Questions from an overweight beginner

Dear Lizzy:

Thanks for the information about WOMBATS. Jackie sounds like an interesting person. After what you said about her classes using hybrids perhaps one day I might consider going to one of those classes as my bianchi is a hybrid and I just love it. My husband keeps encouraging me to get road tires but to be honest, our roads here are the worst in the whole world. They are cracks, pot holes, and patches upon patches upon patches making for a very rough ride even when going slow. Then there are the sharp metal pieces or glass that dot some of the sides of the narrow roads so I think I'll keep to my hybrid tires in the hopes that I won't get a flat any time soon. My husband already got one on his road bike and we were traveling down a fairly smooth road that time. Once I have the hang of this I think Jackie's classes could be of real use to me. What kind of a shop do you work in?

Well....
1- I don't work at a shop. I just bug the people who do by drinking all their beer :p .

2- Jaquie Phelan's deal is all hard core mountain biking. She's great, but a hybrid won't cut it at her clinics. You'll need a mountain bike.

3- Tell you're husband you'll go to narrower tires when you're good and ready. This is truth, you will wake up one day and decide to change, but you need to do this in your own time. Ask him to explain what he wants to do to your bike and mull it over. Tires come in an almost infinate variety of widths and treads so there may be a comfort/ speed compromise that's better, just get him to talk to you and let it be your desicion. And you may keep the hybrid as is and make him get you an Orbea. :D
Hybrid tires ARE road tires, just wider than those used on drop bar bikes. You can keep the width, and get slicker tires that will be faster. If you have a suspension fork you can go narrower and not really feel anymore beat up, though they will handle a little differently. You'll take a whole week to get used to them ;). But if you like your bike, just ride it. Men oh so love to jump in and fiddle with things. It's just their nature, and not a bad thing. But he should explain it and let you decide, it's your pet and you ride it.

I have slicks for my mountain bike and have done a lot of 50-60 mile rides on the road on it. It's not just about tires, though. It takes time to learn technique and get fit enough, and a lot of riders forget what it was like. I've been off the bike with a couple years of injury and coming back has been a rude awakening.

Carry on girl, you're doing great.

Lizzy

Dear Lizzy:

I missed two weeks due to some injuries and I can't believe how much I missed riding my bike! I even dreamed about it. So I can sympathize with you over your injuries. I'm sorry they were so serious as to keep you off your bike for so long. However, due to past experience I can honestly say healing up right will be far better than trying to do things before your completely healed. Otherwise, you risk more serious injuries with even a longer time to heal.

I like your advice about the tires. My husband says my bike doesn't roll down the hills as fast as his bike because of the knobby, slightly thicker, tires that I have. But at this point I don't really care how fast I'm going down hill. I'm still trying to get the basics down. I have to do it in my own way or I won't be comfortable.
Kind of like my first bike ride on a big bike when I was a kid. I was scared and didn't think I could do it even though my dad thought I could. I crashed. The bike was really way to big for me and I believe that probably contributed to my fall. But I didn't feel comfortable with it and did it anyway to please my parents. They felt bad that I crashed but since they were poor they bought a big bike expecting it to last me until I was grown up. It did and I never really grew into it until I was about 18. Though I had managed to learn how to make it work for me.

What are slicks?

Well take care.
BB

Slicks are road tires for mountain bikes. They don't have much a of a tread - hence the name. Knobbies are off road tires for a mountain bike. They usually have a fairly bumpy tread.

Hope you're feeling better!

Veronica

You know, if you have knobs on your tires but you're riding on the road they will be slower and will slide out more easily on the wet asphalt. I assumed that since it was a hybrid, you had a fat but road type tire that's smooth. Maybe you would like to change. Just make sure every body involved explains things to you. Great opportunity to learn stuff. Bike shops have whole racks of tires and you can compare widths and how much tread or knob you can have- all lined up for inspection. bat your eyelashes at your sweety :D and get a lesson out of him. And the shop guys.

This is the downside of cyberspace- you can't really show somebody how to do something, or give 100% accurate advice if you can't actually see what's up. Bars and swimming pools still have a place after all.

Hope you feel better soon. Was it bad?

Lizzy

I'm so sorry you got hurt!! I've been wondering about you. Are you back on the road now? How are your injuries.

I had one of those too big for me bikes too. Road it one weekend and my dad got tired of running beside me. He let me think I broke it when the tires went flat from lack of use. Didn't hurt me too much to think that either. I hated the thing! I liked it later - when it fit me better. :)

Hope you're feeling all patched up by now!

