December 2, 2012 and 40 miles

   I'm finding this winter more challenging than last for some reason.  I don't know if it's that it starts cold then gets warm (as opposed to just staying cold) or what it is, but once I don't go regularly, it's almost like I have to get motivated all over again to get out and remind myself how calming it is to be out on the bike.  Part of it, too, is that I know that it takes time to go, and right now, I don't always feel like I can give up that time.

After getting forty miles in!

   Despite my difficulties, I did get myself out on the bike this last weekend (the first one of December) and went out to meet my family at the local winter farmers' market.  After wandering around, I then joined them for lunch then took off from there.  Before initially setting out, I was all bundled and ready to go, then I went outside and was immediately too warm.  I went back in and switched only to still be too warm in tights and had to switch to a lighter long sleeve jersey and lighter base layer and my bib knickers.  I was still a touch cold as I set out, but I just had to remind myself that it was heading into the low 60s.  By the time I left lunch, I'd switched the long sleeve jersey for a short sleeve.

   Getting on my way was a little chilly, but once I was going, I was set and returned to the greenway.  Along they way, I was very proud of myself as I passed a woman who was walking her bike.  I went up to a bit to loop back and asked her if she was okay, to which she said I was the first man to ask her and that she'd been wondering if chivalry was dead.  Of course, she had a racer road bike, so my spare tube wouldn't work.  She'd already called her husband to meet her, otherwise I could've helped her patch the tube if she'd needed, though I've not worked with such skinny tires...I'm not sure how ones that thin aren't always just popped!

   At the end of the greenway, I was faced with getting back on the road and heading home or lengthening the ride.  With being at about 30 miles, I couldn't help but extend it and headed out into the country!  A fire's been burning in the mountains, and the country town I passed through is a bit closer to the foothills and thus had more smoke that made my lungs hurt to the point I almost called my wife.  It's a very popular road for serious cyclists, so I've avoided it because I don't want me and my hybrid bike to be judged, but ultimately, I did it.  I was passed once by a guy whose calves were larger relaxed than mine are flexed, but otherwise, not too bad.  Of course, it seemed most people were passing south as I headed north...I think they were returning from treks up into the mountains.  I'll take what I can get.

   When I finally got home, I took a bit of a meandering ride through the neighborhood that ultimately put me at just over 40 miles, something I haven't done very often, and hadn't done since summer.  I ended up really feeling every one of those miles, but it was worth it!  Strangely, I've felt absolutely starved all week, but I've been picking reasonable snacks and not allowing myself to take larger portions to compensate, and the only thing I can think of is the ride staying with me all week.  I'd hoped to ride to work this Wednesday (it's late start for the kids, but we start at the usual time for meetings), but it's just too dark when it's not even dawn until seven.  Still, it was a good ride and a good week...everyone tells me my mood is better when I get my ride(s) in, and I'm thinking they're right.

   This weekend is supposed to snow and be frigid, so probably no ride, but who knows?...

November 6, 2012

   I think I need to go back and read over last fall's blogs because I'm really struggling to get out on the bike right now.  I want to, but it seems easier to not.  In fact, there were several weeks that I had some very legitimate and not so legitimate reasons to not go out on it, including the death of my grandmother then getting sick, but the more I put it off, the more difficult it was to just get back on.  I think I was afraid of how challenging it was going to be, though I also fear losing the muscle tone in my legs, which is unlike I've ever had before.
   Ultimately, my wife had to practically force me out the door last week, and it ended up being a lot of fun, though I barely made it to 14 miles.  Today, I hurried home and got out and made it 19.5 miles, so now I'm getting into the mindset of outdoing what I did last to work up toward 40 miles again.  The catch is that the weather is changing, which I am finding difficult to deal with.  Tonight, it was about 63 degrees when I left with bib knickers and a short sleeved shirt but taking my skull cap, long-fingered gloves, and arm warmers, all of which ended up on by the time I got home.  I also ended up getting home in the dark at 5pm, which I didn't really care for but did okay with.  It was 52 when I got home, and what I had on was certainly at the point of not being quite enough but okay to that point.
   So, despite the challenges of weather, I do plan and hope to keep getting out, but I'm finding it way harder to do so this year.  It may be the weather but also getting overwhelmed at how many other things that I need to get done.  But I must get out on the bike, so I just need to buck up and not be a wuss...

