Just getting started

[sadieme]

Hi, Was doing a search to see if I could find some cycling forums to try and learn the ropes of cycling. Seems I have found a great one!

I am very much a newbie at this. I am trying to lose some weight and thought this would help. (Oh, I am old, 55)

I have a bike that I purchased used a few years ago. Its not fancy, but it has two wheels and goes, which I guess is ok to start. Howver, I am reading all sorts of things about fit, etc, that I know nothing about. And, as much as I hate to say it, the funds simply arent available to go to a pro, so I am probably gonna be asking a lot of stupid questions and do my best to pick your brains to educate myself. :)

I have been out on my bike twice now. First time, 12 miles, second time, 14 miles. But..by the time I get home, I have a bit of a chaffing issue, so end up waiting almost a week before going out again. I have learned some things from reading here that hopefully will help that out!

Anyway... enjoying reading all the info here and hope to learn lots more!

Sadie

[tytbody]

HI Sadie,
I'm with you on age, I'm 56 and soon to be 57 in October. I also want to resurrect my riding abilities and learn how to do it better. I know there are gears and i know I can shift to make it easier but I don't know what down shifting and upshifting an when to do it at all I think by the time I should have shifted it's too late and I can't move it and have to walk.

I am ordering a bike that was fit for me at the end of the month. Yes, when were children, I think the only concern was reaching the peddles. now it's tires, seat and reach to handlebars, bend in the leg, etc.

Wheels are different, We have mountain bikes, hybrids or City bikes, and racing bikes. Remember when it was just a white sneaker to choose from? Now you go to Lady Footlocker and they have a whole store just for women's sneakers. !!!!! Never!!!!

So, I'm going to follow behind you and see how you do for a while. I know they say, nothing is really *needed* but a helmet. You can get the riding pants and gloves, and whatever when ever.

I say, get your helmet now. If possible. get ridding pants. but if funds aren't there, check Craigs list. I just saw a lady where I live selling a lot of riding pants and jerseys. They may have some in your area also. Check Marshalls and TJ Maxx.

How did you measure your distance? did you drive the car and then know this is 12/14 miles?

Nice to meet you and sorry if I was long winding but I feel like we are both in the same room and I wanted to hi and welcome from another newbie.

[Velocivixen]

You're not old! You don't need to go "pro" and ask away. No question is stupid. We all are in various phases of learning, knowing, needing to know, not thinking we need to know but we do, and all other incarnations. Welcome to TE!
Could you share more about how you like to ride, where you like to ride, bike, etc? Sounds like you like to ride for fun.

I can share that I bought a Trek Hybrid in October and I've already advanced and bought a road bike - a Surly Cross Check with drop handle bars. I live in the Portland area and ride on the streets mostly and also Multi-user paths (aka MUPS).

[sadieme]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

First off.. I do have a helmet. (although, bad me, hasnt used it for the two rides I have taken. )

I know its a complicated sport nowdays, but simple is more my style. I knew my distance because I have a garmin forerunner 305. I also run some, or used to. Working on getting back into that too, after recovering from some foot surgery back in March.

One of my questions is how to use the gears. I know they are there..but really dont understand how and when to use which ones. :blush: I guess thats the place to start.

I am currently riding on the Katy trail that stretches across Missouri. Its very pretty with not a lot of traffic on it. Perfect for me. :) Its also relatively flat. No more then a 5% grade anywhere on it. (so I've been told)

How I like to ride? Hmmm.... I guess I would have to say, upright! ;) I'm not into being fast, more just getting a decent workout and enjoying myself.

Oh, my bike is a hybrid I think. (or so I was told) Its a Breezer Liberty. I dont do any road biking for now. I'm not confident enough of my skills and abilities to do that safely yet.

I will check craigslist for the shorts. I know that what I was using isnt goiing to work if I want to ride with any regularity, cause that sort of pain is not something I want to live with on a full time basis! LOL

My main reason for riding is exercise, weight loss and getting healthy again. I am currently unemployed so I have the time now and am trying to take advantage of it. :)

Thanks again and looking forward to learning from everyone!

