Shoot me now.

[snapdragen]

Yes fishdr, I rode my bike this morning. A whopping 5 miles. I am not disheartened however - I realize just how out of shape I have become. I learned one should not go all out at top speed after being off the bike for 6+ months - I wore myself out!

I took off from my house, rode around the neighborhood and figured out how my new shifters work. I now know which one is "up the hill" and which one is "down the hill"

Played with the brakes, practiced stopping with hands on the hoods, and in the drops. I'm used to my v-brakes, which seemed to stop really fast. These new canti's feel a bit different, not sure how.

I can tell the bike handles better with the new bars, why is that? My hands hurt, I'm thinking maybe I need to raise the bars a bit.

I made a stop at the mecca of bike purchases - and for proof that I actually did get out this morning.!

[jobob]

Hey snap -
Just remember the Bob parts lending library and adjustment service is always at your disposal

[DrBee]

Yeah Snap! I knew you'd get out! I totally hear you on the 5 miles. I rode 10 yesterday and realized how out of shape I was after 6 months off. Let's hope it comes back quicker than it leaves, eh? My shoulder muscles hurt today - like really hurt. I guess I was hanging on for dear life and didn't know it.

So - what's our goal for next weekend?

[snapdragen]

So - what's our goal for next weekend?

Well, I'm going up to Dublin for the Cinderella dinner - and I'm playing princess and spending the weekend there. I'll bring my bike and ride to the fairgrounds to check out the Cindy Expo, then back to the hotel. That's about 10 miles. woo hoo, hold me back.....

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I can tell the bike handles better with the new bars, why is that? My hands hurt, I'm thinking maybe I need to raise the bars a bit.

Hey good for you getting used to the new stuff on your bike! It takes a while sometimes, and sometimes it's tempting to keep changing things too fast before your body has any time to adjust to the new positions. From the photo, the only thing I would perhaps suggest is not RAISING your bars so much as maybe TILTING your bars up a bit more in the front so that the top part of the bars are more level instead of the lower drop ends being level. At least that's what they suggested at Harris' for my Rivendell and I find it quite comfortable that way.

[maillotpois]

Yay! I am so glad you got out for a ride - who cares how long it was!!! Bleu is looking great! That eBay sign really brings out her ... um... blueness.

[Kano]

Hey good for you getting used to the new stuff on your bike! It takes a while sometimes, and sometimes it's tempting to keep changing things too fast before your body has any time to adjust to the new positions.

Lisa -- this is a hard thing to keep in mind! I'm sure I'll be sorely tempted to make changes immediately too, when in reality, I know there's a good chance _I_ need to do some adapting to my new bike. It's a big change to go from riding upright to, well, road position!

I think I'll go do some crunches, since I really need 'em, and the weather's gone hooey so it wouldn't be fun to ride anymore today!

Karen in Boise

[DrBee]

That's about 10 miles. woo hoo, hold me back.....

10 is better than 0, right?

[snapdragen]

10 is better than 0, right?

Yes!


lisa - I am adjusting the tilt a teeny bit, along with raising the bars a teenier bit. Everything in very small bits

mp - another one of my invisible internet friends saw me at ebay. He was on the way to Perfomance with his son; wondered what that woman was doing...(we've never met in person)

[Trekhawk]

Well done Snap!!! Just think of all those lovely Tim Tams I will bring to the MS150 as you increase your miles.

[SadieKate]

You go girl! Just be sure you're off the bike for cocktail hour.

You may want some help from the Bobs with tilting the bars up but keeping the brake hoods where they are. Just tilting the bars up could get your wrists out of alignment. And don't get discouraged. Your core muscles may just be a bit, ahem, out of condition. Or you may want to tilt your hoods in or out a bit? I run my hoods tilted toward the center just a hair so my wrists don't scream at me.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I run my hoods tilted toward the center just a hair so my wrists don't scream at me.

Yes I do that too- it's kind of like those ergonomic designed computer keyboards.

[SadieKate]

I never thought of that but I guess it is. I also have to use flat bars with an 11 degree bend because of my wrists.

[snapdragen]

You go girl! Just be sure you're off the bike for cocktail hour.

You know I am not one for missing the cocktail hour!

Core is actually pretty good, despite the layer of "fluff" around my middle. Regular Pilates class helps there. My wrists did feel out of sorts today, tilting the hoods sounds interesting. I'll keep it in mind for the future.

[SadieKate]

That's good. At least you can rule that out.