Clean air, pleasant temperature, sunshine, and did I mention Clean Air?

So, off I went, soon as the stage was over today, for a 16 mile ride through the various subdivisions around me. I played -- I played at "hammering" up the little rises, pretending they were hors category climbs, and I played with hand positions I've seen "the boys" using. I played with that knee out thing they do on the turns, and I played with my gears. I also talked to cows where people could hear me! They listen, you know, and sometimes they'll follow me along their fence line, and they look SO disappointed when they can't keep coming along cuz they run out of pasture.

AND, I ran over what turned out to be dead skunk. Didn't look like much of anything anymore, but ooooo, it sure did let fly with stink, even though it was flatter than a pancake and drier than the blacktop...

I have these STI shifters, according to bike guy, and I'm struggling with the front one. Seems that I have two positions for the derailleur when in the middle ring, and I have one HECKUVA time with getting to the one that's closer to the small ring. I hate the sound of the chain rubbing. So, in a pretty neighborhood, I just shifted and shifted and shifted. One time, I kinda got stuck, and had to stop and get off the bike and put things back before I fell off, but I figure even that is good, eh?

I also played with my drops -- and gave thought to that downhill position Linus used that day he won the stage. Yes, I actually thought about trying it. And then I thought better: HOW IN THE HECK does he fit in there? Oh, yeah, it's probably his little bony butt and his agile young body.... I'm pretty sure if I'd managed to get there, I would have been stuck, and still wondering how to get out -- and laying on my side somewhere, cuz you noticed, didn't you, that he couldn't possibly have pedaled in that position, and I was on a pretty tiny downhill and would have slowed to not enough speed to keep going soon, so I would have been laying on my side, in this crazy position, and eventually, someone would have found me, and probably have had to cut me out of the bike...

So I didn't do that one, and decided that's not something I'm likely to try!

I sure did have fun!

Karen in Boise