[jusdooit]

Welcome to TE! Best advice I can give about shifting is to "mess around" with shifting the gears a little. It the best way I've found to get a feel of how they work. Eventually it will become second nature. One piece of advice I heard from a local rider to a newbie on hills was "Shift early, shift often."

As far as finding inexpensive shorts, try just typing in womens bicycle shorts/jersey into your browser search engine. You'd be surprised at what shows up. I do recommend trying some one at your LBS to get an idea of proper sizing. Also try EBay.

[Serendipity]

Welcome, sadieme. You are right - this is a great forum!
While I don't post often, I have learned so much from everyone here - and not just about cycling!

About gears & shifting - I remember asking the same things 15 or so years ago when I started riding again. A cycling friend told "you'll just know"! Didn't have a clue at the time as to what she was talking about - my thought was 'what the heck is that supposed to mean?" Guess there is some truth to that because I did learn what felt right! As someone else said earlier, shift down before you have to. You can always go into a higher gear but is it tough to shift down when you are struggling on a climb!

And no chance that 55 is old! I'm 53 and I think there are quite a few of us 50-something ladies on TE!

[Velocivixen]

@sadieme, I hope this is what you refer to when you ask about gears. Sorry if I'm telling you something you already know. So you have 3 chainrings on the front and they are controlled by the shifters on the left side of handle bars. Changing the chain using these chainrings in the front make BIG changes in regard to peddaling from easy, medium hardest. The large or outer chainring is the hardest to pedal, the middle chainring is a little easier to pedal and the smallest chainring (many call it a "granny gear"-very inappropriate thing to call it in my opinion) is the easiest to pedal.
The shifters on the right side of the handle bars is for the rear cogs (I remember this by thinking "right for rear"). Shifting these gears make smaller, often subtle changes. These gears work just the opposite direction from the front: In the rear the big cog (gear) closest to the frame of the bike, is the EASIEST to pedal, and the tiny cog (away from the frame) is the hardest to pedal. So the gear combination which will be the very hardest to pedal would be the big chainring in the front and the smallest in the back. The MOST easy gear combo. to pedal would be smallest chainring in the front and largest in the back. There are various combinations which will feel almost identical, and that is because there is a lot of overlap. There is no "right" or "wrong" gear. If it's too hard to pedal, shift down to an easier gear; or if your feet are spinning like crazy and you're not getting anywhere, shift to higher/harder to pedal gears. You will see that when you're in the hard to pedal (higher gears) you move more distance per pedal revolution; when it's very easy to pedal you won't move as far with each pedal stroke.
Hope this helps.

[jobob]

And no chance that 55 is old! I'm 53 and I think there are quite a few of us 50-something ladies on TE!

Heck yeah. :cool:

Sadieme, are there any cycling clubs in your area?

Many clubs have rides meant specifically for people just starting out, or they might even put on cycling skills courses. Local bike shops might have information about such things, or a google search might help.

Have fun!

[Bike Writer]

Welcome Sadie and Tyt, you're getting good advice so far on gearing. I agree that practicing using the various gears allows you to get a feel for them and how they can help you on uphills or downhills. As a tip I used a flat-as-a-pancake rail trail to test them out so I wouldn't be effected by stop signs, street lights, driveways that would cause me to slow down or stop. You need a place where you can cruise without stopping to guage the effects of what each gear does and feels like.

If you bike has different rings in the front and multiple cogs in the rear, start out on the middle of both and then play with the range in back. Once you have a feel for it, move to the other ring in front (provided you have more than one) and then move the back gears around while in that one. Don't mix up the extremes (hardest front and easiest back or vice versa) at the same time because it puts too much strain on your chain. This is not as confusing as it sounds, it just is harder to explain than to do.