Dear Veronica and Lizzy:

I'm feeling much better thank you and rode the last two days. Thank you for explaining what slicks are and for telling me that my tires will slide out more on wet asphalt. I will be careful if I encounter that. I don't think I want to ride in the rain at this point in my cycling career but with all the sprinklers going it's more than likely I'll be riding on wet asphalt sooner or later. No, my injuries weren't to bad, just painful enough to prevent riding especially since they were in the posterior portion of my body. But I'm all healed up now and trying to ride as often as I can. I've lost some of what I had gained but my time has improved so perhaps I didn't lose to much.

Dear Grasshopper:

I didn't see your email at first. I'm sorry. That's pretty funny your dad telling you, you broke the bike! I hope you didn't feel badly when you thought that. My dad kept encouraging me to get back on so I did and pretty soon I was riding that big bike all over. I can remember when I was 12-15 we had moved north and all the adults who saw me riding my bike, which I did a lot back then, would laugh at me and say that thing is bigger than you are! But you know I think it really helped me to learn the basic skills because by the time I was 12 I could handle that bike, despite its size, very well. When I first got on my Bianchi my husband said I had really good cadence and he asked if I was purposely doing it. I said, I don't even know what that word means as I've never heard it before. I'm just riding the way I ride. So I think that had it not been for such a challenging bike when I was growing up that I would be finding things even harder than I do now. But I do remember it didn't all come together at once and I need to remember that. How are your rides doing? Do you use a mirror on your helmet? I have been thinking of getting one but I think I would like input about them from people who have used them before I buy one.

Sweetie, I did not say that your tires would slide out on wet road. I said they might be more likely to. It depends on the tread pattern, how much water is on the pavement, if you're fast enough to hydroplane, several factors. Tires for all types of bikes range from giant knobs for deep mud riding to totally bald slicks for pavement. There are many variations in between. I have no clue what's on your bike- but a hybrid with stock knobbies is unusual and I logically assumed you had wide tires (about 1"?) with a fairly smooth tread pattern. When you started talking knobs on your tires I wanted to set the matter straight, but you need to snag your husbands Performance catologue or go to a shop and find out what the deal is.
And spinklers don't count as wet pavement. Wait 'till winter:D and you'll see what wet is. That's what I'm talkin 'bout.

Lizzy

LOL Lizzy -- I read about how much slicker the tires get when the pavement is wet & how the road is slicker initially as the oil rises than it is later in a rain. Well, so far when the neighbors are running the sprinklers, I've been dodging the wet spots on the road, thinking I'll go sliding all over the place. :D Hopefully, a year from now, I won't be sucy a cycling goober. :rolleyes:

Dear Lizzy:

You know a lot more about tires than I do. To me an inch wide doesn't seem so wide because the mountain bike tires sold around here are two-three times that wide. My tires are an inch wide with a raised pattern of zig zags. It has a zig zag, indention, zig zag. The raised zig zag is opposite of indentions. Two lines of raised zig zags opposite smooth flat indentions. The raised zig zag is smooth like the flat indentions but because the zig zag is raised next to the flat indentions it gives the tires a knobby looking appearance. Its actually kind of a pretty pattern if you look at it but who looks that hard at tires. You probably don't get a very good idea of what it looks like from my description but since you were right about the width you probably have a better idea of what the tire is like than I do. I actually thought my tires were less than an inch wide because they seemed so narrow compared to the standard mountain bikes. Yet they are wider than my husband's which suited me fine because this is the first time I've ridden on such narrow tires. Okay maybe an inch isn't narrow but if you've only ridden tires that are much wider an inch it seems narrow. Its all a matter of perspective I guess. I'm pretty sure we don't have any performance catalogs around. Are they catalogs that sell bike parts? I live in a place where cycling is really popular yet I've noticed that the local bike shops really don't have much in a variety of saddles,clothing, camelbaks, water bottles, different bike parts ect. The local REI has more cycling apparel and camelbaks than the bike shops do and since REI caters to all sports I find that surprising. If you hydroplane on a bike do you lose control? I hydroplaned in a car once and felt as though I didn't have any control while hydroplaning. On second thought I can see that your right and that wintry wet conditions would be a lot different than just riding through pavement wet from sprinklers. But I think I will still approach any wet places cautiously.