September 30, 2012 (and 2000 miles later...)

   Wow, it's hard to believe that it's been just over a year since I started cycling!  There are still days I struggle to get in the miles I want, and I still don't know if I feel comfortable going out where it seems to be the domain of the truly avid cyclists, but I do hold my own as I do my thing around town.  I've been regularly breaking 40 miles (though not today; only about 31) and have been consciously trying to maintain higher speeds.

   So, while out today (with the family meeting me after I'd been out for about two hours), I hit 2000 miles on this bike!  There were about 400 miles I put on the first bike, but from the time I got this bike to now has been about one year, so the 2000 miles has been just on this bike and just in the last twelve months!  That's amazing to me...

   I did notice a little chain slipping on the seventh gear when I had the two kids in the trailer, but it might be the weight of the kids in the trailer meaning I need to go to a lower gear.  I'll need to do some research to figure it out to make sure it's not because I'm in need of putting on a new chain.

   I do find I'm mixed about the coming of fall...mornings are getting cooler, but the days are still getting into pleasant temperatures.  While I'm actually going to be glad when the days are the same later as the morning (so not having to pull off leg and arm warmers), I know that a lot of snow or super cold days will keep me home, and I don't want to not get out on the bike!  I do plan, though, to get out and bike to work on Wednesday, so we'll see how that turns out....

   Anyway, so here's me from a year ago to now:

And better, here's the view from our picnic spot today:

September 2, 2012

As always, it gets more difficult to write anything as school resumes, but I keep trying to bike.  Today was the third time that I've made it to over 40 miles, and today was a hot day, and as I headed home, I found myself going slower and slower, and that last bit of the climb before heading down to home was a bit brutal...it reminded me of my first 20-miler!  I did get to take a moment to rest because the chain guard fell off my front cogs!  I know many more experienced cyclists view having one as a bit wimpy, so I'm torn...my first reaction was to take it to Dick's to get it fixed/replaced. Oh well...I guess I can see how it works.  I just need to remember to think about shifting more....

To add to my 40 miles rides, I was able to get in a couple weeks that totaled over 100 miles.  I know that it's going to be more and more challenging with school resuming, but once it starts cooling down in the evening, maybe it'll be easier to get in at least a short ride during the week.  The weekends are a bit more challenging (in mostly good ways) because that's when the whole family is going out, and I simply can't get all of them for more than 15-20 miles, which is still awesome, especially when I have the kids in the trailer.  I actually went on a shorter ride with my wife yesterday where we went up to the local farmers' market and back, both with backpacks.  My wife couldn't believe how heavy hers was with all the vegetables, then I showed her my backpack when we got to the car...it was about the same weight, and not the first time it was so heavy (or heavier), and not even close to pulling two children in a trailer!

The thoughts of eventually getting a road bike continue to bounce around...I really don't know how much I want one because I actually want them or because there are certain rides that I've never seen anyone on a hybrid bike to do...this sport is strange about things like peer pressure, which is where I think leg shaving comes from more than anything else (no, still haven't gone that far!).

We've also used our Capital One Venture Card reward points to get a free Wii fit bundle, so for the last few weeks, I've added that to my routine, which does help during the week.  I'm surprised at how much it's actually helped!  And it's something the 3-year-old likes and can do (with some help)....so, we continue to try in all sorts of ways to get and stay fit!

July 21, 2012

It's amazing to look back on the year.  On July 9, it was officially 365 days since my very first ride on the bike.  So, on the ninth this year, I decided--after 25 miles--to recreate my first ride, so from in front of the house, I headed out onto the greenway in the neighborhood and looped back.  I remember how last year, it left me sweaty, hot, and tired.  It was triumph, but I didn't have a bike computer at that point to know how far I went.  So this year, as I returned home, I don't know how surprised I was to discover that it was only 1.2 miles!

