I’ve recently started to read a new book designed to make an (micro)adventurer out of anyone and I am finding it really inspiring! Lots of ideas to get me of my sofa and into the great outdoors without costing a fortune. If you are looking for some inspiration to add a little adventure into your life it’s a great book to get.New bike.
The books purchase was inspired by my recent bike purchase, a Hybrid Boardman MX Sport. I’ve no experience of bikes (my last bike was a Raleigh Chopper in the 1970’s), but I chose the type based on the activities I envisioned me taking part in, mainly day trips into the countryside. My routes would mainly consist of cycle paths (some minor roads) and off road trails (Not mountain bike courses), so a Hybrid bike seemed a great option. (Thanks to John P for helping choose a actual bike!)
I’ve added a rear rack top rear bag for essentials on day trips, and a handlebar bag for my Lumix camera when I fancy it. I’ve also got the option of side panniers for any trips longer than a day trip (or a nice big picnic!) as I’m not a fan of cycling with a backpack if possible.
Geek alert!
Also being the gadget head that I am, a Garmin Edge Touring GPS sits on my handlebars also. I did a few trial runs with my iPhone and some bike routing apps but found the battery life far too limiting. Hence the Garmin and its suggested 17 hour battery life which will cover any day trips with ease.
It’s also a cycle computer and recently went on my 1st solo run out on the bike covering 19 miles with considerable ease.
The 1st half of the route was a mixture of cycle paths and trails, the 2nd was mainly a canal towpath. The Hybrid bike was great, having front suspension and slimmer rough tread tyres were more than adequate for the cycle paths and off road. I enjoyed a leisurely couple of hours exploring my local area, something I’ve never done before. Tell me I’d cover over 19 miles on a bike a few months ago I would have smiled politely to you whist thinking you were crazy!
I’m looking forward to some more cycling exploration and a full overnight MicroAdventure soon!
I’ve really enjoyed writing a guide to Nozbe a productivity software application I use every single day. (Think of a paper todo list with a jetpack and a lightsaber Mum!). It has been fun and challenging squeezing it in-between my real life. It’s had it’s ups and downs, having to re-write it half way through as the software was updated to a new updated 2.0 interface made me laugh (I lie, I cried!), but it’s been a goal to ship something (anything?) one day.
You see, I’ve not shared my work with anyone before, sending a small mockup to the CEO of Nozbe to seek his permission in creating a book is the only interaction I’ve had. (He was thrilled thankfully!) The self doubt that now hangs over me is heavier than I imagined. What if no one likes it? It makes no sense? What if it looks terrible on some devices? The layout is bad? What if it’s too basic? Too in-depth? Too long? Too short? What if I’ve missed something really important? 100’s of things rushing through my head of how much people will think it sucks and I look like a fool. We all know the internet can be cruel.