As you ride think about what you like about riding and where you like to do it. Paved paths? Gravel trails? City streets? City walkways? Open roads? Dirt roads? Lots of people around? Solitutde? Some people feel safer around others and some people prefer the serenity of being alone. The various bikes offered these days are a sign of the specialization that occurs everywhere in all things and are designed with a particular kind of riding style in mind. Can one bike suit all those needs? That's up to the individual. That's also why hybrids are available that cross over multiple kinds of riding.

Don't jump into significant purchases until you determine what your needs are because your needs and enjoyment may evolve over time. As your prefered style narrows down over time the choice will become evident.

I second Jobob's advice to try to find others with a bit more experience to ride with, you'd be surprised at the good tips and pointers you will pick up. Most people who ride are willing to help out others and are friendly and helpful. You might run into a group that is standoffish but that's life, keep looking till you find helpful people. Of course there's always TE :D women around to help.

50's is NOT old, said with authority from a mid 50's woman!

[sadieme]

Wow, I am a bit overwhelmed by the responses here. :)

Thanks for all the info on the gears and how to use them. Tons of great tips and advice here! Velocivixen, your explanation was great! Painted a picture for me of whats going on! Now.. one more stupid question, do I change gears when I am peddling , or do I need to stop peddling, change, the start peddling again? I seem to remember being told one way or the other years ago.. but I forget which way to do it. (or does it even matter? )

I prefer trails and the one I am on at this point, is a combination of gravel and dirt. Its an old railroad line that stretches across the state. I dont mind being alone, actually I prefer it. (easier not to make a fool of myself! LOL) I really enjoy being our of the mainstream and away from people. I actually went out this morning for a ride, but the trail I ride on was covered with fallen trees from a nasty storm last night, so I finally gave up after only 6 miles. :(

But, I did raise the saddle a bit after reading some things here. I was amazed at how much difference it made! I was much more comfortable and the whole ride was easier. Now, I am thinking about moving it forward a bit. I kept scooting my butt back so I was sitting more comfortably. Maybe that will help? Advice and suggestions gladly accepted!

I recently had to move across the country and had my bike shipped by REI and when I opened the box, I realized there was no way I could put it together so searched out a bike shop here and had them put it together. Come to find out the owner of the shop was a guy I used to work with about 10 years ago, so there is a bit of a connection there which is nice. I'm sure I could ask him questions if I needed to. I need to ask him about a club, but I sorta doubt there is one. This is a small town and I was lucky to find a shop, let alone a club! But he would be a good resource.

I have no plans to make any new bike purchases. I am going to have to make do with what I have until I win the lottery! What I have isnt great, but its ok and works well for me at this point.

I'm going to like this place! :)

[Sardine]

Hello there. It sounds to me like you're doing pretty well already. I just wanted to add that for years I rode bikes that like yours, just did the job. In fact, because I'm small, they were mostly too big for me since I could only afford 2nd hand bikes and there wasn't a huge amount of choice - it was the early 90s when I started commuting. But I enjoyed cycling all the same and it became a part of life – both transport and leisure.

A few adjustments like the ones you've mentioned can help make the bike more comfortable. If you know the chap at the bike shop, maybe you could ask him for help.

On changing gears, maybe this will help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_05Eic7KgcA , but treat it as a guide only. As others have said, don't get hung up on being in 'the right gear'. That depends on what you feel comfortable with, certainly at this stage. But the explanation in the film about what should happen during the act of changing gears is useful as are the pointers relating to particular scenarios.

[Serendipity]

... do I change gears when I am peddling , or do I need to stop peddling, change, the start peddling again? I seem to remember being told one way or the other years ago.. but I forget which way to do it. (or does it even matter? )

I'm going to like this place! :)

Keep pedalling. I believe - and others may clarify this - that you need to keep pedalling for the chain to carry into the gear - if you stop pedallling the chain may slip on you......:(

[sadieme]

Thank you Serendipity! Thats how I have been doing it, but wasnt sure if it was right or not.

Sardine, yes, I am going to get with him and pick his brain a bit! And I will watch that video later. I am on dial up, so it takes forever to get youtubes to load! LOL

Thanks again

[RubyTuesday]

Watch a couple of You Tube videos on changing a tire. I have now changed four flats (only one was my bike) and the You Tube videos were very helpful. Carry a spare tube and CO2 cannister.