I don't know if this would be appropriate for you - but if/when you decide to go with skinnier tires - I just got some Continental grand prix 4 season tires & they're great! I've rode on Conti's for the last ten years, so I'm a little partial to them - but these are great for sand, mud rain, etc.

One thing about wet - know that when you go through a wet spot, your tires will pick up glass & other crap that might be in the bike lane & hang onto it a little longer. So, if you have to go through water, try to avoid that lovely pile of windshield that the EMT's so kindly swept into the bike lane!

Dear Dogmama:

That is a valuable tip. Thanks for letting me know. Sometimes knowing what to watch out for seems so elementary but when your starting out it isn't. Especially when your learning so much stuff! I'll keep those tires in mind for when I'm ready to switch. Just out of curiosity do you have dogs? Just wondering as several years ago I bought a t-shirt that says dogmama on it. I have two dogs, no children, so it seemed appropriate for me.

Elementary, but not easy! I recently flatted because I ran through water & then some glass - but the traffic was so bad I had no choice. Then it rained. I felt like the cartoon character Ziggy.

Yes, I am a dog mama. No kids. Dogs are better. They don't ask to ride your bike!

Dear Dogmama:

Sorry to hear about your flat. I was in a similar situation this weekend minus the water and I was convinced that I would end up with a flat. But I was very lucky, my husband got the flat. Although not wet, traffic was such that we had no choice but to go through the broken glass same as you.

I felt incredibly lucky on this trip though because I made it up some hills, one of which was very very steep. Actually it was a drive way into a winery tasting room but it was very steep and longer than average. I ran into an unforeseen problem coming down. I was trying to feather my brakes not realizing that the hill was to steep to feather and I kept gaining momentum until I was up to my husband who wasn't giving me any room to pass him up by so I stayed to his right. But I didn't see the warning sign about a large foot high curb like bump. My husband screamed at me, Watch out for the bump! But by the time he yelled I was already hitting that bump at a really good clip. I didn't have time to stand up out of my seat so I hit that bump with tremendous force expecting my bike to be damaged. My husband expected me to crash, especially since my bike and I went flying up into the air. It felt like a foot but my husband said it was only six inches. I don't know how I managed to stay on, especially with one foot jarred off the pedal, but I did and when I hit the ground I was able to regain control immediately. Can't say I liked the feeling much but I was gratified that I stayed on was able to regain control as soon as I hit the ground. Checked my bike immediately for damages but there weren't any. Not even bent tire rims! But a good endorsement for me to keep to my bigger tires until I get better.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Bianchi Babe
I don't know how I managed to stay on, especially with one foot jarred off the pedal, but I did and when I hit the ground I was able to regain control immediately. Can't say I liked the feeling much but I was gratified that I stayed on was able to regain control as soon as I hit the ground. Checked my bike immediately for damages but there weren't any. Not even bent tire rims! But a good endorsement for me to keep to my bigger tires until I get better. [/B]

---

I don't know how you stayed on! Good riding! I would say you acted purely on instinct and did just the right things to stay upright. You must be a natural at this. And I bet you also learned to not get ahead of yourself on a downhill.:rolleyes: You want to feel like you are in control of the bike, not the bike running away from you. Then you won't need those bigger tires at all.

Dear Annie:

You are so right. I'm a little scared to ride down another large steep hill but I suppose I am going to have to do it so I can learn how to be in control of the bike speeding down hill instead of the other way around. I'm fine with gradual hills but this one was pretty much straight up. In fact if it had been any larger I wouldn't have made it to the top.

This is a great thread with lots of encouragment. I try to be sure that I have plenty of water with me, money for a convenience store and a note pad and pencil. My husband rides a lot more than I and on really busy highways, so I mostly just have rides around on local, less busy roads. (In Arkansas, we have a bunch of narrow roads.) I made the move to toe clips a couple of years ago and like how they position my feet in a different place to pedal more efficiently. i am trying to get some of my friends to ride with me, and none of them will, since I ride a lot of miles.

Hi Momcat:

How many miles do you ride? You must be in pretty good shape if your doing a lot of miles and have been riding for a couple of years.

Hi Bianchi Babe!

My normal ride is 6 miles on weekdays and 10-15 on weekends. When I start telling friends that I need to ride 10-15 miles, they get freaked. I would ride to work, except I drive my child to school!

