A running wave crested years ago. Now the asphalt is filling with tires. TikTok has over 3 million #cycling hashtags. Women are getting on bikes in droves. Riley Rehl is one of them.
She posted a journey. Zero experience to twenty miles in a month.
It is not just influencer fluff. Science backs it. A forty-four year study shows high-performing cyclists face lower dementia risk. Another says twenty minutes at a easy pace ripples brain activity. Specifically the parts that store info. Daily riding shifts body composition. Too.
How she got there
She had not touched a bike since she was eight. Road traffic terrified her. So she avoided it. She rode off-road first. Seven miles just to feel the metal and the balance.
Good call.
Confidence built fast. Her first road ride? “Proud of myself.” She got the workout. Got the sun. Felt human again.
Research saves lives
Riley did the homework before touching the handlebars. She learned the rules. She studied the etiquette. Knowing where to put a wheel makes the road feel like your own.
She also watched the pros at stoplights. Not from a TV screen. From the saddle. See how they pedal? Mimic them.
The Gear Trap
Running shoes failed her. Pedals spun when she stopped. Slipping at intersections is no joke. She needed clip-ins.
They cost money. Yes. But they change the physics. Power transfer. Speed. Riley said the difference is night and day.
She picked the wrong stiffness initially though. Beginners fall learning clip-ins. Riley hit the pavement. Then she realized something critical: find an empty parking lot to practice. And check your shoe size.
Her toes went numb. She sized up two levels later. That is a hard lesson learned via cold extremities.
The Bike Has Secrets
She hit a hill on mile twenty. Legs burning. Breath short.
Why was everyone else standing and sprinting up the grade while she gasped for air?
She realized then she ignored a brake lever. And likely used gears poorly. She was pedaling air. Understanding the machine matters more than leg strength sometimes. You can’t cheat the physics but you can use the tools.
“I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Most people start challenges and quit when the novelty fades. Riley stayed. She learned to ride. The challenge ended. The riding didn’t.
Which gear did she leave at home? The fear. Maybe.
The road is wide. There is room for everyone who learns to clip in.