Have a great time riding samieme! We are the same age and I just started riding last month.

[sadieme]

I do carry a tube. Already ran into trouble with a flat a year or so ago and had to walk 3 miles home!! I did change that one in the house.. never had to do it on the road. Not looking forward to the first time! LOL

ummm.. whats the CO2 cannister for? Fill the tire I assume? I've never seen that.

[Velocivixen]

@sadieme, when you shift gears you do what is called "light" pedaling, meaning you keep pedaling but you decrease the pressure you are putting on the pedals. A good thing to know is that as you see a hill coming, don't wait until you're halfway up the hill and realize it's too hard to keep pedaling, but ANTICIPATE that the hill will be more challenging and shift to a lower/easier gear just as you begin to climb. You can still shift gears when you are pedaling strongly, but the increased load on the chain while shifting is not optimal. The idea, in general, with pedaling is to get into a comfortable & sustainable cadence (revolutions per minute) and be able to maintain that whether on the flats, going up or down a hill. So going up a hill you'll need a lower gear, and since going down a hill is easier due to gravity, you would shift to a higher/harder gear. There is a trick to shifting if you're already going up a hill and you're pushing down on the pedals really hard: you slightly turn to the side and give 1 hard pedal, and because you're turning perpendicular to the hill it takes pressure off the chain for a split second and that's when you shift down to a lower gear. It's easier if you see it vs reading about it.

Regarding your saddle (seat, but call it a "saddle"), if you are sliding forward I would try slightly tipping the nose of the saddle up. My saddle uses a 5mm Allen wrench with 1 bolt attaching the clamp to the rails beneath the saddle. I loosen up this bolt (not all the way, but enough so you can tip the nose up or down), and as I move the nose I hear and feel "clicks" and I move the nose only 1 or 2 clicks, tighten and go for a ride. So etimes moving a saddle too far forward will cause you to put more pressure on your hands resulting in sore hands, wrists, shoulders.
Also check your tire pressure daily prior to each ride. The pressure (usually a range) is listed in the side of your tire. Using a lower pressure in the range makes for a softer ride. Tubes naturally can loose 3 or so psi per day.

[Velocivixen]

Sadieme, yes the Co2 canister is under very high pressure and you use that instead of pumping air to fill up your tube. Some canisters must screw onto your Valve stem (so you need to know whether your stems are Presta or Schrader) or come sort of clip on using a special trigger activated "gun". pumping air into a tube on the side of the road with mini pumps like you would carry with you is difficult because those pumps are so tiny. They don't pump as much air as a floor pump. So Co2 with a trigger device that attaches to the valve takes like 1 second to inflate a tire. The downside is that if you get a bunch of flats on a ride and run out of cartridges. Some folks carry both.

[goldfinch]

But, I did raise the saddle a bit after reading some things here. I was amazed at how much difference it made! I was much more comfortable and the whole ride was easier. Now, I am thinking about moving it forward a bit. I kept scooting my butt back so I was sitting more comfortably. Maybe that will help? Advice and suggestions gladly accepted!



I kept scooting back on my seat. It turned out that my seat was too far forward and by pushing myself back I was looking for a position further back. You might try moving it back a bit. I would try back and forward positions before messing with tilt.

[sadieme]

wow... thanks again for all the great information! I will have to play with the saddle and see how it feels. I imagine its going to be trial and error but thats part of the fun I guess! :)

I had no idea that tires lose air that easily. I have a small hand pump , but it sounds like the co2 cannisters are the way to go. Will have to pick up one of those too!

Thanks!

[jusdooit]

Also changing the front (either up or down) one ring is approximately the same as 3 rings in the back. I mention this beacause before changing the rfont front you wwant to change the rear in an opposite fashion app 3 rings first. For example if you're going to make it easier to pedal by changing the front to a smaller ring, the change the back to a bigger ring followed immediately by changing the front. This takes a little (maybe a lot) of practice. It wil keep you from "spinning" or "mashing" when chainging gears. (Hope all that made sense.)

