I'm becoming a real cyclist!

[LovelyGirl]

I have only had my Trek 7.6FX for few weeks, and already she has taught me so much. I had been riding her casually with the family up until this last week. This week I decided to get serious.

I have been sneaking away from my three favorite guys in the evening and taking Lillibeth (yes, I named her) out for an 8-miler on our local paseos. Through trial and error I have learned:
1. I can go much farther than I thought.
2. I'm working muscles I didn't know cycling worked.
3. Choosing harder gears than I was previously is helping me tackle inclines, which is counterintuitive to me.
4. I'm starting to get kind of irritated with regular folks who are out for leisurely walks/rides and ignore the rules. Used to be one of those!
5. I've been faster every day this week than I was the day before.

I know 8 miles isn't a big deal, but for now that is all the time I'll devote to something that takes me away from my favorite guys. But that is way better than the zero time I was taking for myself before, right? And to see how much faster I've been going has really been rewarding. Also, I LOVE being sore in new places. Let's hope I can lose the 7 lbs I've been wanting to shed since winter.

One last confession. I never, ever wanted a road bike, but I do now. I see how drop bars would be really nice for position changes and for aerodynamics. I just got my FX, so can't see myself cheating on her anytime soon, but if I keep going at this pace, it may be hard to resist.

How does one know when it's time for a real road bike? Is my FX like a commuter to you roadies?

[smittykitty]

Oh dear! Another one has caught the bug! My FX served me well for several years. We could do 60 miles together but it was work. She really taught me to love cycling.

I upgraded when I wanted to ride longer and longer. You have a fine bike, but I see a "true" ride bike in your future.

I know what you mean about the "cheating" thing! Just give her all your love for now. I imagine cheating is gonna be in your future at some point!

[Giulianna23]

I commute everyday a 16 + miles round trip but on the weekends rather than sleeping a little bit more I wake up very early as ussual and sneak out to go ride my bike before my kids wake up... Cheating is not bad at all.. that is time we need to be just alone and enjoy something that you like and at the same time get a good overall workout. I Have and oldschool road bike but I really enjoy the smooth ride she gives me and I love her. She can go very fast..my average speed is 12mph after a month commuting ..when I started it was 8mph.
I got the bug as well.. I dont know how much I have spent already upgrading mi bike and buying cycling stuff..I even put down a deposit already for a new Gian entry level road bike which I plan on bringing home in a couple of months....yes...the money I am saving on gas goes towards the new bike......this thing is addictive.

[goldfinch]

The FX7.6 is a road bike, just with flat bars. It has narrow 25c tires and not the wider tires of a more standard hybrid. It is geared like a road bike. However, the flat bar gives you a more upright position than if you had drop bars, especially given that you can't ride in "the drops." Plus, the drop bars give you more hand options. So, there are some advantages to a drop bar road bike. But, some people do fine riding a flat bar road bike. I have a friend with arthritis that rides a flat bar road bike, a Specialized Vita. It is a full carbon lightweight bike and she rides it a good 400 to 500 miles a month.

[Penny4]

This has to be one of the most common stories on TE, lol.

I bought my 7.5 FX in Jan 2011, and swore I was not a road bike kinda girl, and you'd NEVER ccatch me on one.

I rode it last summer and fall and loved it, but was already dreaming of a road bike. I'm glad on I started on teh FX, because i had a LOT to learn about cycling (gears, road rules, etc) and I think I would have been nervous on a road bike.

I bought a Lexa SLX in Nov of last year and love it! So happy on it, but like I said, really glad I started on teh FX.

Is your FX a double or triple? That was one big adjustment for me....going from teh triple FX to the double Lexa. But, it's all good.

Enjoy your riding!

[LovelyGirl]

It's a triple. I hae no idea what a double will feel like, but everyone says it will be an adjustment. I also swore I was no road bike person, but alas, I love them now. But I will stay on my Trek for many miles yet; kind of defeats the purpose of a zippy new road bike if it has to pull a trail-a-bike, no?

[Penny4]

Ikind of defeats the purpose of a zippy new road bike if it has to pull a trail-a-bike, no?

Your kids would be cruising on the fastest trail-a-bike in town!

I actually found the double to be easier...less decision making. It is much clearer to me when the shift the front. Although sometimes I think I could use an extra low gear in back!