Number one is because I’ve suffered heat exhaustion twice. One of those times was a full-blown sweaty, pasty, puking, trembling, dizzy, OMG-I-think-I’m-Dying affair, so I’m pretty heat sensitive.

Number two is the guilt I’d feel if I went down in the heat while riding my recumbent, and somebody calls 9-1-1, and the EMT says “He was on a WHAT? What the heck is THAT? I guess we better gear up guys!” So they show up in all that hot fire gear, only to find out it’s a dumb old geezer riding an exotic looking bicycle.

Ted, thanks for sharing your story, and I hope the lesson is not lost on your readers.

Alternatively, you can simply start inching up the seat post when no one is around and watch how magically her riding improves. I’ve been successful both ways.

By yielding to my stepdaughter’s limits I (hope I) succeeded in making the ride fun.

Now, riding in the Evil Stepfather Lane was just a strategic mistake. I would have had to backtrack a bit, wait for a crossing signal, and then cross over to the nice path. I asked her which she preferred and she said she didn’t have a preference other than to keep moving. It was kind of a mental coin toss for me. In hindsight, I probably should have backtracked.

But if she had told me that she wanted to call Mom and get a ride home, I was prepared to yield to that request too.

But I declare victory! I hopped on the bike at about 5:15 AM and did a 4-mile Coffee Run (saved me the gas I’d have burned if I’d stopped for java on the way to work in the car). It was a room temperature morning, and the dry wind flowing by me made it feel almost cool.

Tomorrow, they’re talking 108° F, or better! We’ll have to see if Bike Coffee is in the forecast again.

My vote’s in for Commute by Bike (mostly because they don’t make me feel like a wimp when I opt out of flirting with heat exhaustion).