The lazy woman's guide to exercise

I like the idea of working out while sitting down. It appeals to my inner slug. With gasoline costs rising, and people feeling the need to economize, bicycles purchases are up. And it seems like people are actually riding them. So the lazy woman thought she should write a guide to bicycles.

Cyclists take over I-5!

Note: Before you buy a bicycle, make sure it fits you!
(In the end, comfort rules.)

Dutch bicycle
Pro: These are the old fashioned upright bicycles that are suddenly fashionable in all the best trendy areas.
Con: They're so sturdy that they're fairly heavy. Not good for use in San Francisco, but definitely healthy transport.
Tip: -- Before deciding what to wear when you ride, check out the New York Times fashion slide show; it demonstrates how All The Best People dress when riding one.


City/hybrid bike

Pro: They're useful; the thick tires make it harder to get a flat when riding over sharp rocks or small seen-at-the-last-minute pieces of glass.
Con: Heavier than a road bike (though not nearly as heavy as a Dutch bike), the extra weight might prove a burden if you have to climb a lot of hills.
Tip: This is probably the best bike to get if you're not sure what kind of riding you're likely to be doing.

Road bike
Pro: Best for use on long bike rides or for serious hills.

Con: Have to watch it if riding this bike on the street. With old-fashioned gratings, the tires can slip in between, thus causing you to come to a nasty sudden stop.
Tip: If planning to do serious hills, make sure the bike comes with a triple chain ring. (Translation, make sure it's got the oomph to get you up the hill. What your legs can't manage, the gears might be able to do.)

Okay, triple gears can manage MOST hills...

Recumbent bike

Pro: People who ride 'bent' bikes think they're the best thing since chopped liver. They're certainly easier on the tush.
Con: I kept tensing up my neck trying to "see" everything from the angle I could when I was on my regular bike. You have to adjust to being so much lower down while riding. Felt kind of like driving a mini cooper and being surrounded by SUVs.
Tip: Supposed to be much better for the back and also hills are supposed to be doable, even if you can't pedal standing up.

Tandem bicycle
Pro: Excellent for the lazy people out there -- if you're the one in back, you can kick back and let the front man do all the work.
Con: If the front man notices, you're in deep trouble.
Tip: These bikes can be detrimental to matrimony. I've seen a lot of husbands and wives who have had trouble synchronizing their movements-- oh clean it up, guys, I'm talking on the bicycle -- no, seriously, stop smirking, I mean riding the bicycle, I mean -- oh the heck with this, let's move on.

Bikes with kids & kids & kids (add on bike)
Pro: In Portland, the Bridge Pedal bike ride brings out whole families. Since not all children can ride a 36 mile bike ride, these bicycles are pretty handy. You get some tired-looking parents by the end of the ride, but at least no one had to stay home.
Con: the kids are behind you, so you can't always see what they're up to and pay attention to the road at the same time. (Still, you'd get that problem with a mini-van as well.)

Tip: If the children can be encouraged to help out with the pedaling, they'll be nice and tired by the end of the ride.

The Roland Add+bike

There are also mountain bikes, but they don't belong on a lazy woman's list. Waaay too much exercise involved in those things. For evidence of such, see the video below.

I brazenly stole leveraged this video clip from Half-Fast, who got it from someone else. It's not ever something I would ever dream of doing with a bicycle, but this guy has an amazing sense of balance.