very LONG ride, and my first wipe-out

Hi ladies... Boy am I an achey mess today! But a PROUD achey mess!

DH really wanted to try a very long ride yesterday, and he got me into the idea. We went from Park Slope, Brooklyn up to Alpine, NJ. It was 53 miles round trip and required going over the Brooklyn Bridge and the George Washington Bridge. Also, there were some horrifically steep hills on the Jersey side that almost made me cry. I had to stop to catch my breath a few times, but I never walked the bike.

On the way home in lower Manhattan, I wiped out as I was going up onto the sidewalk at City Hall Plaza. It's the only part we ride on the sidewalk just for one block to avoid some particularly nasty maneuvering in traffic. There was a very low curb, and I didn't take it at a 90 degree angle as you're supposed to do. It was more like 45 degrees so down I went. A couple of bruises and a scrape on my shoulder, but doesn't even qualify as road rash. Also hit the side of my head on the pavement which made me very happy that I was wearing a helmet! Really not too bad for a first fall.

Yesterday really made me want a real road bike even more. I posted on the Bikes category that I am lusting after the Orbea Onix TDE. I think DH is actually considering buying it for me since I'm being such a trooper on my $400 flat-bar bike. I was the only girl going up the worst hill yesterday, and I was the only one on a flat-bar. We saw nothing but super-pricey carbon road bikes on that hill, and it seemed pretty ridiculous for me to be on the bike I was on doing a ride like that.

Anyway, just thought I'd report on my big adventure!

Congrats on surviving your wipe out

I started on Silver's original Huffy "bike". Weighs about 45 pounds!!!:eek:

I promise, a road bike makes a difference...

oh, my, you bicycled on the George Washington Bridge and the Brooklyn bridge
and a stupid curb took you out!
I didn't even know bikes could go to those places. I am very impressed. I would love to ride that ride with you. I've only been there in a car long, long ago.
Where in NJ were the hills so bad?

ps more power to you with the $400 bike! of course you can. And you deserve a cooler bike too.

No one's mentioned it yet -- but hitting your head on the pavement qualifies you for a new helmet too!

GREAT ride yesterday! I've had hills that I've stopped to catch my breath on too, and that have made me want to cry -- I think that's cuz people around us are making it look easy, don't you? And yes, a lighter weight road bike does make a DIFFERENCE on hills, though I still had to learn gearing and pedaling tricks to make it up the buggers -- and I still can't go "like a rocket" up the hills! (at least I'm going faster than walking speed now, though!)

Karen in Boise

Thanks folks! Mimi, the hills were in Palisades Park going north on Henry Hudson Drive. It's a beautiful park road going along the Hudson River.

oh!! those hills!

Great job! I am not sure about those bridges though, as I like to drive them on the inside lane, so I can't imagine riding them!!! Way to go!

Quick update... I feel fine today, like nothing ever happened! This is great! I was still achey yesterday, but this morning I woke up feeling awesome. Got back on my bike, and I think I'm stronger!

I'm really happy I pushed myself on Saturday. Some of my friends and family think I'm crazy, and that it wasn't right to go on such a hard ride. Pffft I say! I want to do it again!

I'm doing the NYC Century in September, and I'm feeling much better about my potential to do it now...