Hi Momcat:

Do your friends have any cycling experience? The reason I ask is because that doesn't sound like to long of a ride for a beginner. My first ride was about 15 miles on a really old decrepit funky bike with little or no breaks and very little gear shifts as they weren't working. Sometimes people get scared off by the sound of the number. When I hear 35 miles I think that sounds like a lot. Yet I've done it and if it had been flat it would have been a cinch. As it was though, it was pretty challenging for me because of the steep hills. Maybe you could ask your friends to ride with you for as long as they can and they might surprise themselves. I wish I had some friends who were interested in cycling so that I had someone to ride with. I tried to start a cycling club but only one person signed up and she was pretty old and dealing with a lot of health problems so she decided that she wasn't in my league and changed her mind about riding. I really miss riding when I'm not doing it like now. I've been suffering with a long bout of bronchitis and I haven't been okayed to do any exercise yet. Just in my dreams! I hope you can find someone to ride with you but if not you can think about me and I'll think about you when we're riding and we'll have company mentally. How's that?

I hope you feel better soon BianchiBabe.

Veronica

Bianchi,

Bronchitis is what usually kills my fall riding, but I don't get it until October. I hope you feel better soon. I'll join you in spirit.

I have told my friends that I thought they'd surprise themselves by the amount that they could ride and the first mile or so is the worst!

Later,

Momcat

Dear Momcat & Veronica:

Thank you for the well wishes.

Hey BB-
I was able to lose almost 40 pounds by cycling last year! And I still got more than a few to go! So don't worry!
A couple of things I noticed.
My legs felt weak at first. So- and don't laugh- I would cycle around the block- just around the block - sometimes as fast as I could go. Sometimes trying to stand up all the way.
I rode to the coffee shop in the morning, I rode when I came home from work at night.
When I went to friends' to babysit their cat- for a week-I took the bike, parked the car and commuted. Went EVERYWHERE by bike.There was this one mama hill outside the apartment- I couldn't make it at first- but by the time I left- I conquered that sucker! (cue "Rocky" theme) I'd deliberately ride a long distance- knowing I had to ride back, and couldn't wuss out...
It didn't take long, I felt the muscle building almost immediately!
In additon- I dranks LOTS of water...no soft drinks or sugary drinks. Keep hydrated.
And I changed how I ate- I thought I ate nutritious meals before..
but:
I started eating smaller meals 4 -5 times a day.
Lean meat - grilled on a George Foreman grill- lots of salads -
I found I did poorly eating potatoes, better if I ate rice- but best if I ate pasta.
I ate enough to not be hungry. And I still had snackie stuff- If I craved chocolate- I ate it. Maybe not a whole bar- maybe a few squares to kill the craving. Yogurt, soy beverage, fresh fruit.
I started yoga - which REALLY helped with the muscles and flexibilty.
And when I was riding- I didn't feel like I lost weight that day- but curiously the next day- I'd feell- lighter somehow.
I went down 2 sizes in a month...
and don't get suckered into the pounds loss myth- you might be building muscle- and muscle is heavier than fat. so- look at it this way- not- I lost X number of pounds- but my pants are looser, I FEEL better, I can pedal standing up for 5 minutes as oppsed to 2... so look for the REAL progress--
you'll do it!

Good luck!

Kimba

oh yeah- and you could try a ladies seat with an anatomical cut out. You can find Lemond ones on Ebay for 7 bucks - it's worth a try. I love mine- and it is so comfortable . 2 hour rides- 2 and a half- no problem...

Hi Kimba:

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I haven't been riding for about three weeks because I've had a really bad case of bronchitis. Not quite over it but tomorrow I'm going to try and go for a short ride. Maybe 15 miles. I think I need to start over on building up my strength after having been down and out for the past 3 wks. I think I must have a really strange body though because I never lost any weight cycling and my clothes never began to fit better. But I'm really bad at drinking fluids. I've really tried the last five days to drink water. I'm hoping the six lbs. I lost by being sick will stay off and then I'll only need to lose six more to be at a decent weight, 7 if I want my perfect idea of weight.

So when you buy a saddle off of ebay is it already worn? I've never been to the ebay site. If someone else breaks in the saddle is it going to fit you as good as one you've broken in yourself?

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Bianchi Babe
Hi Kimba:

So when you buy a saddle off of ebay is it already worn? I've never been to the ebay site. If someone else breaks in the saddle is it going to fit you as good as one you've broken in yourself?

---

The one I got was brand new still in the package..
It was a Lemond one...
There are lots on Ebay right now- I just got a Terry Liberator Molto for my husband- has a bit more padding for more of a touring type of ride- but still the cutout - for 11 bucks.
The same guy has more Terry Liberators for women- leather and Kevlar!! for a starting bid of 9.99-
if you do your homework you can get some great deals!!!