[sadieme]

I just spent some time trying to figure out the gears and doing some saddle adjustments.

Not sure whats wrong, but the chain wont move to the outer (largest) chainring. It just goes from the small one to the middle one. Sometimes it 'rattles' when on the middle one. Not sure if thats because its trying to get settled in, or what. I dont know the terminology but the piece that seems to be 'moving' the chain maybe isnt allowing it to move as far towards the outside as it should? Although it is moving to the outside. But when it 'rattles' it appears to be because the chain is hitting that piece when its on the middle ring.

Thought and suggestions appreciated.

Does that make sense?

sorry for the ramble.

[tytbody]

I had similar issues as you had
Sadime, when trying out my bike. I was scooting back also. Didn't know why. it was good reading that i would need a seat adjustment. I'd love to ride along side someone that knows what's going on and what to try.

Even though I looked at the video, when I read you all say shift down, does that mean in the numbers on the right-hand gear?

Which gear do you use more often? Seems you all are referring to the left one. I've always only used the right because I don't know when to shift. When I would shift, I'd use the right one.

so down shifting is making the number larger or smaller on the front or the back?

Sadieme - I do hear what you are trying to say and I don't know what is happening but I understand, the clanking. Something is not catching on the gear thing. What do they call that when the chain is on the thingy? lol. boy do I need to learn parts. If they have a detailed picture of parts, I could talk more sensibly, (I hope at least) lol

[goldfinch]

Shifting down is going to a lower gear. So, if you have numbers on your shifter shifting down will be to lower numbers. If you actually look at the rings on your bike, when you shift down on the front you will go from larger chain rings to smaller. This is using the left hand shifter. In contrast, when you shift down to a lower gear on the rear, using your right hand shifter, you will be using larger size cogs. But you still will be shifting down to easier gears and the numbers on your shifting mechanism will be going lower.

So, first gear on the left hand shifter coupled with first gear on the right will be the lowest gear of all. But you will be on the biggest cog on the back and smallest chain ring on the front.

[goldfinch]

Not sure whats wrong, but the chain wont move to the outer (largest) chainring. It just goes from the small one to the middle one. Sometimes it 'rattles' when on the middle one. Not sure if thats because its trying to get settled in, or what. I dont know the terminology but the piece that seems to be 'moving' the chain maybe isnt allowing it to move as far towards the outside as it should? Although it is moving to the outside. But when it 'rattles' it appears to be because the chain is hitting that piece when its on the middle ring.

Thought and suggestions appreciated.

Does that make sense?

sorry for the ramble.

The chain is rubbing on your front derailleur mechanism. On my old bike when I shifted using the left hand shifter for the front derailleur I had to push the shifter one and a half times to have it shift up to the next highest gear. Going down, I only had to click the shifter once. So, depending on your type of shifting mechanism, that may be the problem.

Otherwise, you might have to have your front derailleur adjusted.

Another issue is that it is harder to shift up the front derailleur than other shifting you will do. You are effectively moving up several gears. You can't push the pedals hard when shifting on the front. Just easily pedal as you shift.

[Velocivixen]

The derailleur in the front is not moving the chain up to the big ring. As the chain goes around the middle chain ring, the chain is rubbing on the derailleur cage (looking down from the top is looks like a parallelogram. Please watch this youtube video and it will explain everything. I have watched many videos and this guy explains it very well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tQxJqGVznM&feature=related

Hope it helps.

[tytbody]

Wow. that was scary just sitting here watching that chain come off. He was good. Great clear pictures.

I'm reading about the gears now. I feel like i'm in Bike terminology school.

[sadieme]

I spent two hours trying to watch that video, and only got 2 min downloaded. (Gotta love dial up!) So i gave up. However... I did check out that link to Sheldon Browns page. TONS of great info there. I will spend a lot of time there educating myself. :) It also has a glossery of terms that is going to be a great help!

