Switching it up is good sometimes, as long as it\’s not a panic button switch like the one at left. They say it\’s good both physically and mentally to change your ride schedule now and then.

The \”surprise\” helps your body to adapt and get stronger; and the change refreshes the mind. Otherwise the weekly plan gets to be too much \”same old, same old\”.

This weekend I changed things around by going to the regular supermarket instead of the salvage store. I wanted to be sure of getting apples and bananas. That meant a ride in the opposite direction to the salvage store; and a much shorter ride, too.

My usual long-ride day is Sunday, but the forecast predicts rain for tomorrow; so after I got home and put away the groceries, I went out on the road bike. I wish the weather had switched it up by giving me a tailwind on the way back home!

The silicone grippers on the leg bottoms of the shorts I was wearing don\’t grip well any more. The shorts\’ legs kept sliding up, letting my bare thigh rub against the saddle. I\’m not a great fan of clothes-shopping; but I needed to switch my tactics, and visit the bike shop for a new pair of shorts. It\’s the second pair I\’ve replaced this month! Everything seems to wear out at the same time; I also need a new pair of leg warmers, but the shop had to order them for me.

Then there\’s switching it up when you ride on a mountain road; namely, the switchback. Following such a route means you keep switching direction, doubling back and forth as you go up, up, up. I don\’t have the legs or the lungs for that at this point, so I\’ll switch to a nice, flat road.