All I Want for Christmas is a Thule Bike Rack
I’m at a point in my life where I’m ready to cut down on partying. I don’t want to officially hang up my “cutting loose” habits, but I can only take so many yawn-filled mornings of bloodshot eyes and crooked smiles. I am ready to put those nights of loud clubs and expensive bar tabs behind me. Why the sudden lifestyle change you might ask? The answer—mountain biking. I think taking up this sport will jump start my active, healthy lifestyle.
Growing up, I have always been into bikes. It all started when I was six. My parents tried teaching me to ride a bike in a big field near our house—not the best idea. Have you ever tried riding through a field, let alone on a child’s bike with small wheels? It’s nearly impossible. Every bump, rock, and stick bounced me off the bike and landed my butt on the ground. My parents’ rationale was that falling in a field would be better than hitting the unforgiving pavement, which makes sense. But it is also nearly impossible to ride on this terrain, especially when first learning.
So one afternoon, I took off my training wheels and brought my bike into the driveway. I sat down on the seat, put my one foot on a pedal, pushed off and started riding. And as they say, the rest is history. I got older and picked up BMX; bunny hopping curbs and cruising around on pegs. When I hit college, I was over my dirt jumping phase, and got a road bike—pedaling for miles at a time. So it’s no surprise that mountain biking caught my eye– which is a sort of hybrid amalgamation of extreme maneuvers from BMX and long rides of road biking.
Back to my life story, I graduated college, picked up and moved to California. This state is absolutely beautiful. Last weekend, my girlfriend and I drove out of the city and spent a few hours exploring and admiring the west coast’s landscape. We hiked through a state park, which was awesome—but I’m not much of a hiker. I need something to get my heart pumping. We did discover a ton of mountain bike trails that the state park offered. And that’s when it hit me. Mountain biking looks like a blast! These guys flew past us on these gnarly mountain bikes, equipped with full suspension and rugged tires. The east coast didn’t offer trails like the west coast, which is probably why I never got into the sport. Now that I have all this terrain, I want to take full advantage.
So I started looking into bikes and am dieing to get one, but I ran into two problems. The bikes are very expensive and I drive a small Subaru whose seats don’t fold down. Plus, I wouldn’t want dirty, muddy tires all over my interior. I talked with a coworker who mountain bikes and he offered to lend me his old bike until I get my own. Great! But I need to get to the trails. My car doesn’t have a roof rack, so I looked for bike racks that mount to your trunk on the internet. If I can find a rack that mounts easily, I’m sure I will have no problem getting to the trails a few days a week and getting some exercise.
About the Author
I ended up getting a Thule rack. Thule makes hitch bike racks, trunk racks, and roof racks for every type of vehicle. I have since been hitting the trails every day after work and feel better than ever. –Mike Rosania
Electric Folding Bicycle with pedals.
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Racor PIW-1R/PIW-1W Pro Wall-Mount Bike Hanger $4.39 Store one bike vertically by the tire with this handy bike hanger from Racor. Great for corner storage where a bike can be hung by one wheel, the bike hanger has a PVC-cushioned sleeve to protect wheels from scratching or gouging. The unit mounts from the ceiling or the wall, for handy versatility. Made from epoxy coated, laser cut 12-gauge steel; the hook won’t bend or rust for years of reliable … |
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Drive Medical Pedal Exerciser with Attractive Silver Vein Finish, Silver Vein (Knock down) $14.70 Drive Medical Exercise Peddler With Attractive Silver Vein Finish…. |
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Sunny Health & Fitness Mini Cycle $89.00 Mini Cycle Place this portable stationary bike on the floor and cycle to strengthen legs. Place it on a tabletop and operate with your hands for firming up hard-to-tone muscles under arms. Turn the dial to adjust the resistance from a light workout to a rigorous one. Built-in computer with LCD shows scan, distance, time, calories, reps, total reps…. |
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Drive Medical Deluxe Folding Exercise Peddler With Electronic Display $27.57 Folding Exercise Peddler is a great alternative to bulky and over priced exercise equipment. Provides the same intensity of a bicycle machine without the price and with the convenience of easy transport and simple storage…. |
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Diamond Plate 77pc Embroidered State Flag Patch Set Measure 3-1/4 X 3-5/8 Inch White Box $39.99 Diamond Plate 77pc Embroidered State Flag Patch Set Measure 3-1/4 X 3-5/8 Inch White Box… |
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WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike Trailer $69.95 Train a child how to ride a bike without dealing with training wheels with the WeeRide Co-Pilot bike trailer. The Co-Pilot–which attaches quickly and easily to almost any bicycle with a seat post–is just like a regular bike, with handlebars, a seat, and pedals for your youngster. The Co-Pilot’s quick-release system detaches easily from your bike. However, you have control of the actual ride, … |
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Kettler Pushbar 4 Position Pushbar Chrome Plated $15.00 The Kettler Pushbar 4 Position Pushbar Chrome Plated is a nice accessory for the Kettler tricycle, allowing adults to push toddlers who are not old enough to pedal on their own. This chrome-plated push-bar tricycle accessory is designed to fit Kettler tricycles and adjusts to 3 different telescoping height positions. The ergonomic construction includes a resin loop handle for a better grip and gre… |
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Red Mini Glider $99.00 Pedals and training wheels hinder the learning process of riding a bike, because children can’t focus on the first important step — how to balance. Instead, they are trying to pedal, brake and balance, all at once. Training wheels prevent the bike from leaning, so kids never experience the feeling of balancing themselves, because the training wheels are doing it for them! The average time a child… |
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Stamina 55-1610 InMotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer $86.34 With the Stamina(r) InMotion E1000 Elliptical, your low-impact workouts will burn a similar number of calories as jogging, without the risk of injury to the back, knees, hops or ankles. The adjustable tension control knob allows you to easily set the workout intensity level to best fit your needs. It’s compact and lightweight enough to use at home or at the office, and stores easily under a desk o… |
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Topeak Alien II 26-Function Bicycle Tool $24.00 Often copied but never duplicated, the award-winning Alien II multifunction bicycle tool is still the best. The Alien II–which is designed for cyclists who need a high-quality tool while on the road–is housed in a clever break-apart body that makes it a breeze to find the right gadget. And with 26 high-quality, hardened-steel tools at your fingertips, you’ll rarely find yourself without exactly … |
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