Kimba

So who has all these Terry saddle closeouts? I got some Terry shorts, new in the package, for twenty bucks- Ultimate Chamois, stretch ultrasuede, neat old forays into fashion. Love them!
I do a lot of Ebay, and some stuff is peoples icky old junk and a lot of it is brand new. From what I've seen in saddles, a lot of them were ridden two or three times and the seller hated it and wants to liquidate it. You can get a good deal on high end stuff, but it's a crap shoot, decide what you want and it may or may not come along.
Contemporary saddles don't break in- they wear out. What seems like a break in is more you adjusting to the saddle, and I wouldn't buy anything with many miles somebody else put on it. Stick to dealers at first while you learn Ebay- it's a giant flea market with it's own little tricks.

And B Babe- stay off the scale. It isn't going to budge for weeks while your metabolism sparks up and you build muscle. You may even go up while the muscle builds and the body fat stays the same. So just don't worry about it, just go ride. If you can't leave it alone, get your percent body fat checked and worry over that instead. Read Covert Bailey on exercise and nutrition.
Have you had a pneumonia vax? It helps enormously with things like bronchitis and sinusitis, both of which tend to run together. And get the flu shot, too. I used to get all that stuff, the vaccines helped. Vitamins are helpful too.

missliz

[QUOTE]Originally posted by missliz
[B]So who has all these Terry saddle closeouts? I got some Terry shorts, new in the package, for twenty bucks- Ultimate Chamois, stretch ultrasuede, neat old forays into fashion. Love them!
I do a lot of Ebay, and some stuff is peoples icky old junk and a lot of it is brand new.

I hope I'm not breaking any rules here so I'm not gonna put up a link-
but try
doctor_sox (Terry)
and
eDiscount bike ( Lemond)

I've been very happy with the stuff I've gotten. New- not used...

some nice primal wear too

Kimba

Thanks for the info Kimba.

Nice to hear from you Miz Liz. I appreciate your info too. No, I haven't had a pneumonia vax. I always get flu vax though since I nearly died from the flu one year. I've gotten flu shots ever since but they aren't offered until later on in the year. I was surprised to get bronchitis so early in the year, well I guess its actually late in the year technically. I feel much better now. Although I have to admit my attempt this weekend on my bike did not go well. I really thought I was better and set off on my bike with my husband following me. He said I surprised him by keeping up a fast pace for someone who was recovering. But after only four miles I barely had the strength to pull over to the side of the road and be sick. It was not a pretty sight and I felt miserable about it. Hope no one saw. I am going to try again tomorrow though. How long before I retain my former strength and ability?

Your husband should be telling you how to train by heartrate. You probably don't need a monitor yet, but if you're heaving you've probably blown up (maxed your heart's endurance level). Go read Covert Bailey. Do a search at Amazon. Besides, every body rides 'till they heave. You've tossed your cookies, you've had a cycling rite of passage. Next you get to learn to blow snot rockets without ticking off the rest of the group, and maybe get some road rash. Sports are physical- if you want to be an athlete, well, it's just as "earthy" (read gross) as having babies. Get over it. You're out in public with your butt in spandex and you care if some stranger saw you heave? I assure you they didn't care, even if they actually noticed.
Now, when you can puke while still spinning, that's impressive. Somebody will notice that! :D Like the rider behind you.

You've been really sick. Listen to your body. If you're heaving after only four miles, you're still sick. Why does a stranger a thousand miles away have to tell you this? Go out and power walk for a few days. Ride the trainer in front of the TV.

If you get this ill all the time, and you haven't been given pnumo vax, your MD is not doing his/her job. You also need blood work before and after to check your immune system, it's called titers, and there's probably something else up. And no, I don't know what. My own respiratory problems turned out to be driven by a whole set of other things, including allergy.


