New girl, green as the grass

[ZoneFive]

It's rainy/grey today, and I don't think I'll be riding. However, I just got a copy of The Big Book of Cycling for Beginners, so I'll be reading that instead. This is just a terrific book! I'm on page 47 and already I'm beginning to understand more of the terminology we've been throwing around here. The chapter "Component Breakdown" is particularly great, because it's all about the Shimano/SRAM/Campagnolo group sets and it's just one aha! moment after another for me.

Y'all go ride -- I'm gonna be reading.

[ZoneFive]

I took Wiggy out for his first ride this evening. I have a whole week's experience more than he does, so I let him set the distance. We did 2.42 miles round trip, and when we got home he was winded. In looking over his bike -- his newly repaired bike, mind you -- we noticed that his back wheel doesn't spin freely, but seems to drag. Back it goes to the LBS! But we did get a 2.5 mile ride in, Wiggy wants to ride some more, and this week is going to be mostly sunny and pleasant -- so we plan to be riding a lot.

Still very pleased with the new biking book, and learning a lot from it.

[ZoneFive]

Thanks, Sheila, I'm well and riding!

Had a bit of disappointment with a local bike shop, KLM Bicycles in Birmingham, MI. Visited them because the Giant website said they were the closest LBS that carried the Liv Rove 2, which I'd wanted to try out. I had a good test ride on the Rove, liked the shop, and decided I'd bring my bike in to have them replace the saddle. To make a long and ranty story short, they had it for TWO WEEKS for a job that ultimately took them 20 minutes to do. That brought me up to just one day before the Paint Creek Crawl, with no riding. They didn't charge me for the repair (the mechanic said I'd waited too long for it already, which I perfectly agreed with), but the owner of the shop is going to be receiving a rather precisely-worded email this week.

I did participate in the PCC yesterday. The weather was gorgeous and I rode 11 miles (to the halfway point and turned around) which I'm perfectly fine with, and have my first event t-shirt. I also learned that the Paint Creek Trail is a great place to ride; that I really do need gloves; that there is an amazing range of people who ride in my area, and that bananas are my friends. It was a very good day.

And this morning I'm going out for a ride before work.