Starting Over

I used to show up here fairly regularly a few years ago. Had a Trek Pure that I loved riding but did not so much love hiking up to my 3rd floor walk up apartment. So I got a Bike Friday NWT (which is on the for sale forums). I got injured (colitis, then plantar fasciitis) and haven't been doing much of any riding. Of course on one ride I did on the Friday in May I wiped out big time and it put an extra fear regarding biking. :eek: UGH.

My PF is simply not healing, so running (and even walking distances) are not options for me right now. I need to start exercising again and hope to take the Friday out today. I got the seatpost shortened at the LBS a few days ago because I need to have some more security at starts and stops with feet being able to touch the ground. I am going to keep the Friday up for sale but if there are no takers I'll just keep riding her. I don't need a folder now because I don't live in a walk up anymore and am buying a house in which there will be no stairs at all to hike with the bike. Heck, my new house a short bike ride or walk to work, so there is a good excuse to get pedaling, right?

Plus, I prefer flat foot geometry and my Friday doesn't fit on my bike trainer (things I wish I knew before I bought it - and of course wish I knew I wouldn't be in that darn walk up as that was the biggest issue).

Anyway, long story short, am posting here so that I do indeed get my butt out the door this afternoon and make myself ride. If I post it publicly somewhere, then I won't chicken out. :)

Good luck! You can do it! Those of us that can't ride for a few days because Sandy would blow us off our bikes will be cheering for you and enjoying the ride vicariously! :)

I'm so sorry to hear this! PF is the worst - I've had it for years. No one can imagine how painful it is until they have had it. I just wanted to jump on here to say that after trying everything (including wearing high heels exclusively to keep off my painful heels, which then inflamed my Achilles) I finally found shoes that keep it from flaring up. The KEEN line of shoes have been my cure. If you've not already tried them, do. All the best...

Will your Bike Friday fit in the garage so that you don't keep hiking it up 3 flights of stairs? My vote is for you to keep your bike as a commuter/exercise equipment....I have a feeling that you will regret selling your bike in the future
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2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle
2010 Santa Cruz Juliana with R kit and Crampon pedals
2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle (sold)

The BF would fit in the garage. I am not in the walk up anymore that I was when I bought it. Just wish it fit my trainer! With getting ready to move into the new house, buying a new trainer isn't on the agenda for a while. I miss my Trek Pure - I wouldn't have gotten something different if it wasn't for having to carry it up stairs at the time. When I bought the Friday, I was planning to stay in the apartment for quite a while, but then I met my fiance! Nonetheless, when I leave in an hour will go out on the Friday.

I have tried Keens, and unfortunately no such luck. I am working with a second pair of prescription orthotics from the podiatrist now that I just got a few weeks ago. I also had physical therapy in April and May and a cortisone shot last February. I have had PF for almost a year. Yuck! I used to be a very slow but determined half marathoner, so running is my preferred exercise with walking following. Since neither of those are back on the table, I just need to start over and my Friday seems to be a good place to start.

I rode about 2.5 miles, so not very far. The lowering of the seat post made for great stops and starts, but for poor riding since I wasn't maximizing my position on the bike. My legs were immediately cranky and wanting to get more stretch and strength out of every pedal stroke. Glad I got out there though.

Welcome back, friend! :D

Welcome back Kerry! Foot problems of any kind aren't fun, hope you get relief soon!

Those Electras are pretty darn nice. If I went that way, I'd have to do a road trip to try one, but I think it would totally be worth it. However, I would like to give the LBS business because they are so fabulous to work with and I support what they do and want them to stay. They sell Trek. But until I sell the Friday, there is not much I can do in any respect.

MTA: And yeah, this PF is just a total PITA. I would have NEVER thought a year ago when I got it that I would still have it now. But, it is what it is, I suppose.

But I should add that the Trek Pure Bikes only go up to 7 speeds. I might like something with more gears, so shopping locally may not be the way to go.

I hope you get your PF under control. I struggled with it for six months last year and only got over it by completely stopping running and walking, giving up high heels (I wear them all day at work and adore them) and aggressive stretching and PT. i started running again and wearing heels, but i maintained aggressive calf stretching. I broke my leg 4 months ago and as I am recuperating, I'm having some symptoms again but I'm hopeful the stretching will help. Good luck!

I admittedly need to do a better job of stretching. I am not so good at doing it.

A question - does someone on here ride a Specialized Exhibition Sport? Or Specialized Exhibition? I thought maybe someone did in my recent reading but I simply cannot remember who it might be. If someone does ride that bike, would you kindly tell me if the geometry is indeed relaxed enough where you can touch your feet to the ground while being in the saddle? An area store sells these, and I love that they have up to 21 speeds (which the Trek Pure line does not), but I want that crank-forward or flat-foot geometry.

Thanks in advance!

Have you thought about a recumbent? I used to own a long wheel base recumbent, and I was plenty low to the ground. It was a Tour Easy. Really fun to ride!

http://www.easyracers.com/toureasy.html

Townies are cute, but they are more for cruising around town on the flats. Not sure I'd want one if I had any hills to contend with. Not sure if you do or not. Of course, a recumbent won't fit in a trainer either....

