Cait Cain, one of our fantastic new acupuncturists, is an avid cyclist and is excited to bring together two of her passions with this month’s Stoke your Spokes promotion. Read on to learn more!
How many miles do you ride a day?
-12 to 17. Last year, I clocked about 4,000 miles total.
Wow. So, why do you ride?
-Well, it’s like they say at Rock The Bike, folks ride for all sorts of reasons be it for transportation, physical fitness or for the environment. I ride for all those reasons and I ride for the magic of riding and to be part of an amazing community of fellow metal cowboys and cowgirls.
Who’s Rock The Bike?
-They’re a group of inventors and bike advocates out of Berkeley who use Pedal Power to generate music performances and blend smoothies.
The bicycling community seems pretty eclectic, what other sorts of bike things happen here?
-There’s Red, Bike and Green, a group committed to getting more of Oakland’s African Americans on bikes. Walk Oakland/Bike Oakland and East Bay Bicycle Coalition are bicycle advocacy groups working for things like more bike lanes and a Bay Bridge bike expansion for cyclists. Oaklavia sponsors car-free city streets for a day. There are also lots of free bicycling safety classes offered here and social rides like the monthly East Bay Bike Party. There’s the Oakland Yellow Jackets. Oakland’s home to the Original Scraper Bike Team and scraper bike culture. Cycles Of Change also lives in Oakland at the Bikery Community Bike Shop on International Blvd. They do amazing work with our city’s youth. We had PedalFest in Jack London this past year and Tour de Fat rolled into SF as did the Bicycle Film Festival. And, let’s not forget Critical Mass.
If you could change 1 thing about cycling in Oakland, what would it be?
-I’d like more bike lanes and I’d like a more constructive and educated dialogue between motorists and cyclists. All of us want to arrive safe. Bicycle culture and bicycling is gaining popularity everyday, it’s actually changing the landscape of our nation’s cities. More bike lanes mean more safe cycling and more access to cycling which means a healthier, more relaxed and attractive cityscape.
On that note, what are some common physical complaints cyclists suffer from?
-Injuries, past and present, to the head or extremities; aches and pains in wrists, hips or ankles; stress and anxiety; reoccurring colds and flus; low libido/exhaustion. That, and anything else one who doesn’t ride could feel.
How can acupuncture help?
-Acupuncture excels in keeping the body balanced and it’s terrific at maintaining overall health and well being. This is important for folks who are commuting a lot or training for long rides, people who are asking a lot of their bodies. Acupuncture’s amazing for pain and it really helps speed the recovery process in terms of injuries. Regular visits to the Acupuncturist builds healthy immunity, relaxes the mind and body, builds stamina and helps to prevent exhaustion.
Any last thoughts?
-Take a ride or a walk over to OAP for a tune-up, you’ll be glad you did!
Check out the links above, and don’t miss these other bike friendly sites!
bikemandan.com
girlonbikewrites.blogspot.com