To follow up, last week, I went 100 miles over the course of the week for the first time ever.  My bike computer decided to reset when I dropped it, so I know it was around 32.5 miles, but I wasn't 100%, so I decided that on Sunday to go several miles beyond what I needed to make sure there was no doubt that I'd done it.  But that accumulation left my legs tired and sore, so I didn't make it out on Monday or Tuesday, but those two days left me refreshed and ready to start again!  Of course, life wasn't cooperating as much.

Until today, the longest ride I'd gotten in was about 25 miles, and that was only once.  But today, for another new personal record, I made it to 37 miles!  I was more hot than anything else as I reached the end of the greenway, but I decided to take my 28 miles and double back until I reached at least 30 before heading home.

My highlights for this last week are seeing a turtle sitting on a log, a doe run across the path, many garter snakes slithering on the path, and a scary dude in kilt that looked like he was right out of Brave Heart.  I also had a flat back tire while out on the path and instead of getting all greasy just had my dad (who was watching the kids) come and get me.

I can't believe my biking season is coming to another close with the return to school.  I've got to make sure to get out as often as is reasonable....

July 8, 2012...the close of my first year

It's hard to believe that it's now been a full year since I first got back on the bike.  I guess I'm no longer 36 and just getting back onto it!  Looking back at my first few posts, it's like another person with many trials and tribulations of bicycling now behind me, from falling off the bike and getting hurt (twice) to weather that just won't cooperate to the point of extreme frustration, it's been really a great year, and I feel a lot better for it (okay, not so much for the road rash, but even those are battle scars).  So I may be 37 now, I really do feel much better now than I did at even 30.  Last year, I got the bike (which was replaced), so this year, I got a fun new jersey for my birthday that reflects me Star Wars fandom...

Through the course of this year, I've gotten supplies and gear for various types of weather, some still barely used since the weather that prompted the purchase sometimes past by the time I found the items at a price I was okay with (like a balaclava).  But it'll be nice to already have it all ready to go with the shifting seasons and will be able to continue without delays.

I've also learned to do some things on my own with the bike, like cleaning and greasing the chain, but there are still some things I can't...maybe a class somewhere?  I can change a flat in less than 20 minutes now, to the hour and half it took me the first time.

So, today we set out to do a family ride, but my wife's bike didn't want to cooperate...apparently, when she got that flat a couple weeks ago, the wheel must've taken a bit of a hit, so the brake was hitting it and stopping it.  We ended up having to leave it at Dick's over night so one of the bike guys could fix it.  I have to say, I know that there's a lot that says that the local bike shops are best, but I we've been pleased at the service we've gotten there.  I do admit, too, that in looking at the road bikes, there's something stirring in the back of my mind.  Not to replace my hybrid but maybe something in addition to.  I don't know.  Something to think about, I suppose.

Tomorrow might find me more reflective, but in the meantime, here's me from about a year ago to now (notice even the change in tennis shoes and platform pedals to my bike shoes and clipless pedals):

September 24, 2011 (leaving from the house for a nice 30-mile bike ride):

July 8, 2012 (heading out onto the greenway for about a 26-mile bike ride):

June 26,2012

I don't think that anyone who knows me would ever have expected that I'd have taken so much to the bicycle, including me!  It's heading onto a year now, and I'm starting to reflect on that year (that'll actually wait until it is a year :).  Now I find myself doing little tweaks to the bike, like having the chain squeak a little yesterday so I stopped and cleaned and regreased the chain and gears.

I have been braving this horrible heat, but it has meant getting out early.  I about gave in and called my wife to come and get me on Sunday...it was just so hot!  I ended up planning the return route based upon how to get home the fastest, which did mean a major road with no bike lane...I was too hot to care about being on the sidewalk, which is where there was the little bit of shade I could find from tees in people's backyards.  I did end up going 24.46 miles by the time I finally made it home.  Monday's rides are shorter, just a bit over 12 miles as I go to both the nearby Walmarts.  Tuesdays, though, are nice long rides.

