25 Things Fat People Shouldn't Do is the brainchild of Jes, The Militant Baker. After finding an idiotic and ridiculous list on the internet that proclaimed 25 tasks that fat people "shouldn't" do; she metaphorically and literally said "screw that," and decided to do all the tasks on the list. In her words, this list "ranges from the absurd to the profoundly shameful," so "[she] will be disproving this offensive notion with style." I thought it was a brilliant idea; so I joined in.
A bike works pretty much the same way no matter who is riding it. You sit, you pedal, and you move forward. And it worked that way for me, a fat person. Don't be too shocked when I tell you that I hadn't rode a bike in more than 10 years before we decided to go for a ride on Toronto Island.
We don't own bikes. And I was convinced that I forgot how, since I hadn't done it in so long. Luckily, you don't forget how to ride a bike. It was pretty easy once I got the seat adjusted to the right height.
I was a little shocked at how fast I rode my rented fixed-gear bike. It was a lot of fun. On the island there is (generally) no traffic, so we were able to ride all over the place; past the nude beach (insert schoolgirl giggle here), and the clothing-mandatory beach.
There you have it. Me, on a bike. I didn't flatten the tires. I didn't break any spokes. I was able to keep up with (and go faster than) my skinny husband. I was able to cycle for 25+ kilometers (+15 miles). I didn't have a heart attack. I even looked pretty cool. So there, fat people can and should ride bikes.
To think it took one idiot on the internet to remind me how fun it is. I am seriously considering getting a bike now. Do you ride a bike?
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this!!
ReplyDeleteI recently decided to buy a bike after 10+ years because I thought it would be fun. But then, at the last minute I found myself second guessing my decision. Me, a fat person, riding a bike? Would I look ridiculous? Would people make fun of me? Would I be able to go any distance? And then I found this article. Seeing you rocking that bike has restored my confidence. I really can't thank you enough.