first "real" road ride

[bounceswoosh]

Since getting my first road bike about a month ago, I've commuted to work twice (about 11 miles each way) on it, and that's been it. Yesterday, I finally did what I think of as a "real" road ride -- a thirty mile loop from my house back to my house.

As it turns out, there's some great road riding accessible right from our driveway -- either back country farm roads or highways with exceptionally wide shoulders. What surprised me was what I liked. The more scenic parts along the farm roads were okay -- but the fun came when we did an eight mile stretch of 36, from Neva to 66. It was this great, rolling terrain, the kind where you can pick up some speed on the descent, and you're already half way up the climb before you really have to start working, and so you just keep pushing through, and then you're flying downhill again, wheee!

Ahem.

The bike computer shows 29 miles in 1:50 hours, although I had to stop a few times, so it was actually a little more "clock time" than that. Max speed of 36 mph. Overall 1400+ feet of climbing, according to mapmyrun.com

Positive stuff: my thighs felt great the whole time. I never felt like I would get too tired to continue. My hands and wrists felt fine the whole time, although my elbows / triceps started getting just a little cranky toward the end -- something I expected, because I need to work on form. My saddle felt great (ie, I didn't notice it at all) the whole time, and I wasn't sliding forward onto my soft bits as much as I tend to on the commute, for some reason.

Not so great stuff: my knees were making their displeasure known. I believe this is just my arthritis speaking up, since we've had a lot of weather changes here recently. Some days, my knees are fine. Other days, less so.

But the big thing, and the reason I had to stop several times, was my ankles. The front tendons (?) of my ankles got really sore -- not from rubbing. DH wonders if I am doing something weird in my pedal stroke. It started by mile seven, which is weird because I've never noticed it on my commute, which is longer than that. That front part of my ankle is still sore today; I can definitely feel it if I flex my foot upward.

One thing I'm definitely going to have to learn to do is drink from the water bottle while moving. I have been very happy using a camelbak for mountain biking, but I gather that's just not done in road riding. I can do it, but it takes a lot of concentration, and it seems like I have to tip my head up enough that I can't see the road as well as I'd like. I guess it'll just take time.

DH said that he was surprised about two things -- how fast I rode the gradual climbs, and how slow I road the short steep climbs. I mean, "steep", nothing was *that* steep. He suspects that I'm downshifting too aggressively -- see, in mountain biking I've learned to downshift early and fast, because downshifting while you're on the climb and maybe riding technical stuff is a mess. But DH thinks maybe when road riding, where climbs are typically not so abrupt, I should take a more gradual approach to shifting, and I won't lose so much momentum.

I did feel like I "ran out of" gears faster than I expected on the downhills. I mean, how am I supposed to go superfast when I can't pedal fast enough to engage the wheel? But I don't know if this means that I should ultimately shop for a bigger big ring, or maybe just wait it out and see what happens. DH points out that bigger big rings usually come with bigger small rings, and you never know when you might need those baby gears around here. (We both unabashedly run triples -- eventually I'd like to do rides like Jamestown, Ward, etc, and those mountains are tall!)

Anyway -- yay, first road ride complete! Here's to many more! Any thoughts on the ankle pain very welcome!

[malkin]

Whether it's "just not done" or not, I'd be dead if I didn't use a hydration pack on the road.

I don't have a support car to hand me new full bottles as I ride by, and no adoring fans to clean up after me as I casually toss aside the empties.

[KnottedYet]

Lots of folks on road bikes use Camelbaks. I'm trying to think of a reason why one wouldn't, and all I can figure is that maybe it slides around to much if you go really aero?

but the folks I know who use hydration packs have never complained.

I have no idea.

[mimitabby]

sometimes i get tired of always carrying something on my back. However, on a long ride, I just do it. There are so many times i take a drink that i would NOT do if i just had a water bottle.

[redrhodie]

Ahhh, the camelback--looks like you hit a spot . Do what works, don't worry what anyone thinks...but, learning to drink from a bottle is a good skill to have. Don't give up, yet. There's a thread all about it. It gets easier.

I don't know enough about positoning on the bike to give advice, but it sounds like something's off. Is your saddle too high? Are you riding clipless? Could be your cleat position. Could be a lot of things, I guess. I'd start with the saddle. It's always the saddle. Oh, and you'll soon discover the quest for the perfect one is not unlike Ponce de León's search for the fountain of youth. You will look far and wide, and measuring devices will be implemented .

