March 28, 2013

   Tonight was my first official time on the road bike for an extended ride (about 21.65 miles).  My computer was a bit glitchy (getting used to the new bike?  or needing a new battery?).  I was a bit hesitant to leave from home and had thought seriously about taking the bike to a trail head.  Ultimately, though, I left from home to get to the greenway and then back.  It did take some getting used to the shifting and the posture, and my back, shoulders, and hands are feeling it.  I tried to move my hands around, but my being thrown from my bike way back when has taught me to be cautious and get used to my center of balance, which means I'm barely moving my hands; I mostly keep them on the hoods.  I did get them moved a couple times to the top of the bar, but it felt like my hands were too close together.  It really took quite a bit of the ride before I didn't have my hands hovering over the brakes....

   Even with the headwind I faced (gusting at about 10 miles and  hour) I found I was going faster with less work than on the Nashiki.  However, I realize now that when I first started cycling, I was woefully out of shape, so my distance didn't much outpace my skill.  This time, though, I had greater skill and endurance for the cycling itself, but I'm not sure my body was quite there with the bike...I guess I'll know in the morning!

   Interestingly, either people were friendlier than usual or it made a difference about the bike because I got more nods and greetings than usual.  Was it the bike?  I don't know.  For my part, I did the best when I relaxed and forgot I was on the "new" bike but simply biked.  Hopefully, I can get my hands used to the new positions...from the hybrid, I'm used to having my hands hovering over the brakes, but that's simply not an option with a road bike for several of the hand positions (going onto the drops is not going to happen for a long time, though).

   Anyway, I'll be heading out again tomorrow if I'm not too sore...

March 27, 2013

So, after a week of using the trainer to get use to the bike, I'm faced with actually taking it out of the house and riding on the road, which I've only done twice. Short. And before I had the clip-less pedals! I think I'm as anxious and nervous now as I was when I got that fist bike less than two years ago. Do I go on the road? Take it on the car to a trailhead? I guess I'll wing it at the moment and hope I have the bike all adjusted correctly....

March 21, 2013

   It's amazing to me that it still hasn't even been a full two years since I started cycling.  In some ways, it doesn't feel like something I was terrified of doing for twenty-five years.  This hasn't been a good season for getting out on the bike, for sure.  Between ridiculous wind, cold, and sporadically predicted snow, it's been too easy to chicken out.  I have the gear for the cold...but I do hate going out in wind.  Despite it all, though, I'd see cyclists on the road on the way home from work, and I've been looking more and more at their road bikes, feeling that my poor hybrid wasn't really ever going to be able to compete.
   And then I did it.  That niggling thought became a full fledged desire, and we found a good bike on sale: a 24-speed Diamondback Podium 1 road bike.  It took some doing to get as the Dick's Sporting Goods by us is small and has nothing, and the next one closer only had a 54...I need a 56.  So my wife helped me out and called a store closer into Denver, and they had and held one last night.  So we left right from work, piling the kids into the car, and braving Denver rush hour to get down there.  It was getting dark by the time we headed back with my new bike strapped to the back of the car.  The first time I very timidly got onto it, I found the seat to be way too high, so I spent some time adjusting last night, but that was it.
     I knew a couple things going into it this time, among them being that the bike itself was only part of the cost.  Thankfully, found some SPD clipless pedals to replace its stock toe-clip pedals, at Amazon as well as a couple bottle cages.  I have mountain bike shoes that will do for a time, and thankfully I thought to put the stock hybrid saddle back on the Nashiki Montour and use the purchased saddle onto the new one to replace the very rigid racer saddle...I was actually surprised when I took it off and found that it wasn't much lighter than the one I put on!
    So today, I got it all adjusted, so sans my bike shoes and water bottles, I took off.  Right away, I found the clips are harder to get into than I thought (I'm impressed my wife makes them work so easily); I spent too much time trying to get my right foot into the darn thing!  It was a bit windy, but I found it bothered me less as my profile was lower.  I also quickly discovered I'm right back to where I was not even two years ago with the inability to do too much shifting of my hands as I need to get used to my and the bike's balance (I won't misjudge so badly again!).  But best and most of all, I discovered that the bike handled very well and was definitely a lot of faster...which is also terrifying.  Part terror and part exhilaration, I was rather tremulous when I got home.  The web of my hand between my thumbs and index fingers is sore from holding onto the bars, which is unexpected.
   I'm going to keep my hybrid as it'll be great for family outings and can handle rougher roads that the road bike can, but the road bike will now be my main bike.
   A quick comparison of two years ago and now:

Barely able to stay upright and find my balance when on a bike for the first time in 25 years....

Taking off on my first ride through the neighborhood on my new road bike....