Getting over fears

[Bethany1]

I have a new fear. The rickety straight plank bridge near my house. It's the best shortcut to my house but yesterday I got the back wheel stuck between the planks and nearly crashed face first. I think I'll take the longer way around instead of trying to be cool. It's at the bottom of the a hill so it's hard to get the angle right.

I'm thinking of dumping the clipless pedals. I nearly fell into traffic trying to stop yesterday and forgot I had my feet in. I LOVE the shoes and the idea, but the pedals suck, even if you have normal pedals on the side. Can I just take out the cleats on the shoes? Hate to waste the 80 bucks I spent on the pedals though. That would mean a 20 mile trip up to the LBS just for 5 dollar pedals. Ick.

The last is the fear of frustration. DH says I push myself too hard, but it's no fun going out a mile and having to come back so you can make it up the two/three hills to get back home and you've been doing it for weeks. And those are the "gentle" ones.

I'm seriously considering an a) electric bike or b) buying a gas engine kit to put on my mountain bike. My neighbors would just love to have me riding around town sounding like a lawn mower or weedwacker. The guy I met at Taco Bell in Lincoln yesterday has one and loves his. We talked for about 10 minutes about engines and how to put one in your bike until my DH showed up for our lunch date.

[Owlie]

Bethany, what kind of pedals do you have? If they're the platform/SPD ones, just take the cleats out of your shoes. If they're "regular" clipless pedals, swap them for platforms next time you go to your LBS, or if your bike came with the toe cage-equipped pedals that you swapped out, take off the toe cages (they're held on by a couple of screws.)

As for the hills, I understand. Give yourself permission to walk. They'll get easier as you keep riding. It may not seem that way, and it may take a while, but you'll be able to ride up those hills eventually.

[MollyJ]

Bethany, I am beginning to understand why bike "nuts" have more than one bike. Apologies to any one who might fit this description. But today I rode my beautiful bike on paved roads in the county. I even passed a lady who was far more fit than I. I went the furtherest on a bike I have ever gone. I rode 38.5 miles. It was windy because this is KS. I had a great ride. And my clipless shoes help me work with my bike in the most amazing way. It's why I got the bike I got. I told the guy I wanted a bike that would let me go further in less time. Ta-da. It was perfect.

BUT if I did most of my riding in town, I'm not sure the clipless shoes would be worth the hassle. I have had my new bike for probably two months now and I'm really starting to feel at home on it. It really took that long and I'd say I'm not there yet. I have to be pretty conscious about my clipping in town.

And conversely, this bike isn't the bike to run errands on. It's expensive enough that (even though I have a bike lock) I worry about it getting ripped off.

How can I be thinking about "another bike" at this point in my love affair with my Madone, and yet...

Bethany, if you don't have a trip odometer on your bike get one. They help you notice how you are getting better compared to yourself. I also have a Polar FT7 Heart rate monitor and so I also monitor my heart rate and calorie burn on my rides.

And, I spent two years riding my ancient Raleigh down many of the same roads I rode today. I have come a long way from someone who thought an 8-10 mile ride was pretty good (and it was when I first did it).

So trick your bike out so you are doing the kind of riding you want to do. Think about what kind of riding you want to do and where you want to do it. And do that. But track your miles and your tolerance and your average speed. If you keep at it, it will get better.