Today, I made it out a bit after 6am, and it was already 64F!  I made it to the Walmarts then headed up to Target, which wasn't open when I got there.  Instead of going and sitting to wait for it to open, I found myself more inclined to just bike around the store, making to laps before they opened their doors.  Of course, nothing I was looking for was there, either, so I got back on the bike and made my way back home.  I just didn't feel like dealing with traffic, so I got back on the path at its end then working my way back with more shade and some cool coming off the river the path follows.  It took me about two hours, but I did make it 27.94 miles before getting home as the temps were climbing.

One skill I know I need to work on is standing as I go up hills.  I find that I just shift the gears and stay seated, but I see cyclists powering up hills all the time.  I have decided I need to work on that, too.  I do it already to get going at stoplights or on the trail with the kids in the trailer, so I figured it was just a matter of doing it.  So I tried it today going up a steep hill on the road.  Okay, that hurt like my legs were on fire!  Obviously, it's going to take a few times to figure out which gear is best...I'm assuming it's stand up instead of shifting, but man, the tops of my legs were on fire!  I have to admit, avoiding the heat and traffic of the road was part of the decision to take the path to get home, but I also couldn't face some of hills required of the road route!  I guess it'll just take time to master this....

June 21, 2012

Well, I went on a short ride this morning, just up to Walmart.  It was really bugging me that the front derailleur isn't  working right...today I tested and theory and was correct that if I shift all the way up, the darn thing won't go to the smallest cog while down takes it onto the chain guard!  We really like the guy at Dick's from whom we bought my bike, but the guy that worked on it last leaves little to be desired.  He said it'd shift easier to the largest cog, but failed to mention the problem there or the lack of getting to the smallest one!  Well, I did dink with it and think I got it.  Or, I hope I did!  I had to loosen the bracket that holds the derailleur to the frame of the bike.  It took a bit of trial and error (one being not keeping the shifting cable taut and the derailleur above the teeth of the cog), but I think I have it.  I guess I'll find out tomorrow, though maybe I should take it quickly around the block tonight....

June 20, 2012

This summer's heat is certainly trying to dampen the bike riding!  It's a new experience to be out in the heat that hits so early.  I'm not big on being out when it's too hot, but it is easier to do than with the extreme cold. But to top it off, my second water bottle has started to leak and now wrapped in duct tape!
   Yesterday, I actually made it out and got in 25.5 miles.  I'm a bit disappointed that the winter weight isn't melting off like last summer.  My wife insists that I look fine and that it's from muscle-building, but it'd be nice if the scale were being as supportive!  In the meantime, I do feel better with getting back out again.  I've been trying to get out four of the five work days then at least one of the weekend days, though I do need that to be both days.  I did give myself today as a rest day to sleep in a little bit rather than jump on the bike.  

   Another fun offshoot of all the biking is the tan line.  I had it a bit last year on my legs and arms (with the farmer arm, I also have raccoon hands), but it's getting much worse this summer!  Of course, I've never had an athletic tan of any sort before (though plenty of farmer arm), so it's kind of like a badge of honor that I now have a rather odd looking tan that'll just keep getting worse!  Of course, I'm not alone--now that my wife is getting out on the bike, too, she's getting her own cyclist tan, so I guess she won't be mocking me much longer!
   On a technical note, I am struggling with my front derailleur.  I took it to Dick's because it was rubbing, and he adjusted it so now the chain goes onto the chain guard all the time.  I've tried to figure it out and dink with it a little bit, but I haven't had any luck.  I'd rather not have to take it back again, but I'm getting frustrated that every time I shift too hard, it slips off.  Thank goodness for the chain guard!  Now to just find a YouTube tutorial that actually makes sense....

June 12, 2012

I almost didn't go this morning, though...living in Colorado, we have a major fire burning north of here near Fort Collins, and when I opened the garage door this morning, what I thought was fog turned out to be a heavy layer of smoke from the fire....

Anyway, not even quite a year ago, I never would have expected to have my cyclo-computer (okay, this time last year, I didn't even know what that was) to hit 1000 miles!  Of course, the old bike was up to almost 500 miles (I started the new computer and bike at 0), but it's something very cool getting to see this one flip to 1000, and I just happened to be on the odometer by accident when it turned!