Oh, I also picked up a co2 cannister and some 'Monkey Butt' stuff. I think I had read that name here somewhere.. as something that would help chafing, which has been an issue for me. I hope it works!

And all your posts have a wealth of information! Now to absorb it all! :)

I took the bike to my LBS today and he is going to look at it and do whatever adjusting needs to be done so hopefully it should be good to go when I pick it up this afternoon.

[tytbody]

Monkey but stuff.? Hum .. I've not gotten riding pants yet so I may need this when I do start. The names people give their products. You'd never think to look under a name like that for something for riding chaffing...

[sadieme]

Got it back and he told me it shifts "smooth as butter." I havent tried it yet but plan to tomorrow. :)

I had purchased a new saddle shortly after I got it because the leather, hard one hurt my tail. But now, after doing some more reading, I am thinking that maybe that would be better then the gel one I got to replace it.

Tomorrow might be an interesting ride! :)

[tytbody]

Was the problem the Deraile Sadieme?

[sadieme]

No. One of the cables had come out of the guide and was messing it up. (from what I understand) I think I probably did that when I was taking it on and off my rack.

But he also did some adjustments to make sure it was as good as it could be. Looking forward to testing it out.

Oh.. I did ask him about group rides. He said there arent any. They have tried before, but couldnt get and keep any interest in it. :(

[tytbody]

do you think you may be able to go to another area, say 30 or minutes away to find one? Or maybe you can become the leader and start it up. . That's a big undertaking though. ewwwww.. lol

Can you tell me how to phonetically pronounce your name? is it a combo of your name or another language?

BTW: Mine is pronounced (tight body) I gave myself that name so I could eventually have one.:)

[sadieme]

No.. I'm not one to start that sort of thing. 'Specially being a newbie myself. Maybe once I get more experienced..... I am in the middle of nowhere... and we are biggest town within 60 miles or more. Its a town of 20K. :(

My username is just like it looks. The name "Sadie" with 'me' after it. Sadie was taken, so I had to add something! LOL.

I like your name, although I didnt know what it meant until now. But I like it. I'm striving for the same thing! :)

[tytbody]

Now I can say it. Thank you:) Funny how we come up with names. (waving) lol
http://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/1074.gifhttp://www.websmileys.com/sm/happy/050.gif

[sadieme]

Dang! I went out today for a ride and the gears did the same thing. The cable came out of the guide again. :( I ended up 4 miles from my car with only the very low gears to get me back! I got nowhere slowly! LOL

Back to the LBS on tues!

ohhh.. tytbody.....:)

[Velocivixen]

@Sadieme, do you mean that the shifter cables, where they pass through the cable hosing is coming away from the cable "stops"? The cable stops are the metal parts on the frame of the bike where the ends of the cables butt up against and slide into? I wonder what makes that happen? Maybe the bike shop can show you what to do when that happens so if you're out and it happens you won't be stuck somewhere in a high or low gear.

[sadieme]

@Sadieme, do you mean that the shifter cables, where they pass through the cable hosing is coming away from the cable "stops"? The cable stops are the metal parts on the frame of the bike where the ends of the cables butt up against and slide into? I wonder what makes that happen? Maybe the bike shop can show you what to do when that happens so if you're out and it happens you won't be stuck somewhere in a high or low gear.
YES! Thats exactly what it is. This bike came with some sort of light on the front of it, and that cable is getting caught on it and it ends up wrapped around it and I assume thats whats pulling it out of the stop. I tried to pull it and put it back in the stop... but I couldnt get it there. (came close though)

I am going to take whole light thing off of it so it wont happen again.

It sure was irritating though! Oh well....

[Velocivixen]

Could you take a photo close up and post it? Pictures really help and we have some brilliant folks on here. Thanks. Hope that your solution does the trick.

[sadieme]

Sorry its taken me so long to reply. I took some pics but they really didnt show anything. I did take it to the bike shop today.. and all he did was put the cable back in the stop and told me I can do that if it happens again. Although.. I moved the light, (its made to tilt down and that takes it out of the way) so hopefully it wont be an issue again.

