Hi again,
It is a beautiful day here in Morgantown, WV. A little overcast but cool and mild thus far. I'm off work today so I'm headed out here a little bit. I have a few more questions to ask and a bit of insight that I gained yesterday.
Questions:
Is there a certain speed I should be going when I ride? Most of the routes I ride have some flats and rolling hills so my speed varies a lot. When I'm on a flat, I'm going anywhere between 13-15 miles an hour. On the hilly parts, depending on the grade, usually 8-12 mph. Should I be trying to go faster? I find that as I get more comfortable and go along that my speed just increases and I don't even realize until I look at my computer.
How do you learn to pedal in a circle? I've tried to do it while I ride, several times, but I am just not getting this technique down. Any helpful hints on how to learn that and how to tell if I'm doing it right? A guy at my LBS said that I should feel constant pressure on the balls of my feet but I don't understand what he's talking about.
Speaking of feet, how is my foot supposed to be oriented on the pedal? On my left shoe, it feels like my foot is clipped in closer to the inside right under my distal first metatarsal. On the right, it feels more toward the fifth. Is there a proper placement?
Not a question but...I am so excited. The more I ride the more I want to be on my bike. The more info I get the more I want to learn and thanks to all of you out there for that. I've gone through so many changes since I started this 11 weeks ago in mind, spirit and body. Especially body. I can't believe how much weight I've lost and how different my body feels. I didn't realize that I'd have to make so many changes to my bike as my body changed, but I have and it's awesome. The guy at my LBS is also very excited for me which makes it even more special. Okay, I'm done for now. Have a great day everyone.
OH! One more question, is it tacky or stupid to name your bike and/or to put some stickers on it to give it some more personality? Just a question.
Gray