I'm trying to see if I can limit the amount of car usage this summer.  We'll see how it works out since during the day, I'd have to stick the kids into the trailer and bike them there with me.  But I can certainly do that, and it'd be better for me and lower my gas usage.  We'll see!

The whole family went out last night for a ride after I'd already gotten an 11-mile ride in the morning, so hit 23 miles while we were out!  It was a beautiful night, and I'm always impressed how friendly most of the people on the path are, whether biking, walking, jogging, or rollerblading!  I'm also surprised at how many people I see bent over a road bike and with their knees pointing outward because the bike's not adjusted right...if you're going to spend the time and money on a road bike then cruise through greenways, zooming past the rest of us who are being leisurely, you'd think the bike would fit!

June 1, 2012

With my wife off today, I had the chance to get out on the bike for a longer ride this morning, though I still ended up cutting it a bit short!  It started out a bit chilly but warmed up fast, so that made it a nice ride.  Probably the best part of it was that I took part of the old route I did for a chunk of last summer, and I was most of the way up a hill that about killed me last summer (as in having to stop part way up and chug water) before I noticed that I hadn't shifted at all but was making it up just fine!  It'd been since last year since I felt a huge leap or change in my ability to overcome a challenge on the bike, so it really made my ride today that I could do that!  Here's hoping for another good ride tomorrow!

May 29, 2011

The bicycling season has officially begun!  For the first time in months, I went out both Sunday and Monday (Memorial day) and then again this morning.  On Sunday, my wife and kids joined me at the trail head by car after I'd biked there, so I'd already gone 6.1 miles before they even got there.  We then went as a family up to Target then returned to the greenway, putting in another 12 miles.  My wife now has her own bike instead of a borrowed one, so she seems to be much happier.

For Monday, I got out on my own (with my wife being too sore), and made it about 22 miles.  It was a touch windy but it wasn't insurmountable.  I guess in Colorado, I'm just going to have to be okay with windy or get no ride.  Since January, I  have been keeping a riding journal is a free "Mileage Guide and Training Log" I received for free with trying Bicycling magazine, which didn't work for me.  I know that I went about 400 miles on the old bike then have gone about 890 miles on the new bike, so since July, I've gone over 1200 miles on the bicycle, which is crazy anyway!  With keeping track in the journal, I know that I've gone about 354 miles since the start of the year.  Of course, the downside is seeing the long gaps when I wasn't getting out for various reasons.

It is a reminder that it's still just spring, though, when I got up this morning to head to Walmart and little country ride and it was only 40 degrees and I had to wear my thermal tights, compression base layer, long sleeve jersey, and jacket.  I even ended up with the thermal cap on!  I made it to Walmart in just over seven minutes when it used to take me between 12 and 15 minutes last year, so pretty good time.  It's funny when it just really doesn't seem that far.  I probably couldn't drive there much faster.

When I got back on the bike after getting my instant breakfast, I was faced with a strange discomfort: the breeze was cold, so all my gear was perfect, but the sun was rising higher and was making me too warm.  In the end, I only got about six miles in so as to make it back home for me wife to head off to work...it's going to take a few times to figure out timing again.  But it's a good start to the summer...

March 24 and 25, 2012

For the first time, we took both little ones out in the trailer, via a quick drive with the bikes on my car then getting onto the greenway.  On Saturday, we went a bit over 5 miles and had a nice time, though pulling the trailer was a bit of a challenge with two of them in there!  They seemed to have a really nice time, and unbelievably, it was almost 80F!  My wife is just getting into bicycling herself, so we set and made her goal then then made our way back.  Along the way, though, one of her pedals of her borrowed bike fell off!  So, we go to walk the last .5 mile.  She was able to stay balanced, so she didn't take a fall but only got a bit scuffed on her other leg as the she  the pedal that didn't lose flew around and smacked the back of her leg.  I was able to get it back on when we got home.

So, we went back out on Sunday with the intent of my continuing on after getting them all back to the car.  We had a nice jaunt, stopping off for lunch.  Then we made it again to my wife's goal and then back to the car.  I got them all packed up into the car, and they took off on my own.  It was a busy day on the path with multiple little ones with parents teaching them to use their training wheels...a great idea, if a touch dangerous on a busy day!  Both days with the family were a lot of fun, though, so I can see the draw, and while there are bicycles, I can see the draw to teaching little ones to use the path to get their balance first, then teach them the road, so one skill at a time.  Plus, the green way is just some beautiful scenery.

