No Big Deal, Just Biking Around Oakland

Today, I went on a bicycle ride. No big deal, right?

Except for me, it was a huge deal.

Those of you who've been reading for a while may recall that I learned to ride a bike in February of 2010. And while it was a successful lesson, the only other time I've ridden a bike since then was on our little weekend getaway in wine country almost a year ago. So when our friend Jack invited us to come along on a bike tour of Oakland, I said yes with a mixture of enthusiasm and nervousness.

I've been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone lately, and to say yes to adventures (and besides, Jack said it was beginner-friendly), so I figured what the heck? Unfortunately, we had some bike trouble and ended up being a little late to the tour, and it left without us. We tried to catch up but lost the group...so sad. But we were determined to have an adventure, so we carried on anyway.

An approximation of our route. Damn straight.

Turns out you can see a bunch of random stuff when you just bike around a city! I saw parts of Oakland I didn't know existed, despite having driven through them countless times. Gorgeous old buildings, long since abandoned and turned into tent camps...Laney College's lovely campus...and some beautiful new landscaping around the lake.

Oh, and this random sculpture.

About halfway through the ride, I had to switch bikes with our (my new) friend Jeremy, because apparently my front tire was damaged? I hadn't noticed, but apparently that's what was making it more challenging to ride. Once we switched, things were a lot smoother.

What's that we're all looking at? 

It's hard to see, but it's a seal!
In the Lake Merritt tributary!
What?
I think I should call wildlife rescue tomorrow.

We ended up on a lovely bike/walking path down by the waterfront, and went all the way to Jack London Square, where we spent some time at the farmers' market before heading back to the car.

I am seriously patting myself on the back. I know it was just a few hours riding a bike around a mostly-flat city, but I am damn proud. We crossed railroad tracks and rode on bumpy gravel, grass, and potholey streets, and I didn't fall or crash once. And I was mostly not freaked out. I actually had a really great time...and now I'm thinking about getting myself a bike...sore-butt notwithstanding :)