Glad you had such a great ride! Your time sounds fast. Looks like you're in this for the long haul. Welcome to the club!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If you are on a downhill and run out of gears and want to pick up more speed, then crouch down low over your handlebars and tuck in your knees and elbows and get more aerodynamic. As long as you are going downhill, you'll continue to pick up more speed this way.

[aicabsolut]

The ankle thing could be that with all the fast spinning you were trying to do or with the extra climbing you had more ankle action going on. That means more force getting into the downstroke while engaging your anterior tibialis muscle and working those extensor tendons. It could also mean locking your ankles by freezing those tendons to try to get a few more rpms out on the descents. Either way, if it's not your shoe strap fit or anything then it's probably just that that part of your calf is out of shape. Whereas you'd feel it at lower cadences or hiking up a mountain (walking) towards the upper part of the calf, with the action of road cycling at faster cadences, you're more likely to tire out faster down towards the tendons the muscle connects to in the ankle.

Other than that, the only thing I can think of is that you're moving your toes around inside the shoe or doing something else abnormal on a more difficult road ride than you'd do elsewhere.

If you run out of gears on a descent, just get more aerodynamic, lower your weight on the bike, and let gravity do its thing while minimizing drag.

[Geonz]

Good heavens, I think the camelbak is more important on the road. Dropped water bottles have caused a few wrecks around here.

[GLC1968]

Most of the people I know who don't use camelbaks on the road is because of the heat factor. It's hot to have your back covered under the beating sun. When we rode in NC, we always passed enough country stores or gas stations to get water, so two bottles was plenty for most rides. Now that we are riding in country where there are NO STORES, I definitely see the draw of a camelbak. I wished I'd had mine for our ride this past Saturday - heat or no heat!

I do remember having difficulty drinking enough while riding when I first started out because I couldn't drink from a bottle while the bike was moving. Keep practicing, you'll get it! Oh, and it helps to tip the bottle up to the side (either right or left depending on which hand you use) to get water out while still keeping your eyes on the road in front of you.

It sounds like your first 'real ride' was great fun! I don't have any helpful advice about the ankle thing, but I hope you get it figured out soon!

[sundial]

Not so great stuff: my knees were making their displeasure known.

Just curious, are you using something like Speedplays that have a lot of float? My Speedplays really helped my knees and ankles.

I have been very happy using a camelbak for mountain biking, but I gather that's just not done in road riding.

It is here! We have some brutal temps in the summer and I've known fellow cyclists who got too dehyrdated by not using their Camelbacks. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

[bounceswoosh]

Ahhh, the camelback--looks like you hit a spot . Do what works, don't worry what anyone thinks...but, learning to drink from a bottle is a good skill to have. Don't give up, yet. There's a thread all about it. It gets easier.

I'm not too worried about it -- it'll come with time. Like you say, I think it's a good skill to have. It does seem like the cool kids around here disdain camelbaks; if I need one, I'll wear one, but if so I want it to be because it's the best choice for me, not because I'm too lazy to learn how to drink out of a bottle! On the mountain bike, I have gotten very used to the camelbak, but it's the blowfish model, and I use it as much for the ability to cart miscellaneous "stuff" with me as for water. It's pretty huge; I don't think I'd want to wear it on the road. I have a smaller one more suitable for riding, but it holds less water than two bottles. And I already have a third industrial-strength one for hiking and skiing, so I really don't want to buy a fourth one just for road riding =P

Hrm, I wonder if you can buy camelbak stock ... looks like probably not ... darn.

I don't know enough about positoning on the bike to give advice, but it sounds like something's off. Is your saddle too high? Are you riding clipless? Could be your cleat position. Could be a lot of things, I guess. I'd start with the saddle. It's always the saddle. Oh, and you'll soon discover the quest for the perfect one is not unlike Ponce de León's search for the fountain of youth. You will look far and wide, and measuring devices will be implemented .

LOL! I went through the saddle shopping process for my mountain bike. Many were called; few were chosen. Okay, one was chosen. But in this case I don't think it's the saddle, and I don't think it's the saddle height. Cleat position is a possibility. I'll do another ride or two and see what shakes out.

Glad you had such a great ride! Your time sounds fast. Looks like you're in this for the long haul. Welcome to the club!

Wellll ... I *was* riding with DH, him mostly in the lead, so he probably pulled me along except when I was so slow I couldn't even stay close enough to draft him. This particular ride was pretty flat for around here. We'll see how I do if I actually try to ride to Jamestown or something!

If you are on a downhill and run out of gears and want to pick up more speed, then crouch down low over your handlebars and tuck in your knees and elbows and get more aerodynamic. As long as you are going downhill, you'll continue to pick up more speed this way.