Along the path, though, there are many underpasses (the city has actually made it so that there is only one country road you have to cross as you go from one end to the other).  When you hit the underpasses, they have white dashed lines, creating lanes for safety.  As I was heading through an underpass, the oncoming couple didn't go single file (as my wife and I had been doing whenever anyone approached)--these two idiots actually tried to stay going next to each other.  Fearing we might hit handlebars, I gave them a bit more room, and my front wheel caught the edge of the path and skidded into the soft shoulder then out of control back onto the path, where I went down.  The couple went on without looking back but then decide to come back. They did tell me to rinse off the wound and not get right back on the bike, but they never apologized before getting on their merry way.  I limped my way to Dick's Sporting Goods to wait for my wife, and they checked the bike out.  The front wheel was almost out of the fork (which explained why it barely moved), and my pedal (a Christmas present) is scuffed, though not damaged.  My handlebar cover on the right side is torn, and my shoe is scuffed on the top.  Oh, and road rash on my leg and arm with three deep gouges out of my knee.  Nice.  I don't feel quite as rough as last time, though...hitting cement wasn't quite as abrasive as hitting asphalt, plus I'm 15 pounds lighter and a bit more fit myself.  Still, and I am sore and very frustrated that somebody would be so careless!  I could've still had the girls in the trailer behind me, for God's sake!

March 4, 2012

Wow...it has been windy.  I still don't know if it's always this windy or if I'm just paying more attention.  Yesterday was too gusty with a backache to try to go out.  Today, though, was only a bit breezy as I set out with over 60F!  And, yes, it is still the first part of March!  I set out in just bib shorts and short sleeve jersey.  I almost wore a long sleeve but changed my mind.  I did take my arm and knee warmers tucked into my back pockets, but then I was off by about 2pm.

It was great to be back out on the bike again.  I got very sore at about four miles, but I just kept going.  I've also had a pretty badly tweaked back, but I'm hoping that this will help stretch it out and strengthen it.  I have to admit that I had far less back pain this summer when I was out all the time.

The temperature was perfect, but the gusts did get to me a bit when I was shifted to a lower gear and fighting against it, able only to reach about six mph.  Funny when there was a time when my goal was to just maintain about ten mph!  Once I got out of the open space a bit, the wind wasn't quite so bad, and I was able to make a 21.57-mile circuit.  I never needed the warmers, it was so balmy out!  I did notice that there's a bit of a noise now when I pedal, so I'm guessing I need to take a look at the chain and gears for needing greased....ah, the next thing to learn!  Always something new!

February 20, 2012

We had to make a trip up near a larger Dick's Sporting Goods (which we laughingly call "Big Dick's") because I actually had a $10 off certificate from using my Score Card for bike stuff (I never thought that'd be the case!).  I ended up getting a new, nicer helmet.  We made it back home back by 2, but since it had decided to snow overnight (only lightly, but it made thing wet), it took until about 3pm to finally did get up to 40F.  With some prodding from my wife, I decided to bite the bullet and go out, putting on all my thermal gear: thermal compression shirt, layered socks, full gloves with liners, thermal bib tights, thermal skull cap, and a windbreaker.

No doubt, it was cold and a bit windy, but I made it through town to the green-way then back in again to make about 16 miles in the cold (it was 35F when I got home at a bit after 5pm).  My layering worked very well, and the new tires were awesome in the snow and ice, not to mention that it seemed that everyone in town must've found out that I had Kevlar enforced tires and wanted to help me test them from the amount of broken glass I had to dodge!

Unfortunately, I did reconfirm how hard the cold can be on my lungs and had to use the stupid emergency inhaler when I got home.  But my hands and feet were toasty warm!  And the rest of the gear kept the cold at bay...and I really like the new helmet; it's a little more streamlined and less bowl-shaped than the other one.