I have thought about that, or a recumbent trike. In order to ride to work (a super short ride, under 1 mi) from my new house (closing on 11/30!!!!) it is basically all up a hill. Then downhill all the way home. Zoom-Zoom and her DH actually would know this hill and could better describe it than i could. (Zoomy - it is from about Higgins Hall on campus up to the top of th hill at Browne. That would be the extent of the ascent and descent.) I think recumbents are pretty cool and i definitely need to consider those. If I had money and could find one to test ride, another cool thing to check out would be some of the Rans bikes. They look really interesting. But yeah, not fitting on a trainer is kind of a bummer....

Oh, yes...you guys have some evil hills by you, for sure! I know I'd be a much stronger hill climber if I had to ride some areas near you.

My LBS is able to get Sun recumbents and trikes. I went on Bent Rider Online and they suggest trikes if you have to go up hills. Have some stuff to think about! :)

Okay, so I have gotten some great feedback at BROL that maybe a trike is the way to go. Does anyone here ride a trike? The Catrike Pocket (or trail) appeals to me and I have an email into an area store (about 2 hours away or so) to see if I can get a test ride at some point. There are others as well that pique my interest.

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Originally Posted by Kerry1976

Okay, so I have gotten some great feedback at BROL that maybe a trike is the way to go. Does anyone here ride a trike? The Catrike Pocket (or trail) appeals to me and I have an email into an area store (about 2 hours away or so) to see if I can get a test ride at some point. There are others as well that pique my interest.

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One of my riding buddies rides a trike. He's a very strong rider, his bike is very pricey, but he loves it.

After way too much research, I am going to go cheap, easy and local. I am going to get a Trek Pure, like I had previously. I will figure out how to deal with hills. The sale of my Friday and the purchase of this much cheaper bike will also give me some $$ that I can use towards our upcoming move. Then in the future I can review options again and look at trikes, etc. Right now I just need to get off my fat butt and get moving. The owner of the LBS thinks I should be okay on the hills (particularly the one I would traverse to ride to work) in the lowest gear.

Good decision, just get moving. The good thing about hills is that the more you ride them, the easier they get.

Had my first 5 mile ride today. It was so much fun. I remember why I loved this bike in the first place. I find that because I am more comfortable and secure, I ride more agressively and have much more confidence and fun.

While I am not keen on carrying it up the stairs into our house, which is exactly why I couldn't keep this bike in my former walk up apartment, we move to our new home in the next few weeks and this will become a completely moot issue as there are no stairs to contend with and a garage for storage.


I like the color of this model much better anyway. The former was a cornflower blue. This is more of a standard blue. Quite lovely. And I knew I wanted fenders and a rack so got that on right away. I found my happy place today.

MTA: need to put on my Brooks but will attach a pick as bike is now

Attachment 15687

Got my Brooks on the bike (needed a little extra muscle from my fiance to do so) and my MKS Lambda pedals on order. Once those are on I will be totally good to go. Now I gotta find the time to get another ride in. Getting ready to move in a week, planning a wedding for late March, and time seems to be slipping away from me!

So you sold your Bike Friday? I must have missed that. Congrats!

It sold on eBay late last week. Hopefully it was delivered to its new home today. The person had lots of questions about it so I think it went to someone who really wanted the right bike for them.

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Originally Posted by Kerry1976

It sold on eBay late last week. Hopefully it was delivered to its new home today. The person had lots of questions about it so I think it went to someone who really wanted the right bike for them.

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That's great! Glad you found a new home for it and are back on a bike you love!

Kerry

I have PF and big heel spurs on both feet. Lots of runner's stretches help a lot and a pair of custom (read: expensive) orthotics and it is much better. I ride and average of 15 miles per ride on a pretty regular basis. I have found that keeping a frozen water bottle and then running the sole of your foot back and forth after rides or anytime the PF is bothering you helps quite a bit. My orthopedic said riding a bike was not going to hinder my PF healing. Just keep riding and keep stretching and eventually the PF will get better, mine took about a year and a half to get better. The PF flares up sometimes, but the water bottle trick helps.

I have the prescribed expensive orthotics. I really need to buckle down on the stretching. I hate stretching and seem to avoid it. My podiatrist said that if I don't stretch I have little chance of healing. Ugh. I have had this for over a year now, so I am beyond frustrated and tired with the whole thing. I really miss running. Heck, I miss walking or standing comfortably. I have been moving into a new house the last few days and the level of pain is really crazy bad. But, I got my bike and my trainer moved so if I can't get outside I can get set up to do something pretty easily. And those stretches....I really need to do them.

Well, took my bike out yesterday to see how the totally uphill ride to work would be. It was comical. I made it without stopping, but I sure felt like I was spinning in place, and good Lord was I huffing and puffing. I am sure a bystander would have wondered if I was going to have a coronary. However, I figure it is a fair measure of fitness to see how I do after I do this trek more often.

Glad you're having fun on the bike!

Best thing for PF is trigger point work. Hurts like f@#$, and I can take a LOT of trigger point pain. But totally worth it. Get a spiky roller for your feet and do it whenever you're sitting or standing - or just walk around barefoot on gravel every day.

Hope you get it under control soon. :( :( Do make sure you're not plantar flexing when you pedal, because that can be as bad for the lower extremity fascia as anything you can do on foot. DAMHIK. :o

I need to get my butt to a yoga or Pilates class. However, I have been saying that for a while but never seem to get to it. Maybe 2013 will be the year! I admittedly am lusting after a trike, but man are they expensive! Love the Rans CFs too, but again, they are a heck of an investment.