Thanks, Bleecker -- to be honest, I didn't even go down into the drops, so maybe I need to figure that part out. (Seems so much more ... vulnerable ...)

Just curious, are you using something like Speedplays that have a lot of float? My Speedplays really helped my knees and ankles.

They're the Shimano SPD pedals for the road bike. I would imagine they have the same play as my mountain bike's pedals, although those pedals are a few years old. Do pedals get more play as they get older?

The ankle thing could be that with all the fast spinning you were trying to do or with the extra climbing you had more ankle action going on. That means more force getting into the downstroke while engaging your anterior tibialis muscle and working those extensor tendons. It could also mean locking your ankles by freezing those tendons to try to get a few more rpms out on the descents. Either way, if it's not your shoe strap fit or anything then it's probably just that that part of your calf is out of shape. Whereas you'd feel it at lower cadences or hiking up a mountain (walking) towards the upper part of the calf, with the action of road cycling at faster cadences, you're more likely to tire out faster down towards the tendons the muscle connects to in the ankle.

I'm a little confused because the pain was in the front of my ankle, just below my shin -- but it sounds like you're talking more about the calf. There could be an imbalance in my muscles for sure -- but I want to be sure we're talking about the same thing.

Other than that, the only thing I can think of is that you're moving your toes around inside the shoe or doing something else abnormal on a more difficult road ride than you'd do elsewhere.

I'm probably doing something abnormal! I always try to wiggle my toes here and there to reduce numbness, but unless I'm purposely doing that, I don't think they move at all.

Oh, and it helps to tip the bottle up to the side (either right or left depending on which hand you use) to get water out while still keeping your eyes on the road in front of you.

GREAT tip! Thank you for that.

[Kano]

Most of the people I know who don't use camelbaks on the road is because of the heat factor. It's hot to have your back covered under the beating sun.

I don't know about hot to have your back covered with a 100 oz pack of ice water....

(yup, even when it's 105 outside, an icewater pack on your back feels pretty darned good!)

Karen in Boise

[bounceswoosh]

I don't know about hot to have your back covered with a 100 oz pack of ice water....

(yup, even when it's 105 outside, an icewater pack on your back feels pretty darned good!)

Karen in Boise

Ugh! I can't stand ice water! Hurts my teeth, cramps my belly. (And all my camelbaks have significant padding between the bladder and the back, anyway.)

[aicabsolut]

I'm a little confused because the pain was in the front of my ankle, just below my shin -- but it sounds like you're talking more about the calf. There could be an imbalance in my muscles for sure -- but I want to be sure we're talking about the same thing.




I'm probably doing something abnormal! I always try to wiggle my toes here and there to reduce numbness, but unless I'm purposely doing that, I don't think they move at all.



GREAT tip! Thank you for that.

Yeah, well the anterior tibialis muscle connects to the extensor tendons at the bottom, at the ankle. These are the tendons and muscles involved in dorsiflexion (bringing toes up). So, really any overexertion in dorsiflexion (whether you think about raising your toes or pushing down with your heels) will make you sore there. It's more likely that you're going to wear things out near one attachment area (here, ankle versus up by the knee). This also indicates that there's something going on with your ankle action or toe action rather than something from the upper leg. An example with the lateral calf: Tendon pain in the peroneals is more common for cyclists down around the outer ankle, alongside the ankle bone to the attachment of one of them at the 5th metatarsal. These tendons also attach up around the fibular head, but most fibular head pain tends to be because of hamstring tendonitis, at the attachment of those tendons.

Obviously, if this persists, you should consult a physician, but I was trying to think of reasons you'd be straining that area on these road rides when you wouldn't overexert yourself on your commute or mountain bike.

[OakLeaf]

Are you sure your shoes aren't putting pressure on those tendons? Not rubbing, just pressing. Some of my running shoes do that. I just had to re-lace a pair of shoes because I bruised them pretty hard on my second-to-last run.

+1 on not worrying about whether a hydration pack is fashionable. I don't like to use one on the bike either (weight on my back is the #1 reason, and heat is a close second). But I sweat and I get dehydrated very easily, so on hot days and/or longer rides you bet I wear it. There was a 42-miler I did on a hot day last year when I went through both standard size water bottles AND my 60-oz Platypus and was on "E" by the time I got back.

Arm fatigue is probably more conditioning than it is form. You should be using your arms when you ride, particularly when you're climbing.

Descending, you're much MORE stable in the drops. Your CoG is lower, plus you have better access to the brakes if needed.

Sounds like you had fun! Yee-ha!