February 19, 2012

Well, it's been hovering in the low 40s, and between snow storms and getting a stomach bug and little one birthdays, I haven't been out for about three weeks (coincidentally, it was the day before the stomach bug hit).  It's funny: this time last year, I was still in the "haven't been on a bike in 25 years and couldn't care less" kick.  Now I'm itchy to get out on the bike for a little while just to get out.  Monitoring the weather, I don't know if we're always so much cooler than Denver this time of year or if it's just because I'm hoping for a day above 40, but I'm keenly aware now of the disparity!

So, I decided to bite the bullet today and got all decked out in all my thermal gear, went to the garage, and pulled my bike down off the rack.  But, lo!, it had a soft front tire!  Not a happy moment!  So I trudged back inside, changed back into sweats, and proceeded to tear off the old stock tires from both wheels and put on my new kevlar ones.  With all the practice this fall, it only took me about 45 minutes to pull off both the old tires (putting in one new tube), and put on the new ones.  Of course, by the time I was done, it was too late to try to take it for a spin on my new shiny tires.  I'm hoping that this does it to significantly decrease the number of holes in my tires!  If this doesn't work, I'll be trading in for the heavier-duty tubes.  In the meantime, yet another week will pass before I get on the bike again with snow forecast tomorrow and busy afternoons the rest of the week.  I used to love cold and snow, so I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I'm ready for spring!  The funny thing is that I put over 100 miles on the bike in January (and around 1000 miles since I started in July), but I haven't been out at all in the month of February....

Oh, the cold!

I've always been one who loved winter and all its trappings, not minding the drive in the snow or the chill.  I begin looking toward a white Christmas come Halloween.  It's amazing how much things change!  I feel cramped and cooped up without getting to go out on the bike hardly at all lately.  Simply: it's too cold and snowy.  We're finally get that much-needed snow, but it means I can't get out on the bike.  At least at this point, I'm not inclined to brave sub-freezing (it was 7 degrees F this morning!) to get out on the bike.  Plus, I don't have studded snow tires, and the latest near spills I took were because sloppy snow.  With the clipless pedals, I'm sure to fall over!

However, the few times I have made it out amidst various illness and inclement weather, I've done okay with the new pedals and shoes.  I did come to a stop at a stoplight and put my right foot down (I unclip ahead of time when I see I may stop and rest my toe on the pedal) only to start tipping to the left.  I righted myself, but that wouldn't have been fun!  I've only gotten to use the knee warmers a couple times, but I do like the warmth they add!  It's still hard for me to figure out the layering I need, and I'm right now resistant to taking the backpack if I don't need it.  The last time, I did have the sense to take the arm warmers with me to stop and put them on so I didn't freeze!  I liked the length of the knee warmers well enough to get myself some bib knickers for those cool but not cold days.  Hopefully, I'll get a chance to actually use them soon!

One cool new feature of the trails around here is that they added an underpass for the trail so one no longer has to try to cross a rather busy road to get onto the trail.  That's made life a lot easier, though the grading is rather steep.  Still, not complaining!

And for the next season, I did get myself some new tires with kevlar...they're Schwinn and were getting good reviews at Amazon.com.  I'm hoping that it's a way to cut the flats down.  I may also pick up some liners...Wal-Mart has some Slime bike tire liners...I may look into something like that for reinforcing the tire before the goat head bur season hits again in the fall!  Of course, as long as I'm going on the road, glass is always an issue.

So, here's looking forward to warmer weather and getting to go out again!  My hope for this summer is to have family outings of my wife and kids on the weekends...but to get through the snow!

December 30, 2011

After a false start yesterday, I got out on the bike again today and made it 17.5 miles on the trails, which is the perfect place to wear my new shoes and practice with the new pedals.  Overall, it went pretty well, though I did decide to stop once and took my right shoe out of the clips then started tipping left.  Not good.  I have the pedals set at very low tension, so I was able to yank the other foot out and catch myself before completely eating concrete.  The rest of the ride, though, was uneventful and very relaxing.  One thing I've noticed with the new shoes is that because you're also pulling up, from the tops of my knees and up my thighs were also rather sore.  New muscles getting worked, I guess!