2nd Solo Ride

[Jiffer]

I just got back from my 2nd solo ride. I did 20 three days ago for my first solo. The next day DH and I did 10 on the tandem. I decided to rest my muscles yesterday and was raring to go again today.

I got the two Terry saddles I ordered and, of course, chose to put the pink Damselfly on first! I'm going to try that one and the Falcon X and send one back within the 30 days they give you, unless I decide to put the other one on the tandem. I have a Fizik Trans Am on that, which I'm also going to try on my single.

Anyways, I ended up doing 15 miles today, a completely different route than my 20, but still decent climbing. But I'm a master at figuring out how to break up the climbing into smaller segments! (Did that with running too, back before I "retired" from that dreadful sport!)

Today I was working on building my speed from my last ride. I did 13.2 on that ride and 14.7 on this one. I'm proud of myself. Sometime soon I'll do that same 20 mile route and see how much I can improve my speed on that.

I don't plan on reporting every single ride I do, but the first one's are the most exciting! I simply must share!

[RolliePollie]

It is exciting, isn't it? I'm still excited every time I go out alone. And it's more of a fun excitement instead of a terrified excitement like it was at first. I'm learning about different routes, areas of rough (or missing) pavement that I need to avoid, and which hills are easier or harder so I can customize my ride depending on how I feel. Sometimes I wish I had someone to ride with, but other times it's just so nice to go at my own pace, rest when I want, and enjoy the scenery. I get a friendly wave from the gate keeper guard guy every time I pass the local lumber mill, and I sort of look forward to that. It's so such a wonderful sense of accomplishment to be able to do this myself...I always feel proud of myself when I get home from a ride. I'm glad you're feeling this way too!

[Tri Girl]

Glad to hear you got out again on your own! Biking is such freedom, huh? Congrats on getting out there and increasing your avg! Good for you!!!

[Jiffer]

Thanks guys!

I just got back from an 11.5 mile ride with the goal again to improve my avg pace. I was really working it. I did 15.5 avg. Woo hoo! It's amazing how many hills there really are on streets that seem relatively flat in a car! And those hills are another story when hubs isn't on the front of the tandem using his ultra man power!

Sara ... what you said about the sense of accomplishment you get from doing this on your own. I completely agree. When we started riding tandem, we rode with some friends who also tandem and who also both have singles. The reason they love to ride tandem is because she can't keep up with him when they ride single and he doesn't get much of a work out. This is completely true and makes tandem riding a great thing. Shortly after getting the tandem, her DH upgraded her single to a beautiful Specialized Ruby Expert. However, it's been close to a year since she got it and I just found out she's only ridden it three times! Because she doesn't like going out alone. This made me nervous about some day going out on MY own. She's more physically fit and has been riding longer. If's she's nervous about going out alone, what am "I" thinking?! And then I heard a horrible story of a really, really good cyclist neighbor, who had a bad crash and a couple of surgeries since. She doesn't ride single anymore. Just tandem, yet very competitively. She said she just likes to go too fast and knows she doesn't have the really have the skill do it, so she'll stick with the tandem. This was not much of a confidence boost, to say the least!

So I was pretty darn amazed at myself that on my very first time out I found the courage to just go for it and do a full 20 miles. I just told my friend's husband last night that I did that and he was pretty impressed. "You just got on your bike and went 20 miles!?" This is nothing for him, but he knows it's an issue for his wife and, therefore, probably assumed it would be for me. It does seem pretty rare to see a woman cyclist out there alone. In fact, on my 20 mile ride, I did see one who said she was so excited to see me, rode with me a short bit before I had to turn and was hoping to see me again sometime because it's so rare to see women cyclists.

Anyways, woo hoo for all us women cyclists out there doing this on our own!

I'm doing a light riding weekend, but 20 again on Monday. Hopefully I'll improve on my avg pace from my 1st 20 mile ride. I'll, of course, keep you all informed!!!

[Torrilin]

Good job!

Don't feel like you're weird for riding solo. A lot of women do, otherwise this forum wouldn't be here. (and if I didn't ride solo, grocery shopping would be a much bigger hassle...)

[Jiffer]

Oh, I don't feel weird at all! I feel empowered! I even saw two women today (but more men again, of course).

I just know it won't be long before people in the area will be saying, "There's that pink cyclist girl again. Look at her go!" Where as now they might be saying, "Poor pink cyclist girl. Too bad she can't get into her clips very well at the green light." Or "Look how slow pink cyclist girl is going up that hill. I'm so glad I'm not her right now."

But there are plenty of times they have opportunity to be fully impressed with my sprinting capabilities and downhill speed, etc. It's not ALL bad! I did 25 miles today at ALMOST 15 mph pace. It was 14.9.

My longest ride yet. Last week's 20 mile ride was 13.2 avg, so I'm up a mile and half per hour.

WOO HOO!!!