Lizzy

Hey BB-

I went mountain biking on the weekend- the first time really that I went singletrack through the woods in the rain and mud!
I had a great time!- though my bruises are coming up today!
I missed out on the cameraderie of the rides- I was hoping to meet a bunch of people from my area- THAT didn't happen- but I think I did pretty well on the trail- made a lot of hills, learned some technique-
thought I was gonna die ( speeding down wet slick muddy hills with crappy sidepull brakes on my poor old hybris/commuter bike...)

but I have some pics- and here's a link.
If you are worried about being overweight-look at me- and I've lost 40 pounds...
but I felt pretty good-
screaming through the muddy trails on my poor old bike at age 47-
and- you'll notice the shoes?
I won the on Ebay- got a great deal- when I got them I also got a bag of screw on things and a wrench.
Well- apparently they were mud spikes. I know ALL about them now.
But I did notice a differnce - the other shoes I wore while cycling were like a lowcut hiking shoe- but I was worried that the pedal "teeth" would eventually rip the sole...I got these ones - they are bike/hike shoes- and I noticed that even in the wet muddy conditions my feet never came off the pedals- they really did make a difference!!!
I also know my frame is okay for road stuff- but way too big for me for mountain biking...
so have a look- and laugh...but I did have a great time!

Kimba
my first mountain biking experience:D :rolleyes:

Ha! I have that exact same bike bag from the ebike folks- but I put on the shoulder strap and use it as a purse.
The big picture wouldn't load- what are you riding? A hybrid? It looks like a Mt beast. You may just need to lower the seat a schkooch. I ride a Zaskar and the fit is the same as my road racing bike, just different seat height and style.
A tip- Leave the bag home next time, use your pockets and the Camels Back pockets if you have one. Bags are the devil to clean after a day in mud. So are fenders. You need to know this because the dirt is a welcome ride, and you'll be back- no cars! And the muscle it'll make on you will burn off fat even faster.
I learned to hop at 38, so you can be a WOMBAT yet.

Lizzy

Hey Missliz!

Quote:

---

Originally posted by missliz
Ha! I have that exact same bike bag from the ebike folks- but I put on the shoulder strap and use it as a purse.
Yeah- I love those guys! They have GREAT stuff...
I have gotten a lot from them - can't beat the prices- and the stuff is excellent! I like the bag in that I can go touring, get off the bike and sling it over my shoulder- it's easy on, easy off.

The big picture wouldn't load- what are you riding? A hybrid? It looks like a Mt beast. You may just need to lower the seat a schkooch. I ride a Zaskar and the fit is the same as my road racing bike, just different seat height and style.

More like a hybrid- it has a diamond frame. My seat is down to the crossbar now - so when I put my feet down to steady the bike, and I'm on a hill- I'm riding the rail as it were.
Trust me- I need a smaller frame.
I've got one coming - just I'm building it so slow that I can afford it.That one is a 20 inch- the new one is 16.

A tip- Leave the bag home next time, use your pockets and the Camels Back pockets if you have one.
Yeah- I figured that one out pretty quick! It had the camera in it though- that's the only reason I brought it.

Bags are the devil to clean after a day in mud. So are fenders.
Fortunately the fenders kept the bag clean.
The fenders are there because I used this bike to commute with when I lived in Vancouver. It rains everyday there- you need fenders. As soon as I got to the site, I realized that this bike just wasn't right for what I was about to do. It will stay as my commute bike - I'm upgrading the components and putting slicks on it...
and the new bike- that'll be my mountain beast.
You need to know this because the dirt is a welcome ride, and you'll be back- no cars! And the muscle it'll make on you will burn off fat even faster.
I learned to hop at 38, so you can be a WOMBAT yet.

Yeah- I am looking forward to the next foray into DIRT! And- my metabolism is revved so I know I'm burning fat at a faster rate.
A WOMBAT??? That'd be FINE thanks!

Kimba

Lizzy

---

you stud!!! great pictures. and look at all that mud!!!!!!! how much fun can one person have?????

Well, welcome back! How are you feeling, girl? Thrown a leg over the bike yet?

Lizzy

been on the wind trainer in front of the tube. it's great, because now i can ride whenever. i will probably start back on the road soon. weightlifting will resume on sunday.

MissLiz:

Thanks for the information on the blood test. I never had a clue as to having blood work done for immunity and this is the first time I've ever heard of a titers test.

I tried again yesterday and although I went slower I made the route without any messy incidents which made me feel better. I have to rebuild my strength though because I just can't seem to stand up for a hill anymore. But a friend of mine who has been riding for years says it won't take as long to rebuild my strength as it did to get there originally so I'm very glad to hear that.

Kimba:

Thanks for sending your picture. You look pretty young for 47. I turned 48 Monday. I don't have a scanner so I can't send a picture. Though I wish I could because I love my bike and think it looks great. Sounds like you had a great ride. I'm glad you had fun. I love it when I learn a new technique. It makes me feel like I'm really getting someplace. Your shoes look really nice. Did they clean up well?