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April 9, 2006
Still Alive
I am very proud (and relieved) to report that I rode my new bike today and am still alive to tell about it! Not that there weren't some touch and go moments. I am still pretty afraid to go down big hills and turn sharpy down in the aerobars, but otherwise I didn't make out too badly. I didn't even fall. The clipless pedals aren't as tricky as I thought they might be. It's a little harder to get in them than get out of them, but as the bike guy at the store said, getting out is much more important. :)
What a difference a bike makes. I don't know much about aerodynamics or bike geometry, but this bike is definitely faster than my old one. It will definitely take some getting used to though. I think I'm just going to need repetition in order to feel comfortable on it. Oh, and I'm going to need some bike shorts too. The seat is about the size of a pin head and if there is such a thing as a buttache, I think I'm going to have a major one tomorrow!
After getting the bike, getting fitted to the bike, learning how to ride the bike, getting a lesson on bike maitenance, how to fix a flat, how to use my bike computer, etc, O and I headed to an industrial park on our way home. We chose the park because it's an absolute ghost town during the weekend but has some nice roads - perfect to practice on! After me practicing getting in and out of my pedals and shifting and just trying to get comfortable down in the aerobars, we made a nice little 2 mile loop that we rode through 3 times. It would actually be a great place to train, the loop had a nice long stretch, a pretty good uphill and an equally sizable downhill, some tight turns, etc...all the things I would need to practice on. I would have to do the loop about 15 times for a good ride, but that's okay. It would be a pretty good place to practice transitions too...jump off the bike, get the running shoes on and go!
Anyway, among the many other things I learned today about bikes, O and I discovered that the bike pump we have does not work on my tires. I should have known that a bike pump from Walmart is not compatible with a super special bike with super special tires. And bike guy told me that I need to pump my tires pretty much every day to ensure a pressure of 100-110 psi. Alas, another stop at the bike store tomorrow, where the bike guy and I are becoming quite good friends. I'm pretty sure he gets a good laugh at us everytime we leave. Our questions are likely pretty silly. I have much to learn! I need some lingo! Or I need to hang out with some runners so I feel like I know what the heck I'm talking about. ;)
Whew - enough bike talk! In other interesting news, the duck is now dressed like an Easter bunny. I love it. They have a little Easter dress for it and some long, floppy, pink ears.
Roxy is barking like mad. She has been all day. The reason? Our neighbors next door moved out and left their dead cat in the back yard. I kid you not. Roxy was going crazy when we let her outside this morning but for the life of us we couldn't figure why. O saw the dead cat about mid-day. After we got home from the bike riding/buying, O walked over to the house to see if they were still there but no luck, the house was empty. I can't believe they left their dead cat laying in the back yard?! I even wonder if they killed it themselves?! I did a quick internet search on what one would do upon finding a dead pet and determined animal control was the group we wanted. O called the police department and they are going to take care of it. That's so crazy. And sad. Fluffy little critter needs a proper burial!
Posted by beth at April 9, 2006 8:20 PM
Comments
It's good to hear that you're better at getting out of your pedals than getting in, getting out is more important. Do you know what kind of pedals you have? Bike shorts are imperative, they're great for Spinning as well. Your tush is still sore even with them, but they help a great deal.
Blondie
Posted by: Blondie at April 10, 2006 8:44 PM