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!