making my way into the world of cycling couldn't be too hard, could it? 


For those unfamiliar with the UC Santa Barbara area and culture, "Isla Vista cruisin'" actually requires a substantial amount of biking skill. Typical skills of Gaucho bikers include: 

• Remaining calm during bike rush hour (aka passing period) 
• Stopping short for the pedestrian or vehicle out-of-towners who don't know (but will undoubtedly learn quickly) that bikes rule the town and are entitled to do whatever they please 
• Biking with a 30-pack, lacrosse stick, and/or surf board in hand 
• Sharing your bike with a friend in need of a lift 
• Riding with no-hands (for the show-offs...I was one of them)

After my "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" moment when testing out my bike at the local bike shop-- "no, do less, do less"-- and basically needing an interpreter to get past all the cycling jargon...the intimidation factor sank in. Suddenly my expert ability to navigate through campus on bike without using my hands seemed worthless in a world of clipless pedals, chamois,* and spandex. 


*What are chamois? I didn't know either. These are the pads in high-end biking shorts cleverly referred to by some cycling aficionados as "bike diapers."