After Years of Struggling With Her Self-Confidence, This Rider Found Happiness on the Bike

In 2016, I was looking for ways to lose weight. I suffered from arthritis in my knees, so my doctor recommended low-impact workout options like biking or swimming that wouldn’t hurt my knees too much. Well I can’t swim, but I could ride a bike, so I found an indoor cycling class at my local 24 Hour Fitness. I fell in love with indoor cycling immediately. I loved the instructor, music, energy, and camaraderie in the room. Plus, it was a killer workout. I did that for a few months, but I was dying for more variety in my riding. So I decided to try riding a bike outside instead of just indoors. I bought my first entry level road bike in 2017—a Trek Domane AL 2 from Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica, California. When I first got my bike, I would go outside to ride on weekends by myself on the Ballona Creek Bike Path or along the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, both in Los Angeles, because it didn’t feel safe to ride the streets with cars buzzing by me. However, I wanted to find a way to ride with other people and found an event that had both running and biking combined—The Long Beach Marathon, which also has a 5K, half marathon, and bike tour. It falls near my birthday in early October, and I used it as a way to celebrate. The bike tour is about 20 miles across Long Beach, California, and I’ve been doing it every year since 2017. Over the years, I’ve struggled with my managing weight and due to that, I’ve struggled with my overall self-confidence as well. I tried various diets, weight loss programs, and different forms of exercise and the weight would come off but always came back. I have a demanding work schedule and I mostly sit at a desk in front of the computer all day, which doesn’t help. My self-worth got wrapped into how much I weighed and that’s a terrible feeling to carry around. In 2019, I fell into a depression which affected my personal life and work life. [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [After Years of Struggling With Her Self-Confidence, This Rider Found Happiness on the Bike]( [After Years of Struggling With Her Self-Confidence, This Rider Found Happiness on the Bike]( [After Years of Struggling With Her Self-Confidence, This Rider Found Happiness on the Bike]( In 2016, I was looking for ways to lose weight. I suffered from arthritis in my knees, so my doctor recommended low-impact workout options like biking or swimming that wouldn’t hurt my knees too much. Well I can’t swim, but I could ride a bike, so I found an indoor cycling class at my local 24 Hour Fitness. I fell in love with indoor cycling immediately. I loved the instructor, music, energy, and camaraderie in the room. Plus, it was a killer workout. I did that for a few months, but I was dying for more variety in my riding. So I decided to try riding a bike outside instead of just indoors. I bought my first entry level road bike in 2017—a Trek Domane AL 2 from Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica, California. When I first got my bike, I would go outside to ride on weekends by myself on the Ballona Creek Bike Path or along the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, both in Los Angeles, because it didn’t feel safe to ride the streets with cars buzzing by me. However, I wanted to find a way to ride with other people and found an event that had both running and biking combined—The Long Beach Marathon, which also has a 5K, half marathon, and bike tour. It falls near my birthday in early October, and I used it as a way to celebrate. The bike tour is about 20 miles across Long Beach, California, and I’ve been doing it every year since 2017. Over the years, I’ve struggled with my managing weight and due to that, I’ve struggled with my overall self-confidence as well. I tried various diets, weight loss programs, and different forms of exercise and the weight would come off but always came back. I have a demanding work schedule and I mostly sit at a desk in front of the computer all day, which doesn’t help. My self-worth got wrapped into how much I weighed and that’s a terrible feeling to carry around. In 2019, I fell into a depression which affected my personal life and work life. In 2016, I was looking for ways to lose weight. I suffered from arthritis in my knees, so my doctor recommended low-impact workout options like biking or swimming that wouldn’t hurt my knees too much. Well I can’t swim, but I could ride a bike, so I found an indoor cycling class at my local 24 Hour Fitness. I fell in love with indoor cycling immediately. I loved the instructor, music, energy, and camaraderie in the room. Plus, it was a killer workout. I did that for a few months, but I was dying for more variety in my riding. So I decided to try riding a bike outside instead of just indoors. I bought my first entry level road bike in 2017—a Trek Domane AL 2 from Helen’s Cycles in Santa Monica, California. When I first got my bike, I would go outside to ride on weekends by myself on the Ballona Creek Bike Path or along the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, both in Los Angeles, because it didn’t feel safe to ride the streets with cars buzzing by me. However, I wanted to find a way to ride with other people and found an event that had both running and biking combined—The Long Beach Marathon, which also has a 5K, half marathon, and bike tour. It falls near my birthday in early October, and I used it as a way to celebrate. The bike tour is about 20 miles across Long Beach, California, and I’ve been doing it every year since 2017. Over the years, I’ve struggled with my managing weight and due to that, I’ve struggled with my overall self-confidence as well. I tried various diets, weight loss programs, and different forms of exercise and the weight would come off but always came back. I have a demanding work schedule and I mostly sit at a desk in front of the computer all day, which doesn’t help. My self-worth got wrapped into how much I weighed and that’s a terrible feeling to carry around. In 2019, I fell into a depression which affected my personal life and work life. [Read More]( [Read More](   [What Cyclists Should Know About Adjusting Fiber Intake for Training and Racing]( [What Cyclists Should Know About Adjusting Fiber Intake for Training and Racing]( Everyone needs fiber in their diet to stay regular and boost health. But planning intake around your rides can help you avoid stomach upset. Follow these expert tips to plan it right. [Read More](     [The 17 Best Electric Bikes You Can Buy Right Now]( [The 17 Best Electric Bikes You Can Buy Right Now]( Commuter, cargo, cruiser, folding, mountain, and road e-bikes for every type of rider (and budget). 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