Will be going out tomorrow morning to test it out! Keeping my fingers crossed! :)

Thanks

[tytbody]

That's exciting. Fingers crossed for you also:)

[sadieme]

Well, I got my lazy butt up today and knew I had to test it out! So, got packed up and headed for the trail. I really didnt know how far I wanted to go, but somewhere in the back of my head, I was thinking 20 miles, but I knew that was WAY beyond what I would be able to do, Oh well. I would do what I could.

Once I got started, I found it was GREAT to have the gears actually working right! It made everything so much easier! So much so, that I felt great! I got to the furthest point I had ever been, and though... I feel good, why not keep going for a bit. I decided it would be silly to stop at 7.25 miles. I wanted to make it even! I just kept going and going. I finally stopped at 10 miles! :) (which meant I also had 10 to go back!)

Now.. this is a rail trail, so not a lot of hills.... or not real ones. But there is a pretty constant low level grade. And the way back is almost all uphill grades from almost flat to 12% and sometimes a bit more. This was the third time I had been biking on the trail. (leaving out the one where the gears screwed up and was short and pretty frustrating) Anyway..... on both the previous rides, which were 12 and 14 miles, I had to stop about 3 times on the return trip to rest. It was kicking my butt! But... today, I was able to do the 10 out AND the 10 back without any rest stops. I did take a break when it was time to turn around and head back though.

Overall.. I felt great! Well..exhausted, hungry and tired... but great! Maybe.. just maybe I can do this! :)

[goldfinch]

Great ride! Congratulations on doing 20!

[tytbody]

oh Sadie, that sounds so darn GOOD!!! I wish you were near me so we could ride together. How did you measure your miles? you said 10 but did you do it with a car and then know or did you purchase a cyclometer?

I bought one and my bike shop is going to put it on for me.

I found out my bike rack fits my car so Girl that is good.

are you going out tomorrow? Weather sounds good around here. I had my husband get his bike ready so that when we get back, we can go test out my ride.

[sadieme]

Thanks Goldfinch! It felt good!

tightbody... thanks! Yeah.. that would be fun! Alas.... it would be a long commute! LOL.
I have a Garmin Forerunner that I use for running, but its set up for biking too, so it works well.

Glad your rack will work with your car. I love mine. Its fast and easy to take on and off. And its totally adjustable so it will work with about anything. I would be in trouble without it!

Not sure about tomorrow. It depends on if I am recovered from today yet! I might try and just do a short run instead of the bike. Not sure yet.

You are lucky that your hubby likes to ride too. Mine isnt the least bit interested in it. :( oh well.... gives me some 'alone' time I guess.

:)

[tytbody]

well he's not going with me most of the other days. He works second shift and He won't get up and bike with me. No.. No. he sticks in that stupid bed instead of exercising his body. Irritates the crap out of me. That's why I always have to go in the morning... lol VBG.. .lolhttp://www.websmileys.com/sm/mad/1106.gif

[sadieme]

LOL... my husband also works second shift. But he gets up... he just doesnt wanna. Hes a musician, so thats his thing. Oh well.. I am used to it by now. He does his thing.. I do mine. It works.

[tytbody]

that's what we said today. I'll find people that like what I like. I'm here ain't I? lol

Next will be find some dedicated friends. But I guess I'll have to get dedicated first before I can expect them to b.

I have one friend with diabetes that also bought a bike, I guess over August but she didn't tell me. I'm here telling everyone I'm getting a bike. I'm getting a bike. so you see, she's no inspiration.

but hey, I don't mind. I don't need to talk and ride any how.

[sadieme]

LOL... I dont think I could talk and ride! Riding takes it all out of me!!!

But it would be nice to have someone to ride with, oh well.

Oh... drag your friend out with you.... if she bought a bike... she outta use it! :)

[tytbody]

we'll see what she says tomorrow when I come home. Either, okay lets make a plan it will b or *that's nice.* lol it's okay cause I need to make a plan for myself before saying what she won't do. I gotta get my butt, and I do mean that comfortable.