Got my butt handed to me on a platter tonight!

[nuthatch]

At one point I felt a slight bit of panic when I realized if I crashed at 22+ mph I could probably get hurt, so I just pedalled harder to see if I could hit 25!! (which I didn't - today!)

You little daredevil, you!

[spazzdog]

Soooo, Corsair?

You do have your USCF license don't you?

And you are planning to do a little racing, yes?

spazz, just wondering

[MomOnBike]

At one point I felt a slight bit of panic when I realized if I crashed at 22+ mph I could probably get hurt, so I just pedalled harder to see if I could hit 25!!

Actually, that's when I try for 30.

I've got a rather high guts/brains ratio.

[KSH]

Yea, I get what you are talking about when you say "spinning " now.

Here is my issue with it... and it's something that someone mentioned... you feel like your legs are going NUTS but you are going NOWHERE (? spelling).

Unfortunately, I power through hills and all that.

Which has equally hurt knees.

So, yea... I am going to have to spin my legs like crazy... get nowhere fast... in the lowest gear I have.. and see how it goes!

Thanks for all the descriptions! I get it ... even if I don't want to!

[aka_kim]

So, yea... I am going to have to spin my legs like crazy... get nowhere fast... in the lowest gear I have.. and see how it goes!

Well, not like crazy. I see newbies doing that a lot. Spin to the point where you feel some resistance, and you'll go somewhere, fast. You should not be bouncing in the saddle, and you shouldn't feel like your legs are spinning wildly.

[SadieKate]

Well, not like crazy. I see newbies doing that a lot. Spin to the point where you feel some resistance, and you'll go somewhere, fast. You should not be bouncing in the saddle, and you shouldn't feel like your legs are spinning wildly.

A buddy and I rode behind another couple for about 5 miles yesterday while the somewhat zoftig young lady exhibited this spinning skill. The two of us had a fit of the giggles watching her. She was burning a ton of energy and going nowhere, not to mention she was going to need an entire tube of chamois butter to get back on the bike the next day. Ow!

[nuthatch]

while the somewhat zoftig young lady exhibited this spinning skill.

I loved this word! Had to go look it up - it's great! I'm going to try to use it in a conversation tomorrow! Just trying to ward off dementia by improving my vocab...

[shewhobikes]

Nuthatch and Corsair, let's meet in, um, Arkansas? Where's the bermuda triangle where NM, ILL and AL gurls can converge and practice the magic spin thing?

Really, this is very helpful. I have a few group ride tomorrow at 6 p.m. and weather should be loverly. Now that I've got the clipless pedals almost dialed in, I'm going to recall this thread and see if I can focus on spinning comfortably in whatever situation I meet. This will be interesting, because while I know the folks, I've never been this route before, so, YES, there's always something fun and new to learn! Will post what happens. Even if I fall over at a stop sign. Cheerio,
Shew

[KSH]

Even if I fall over at a stop sign. Cheerio,

Hee-hee... that reminds me... I ALMOST fell over when I stopped once... but FINALLY I was quick enough to get the left foot done just in the nick of time!

That happened after I dropped my water bottle in the road (Mo was too generous and insisted on going back to get it for me... even though I was willing!)... and before my chain came loose and I had to get Angela to put it back on for me!

Yea... the ride was "epic".

[Pedal Wench]

Originally Posted by SadieKate
while the somewhat zoftig young lady exhibited this spinning skill.

I loved this word! Had to go look it up - it's great! I'm going to try to use it in a conversation tomorrow! Just trying to ward off dementia by improving my vocab...

Be careful, though. About 20 years ago, my father called me zoftig, using the literal 'healthy, strong' definition, and I STILL haven't gotten over it. What's pretty funny is that my mother, who witnessed it long ago, also remembered it too, when someone used the word when we were visiting this past weekend. So, be careful how you use it!

[SadieKate]

Our family never used it in any way but this:

Zoftig - "Full Bosomed; Sexy, Attractive." From the Yiddish "zaftiq," literally meaning "juicy," from the German "saftig."

[nuthatch]

So, be careful how you use it!

I'll talk about a movie star - Pamela Anderson or someone. That'll be safe!!! I like that German "juicy" connection, like "apfelsaft" or something. Thanks for the tip!!

Nuthatch and Corsair, let's meet in, um, Arkansas? Where's the bermuda triangle where NM, ILL and AL gurls can converge and practice the magic spin thing?

Shew, I'm going to have to start riding towards Arkansas pretty soon because I can't afford the pickin' gas to drive there! Maybe MomonBike will let me come along on her Minnesota to Nebraska trip and I can just veer over towards Arkansas at the appropriate time...

[Biking Chick]

Shew, I'm going to have to start riding towards Arkansas pretty soon because I can't afford the pickin' gas to drive there! Maybe MomonBike will let me come along on her Minnesota to Nebraska trip and I can just veer over towards Arkansas at the appropriate time...

With the winds we've been having you can practice spinning with a heck of a tail wind and make it all the way to Arkansas ... just make sure you have SAG for a ride back!

While the sun is finally out from behind the clouds I went out today dressed in amfib tights, under armour top, Gill jacket, long fingered gloves ... ah yes - the change of seasons here in the upper midwest

But back to biking ... I'm looking forward to the knees to the handlebars scraping mud off your shoe technique; if I can visualize it I'm more apt to be able to make it a habit/part of my routine. Case in point - when I pedal I subconsciously think 'circles'. I read somewhere that one of the biggest mistakes new cyclists make is to pedal in a 'square' - forward, down, back, up, forward. Hard on the knees and very inefficient. By thinking in circles you create a smooth pattern rather than the jerky square one.

A couple of weeks ago I had Iris (mountain bike) out for the first time this year and rode our nature trail two days in a row. Within 10 minutes of being on my road bike on my next ride, my knee began to bother me to the point I thought I as going to have to stop and have DH adjust the position of my saddle. After watching my pedal stroke for a few moments he said that there was nothing wrong with the seat position but I did not look as if I was not pedaling very smoothly. Long story short - by concentrating on the circles the pain went away.

My biking tip for the day

[MomOnBike]

Maybe MomonBike will let me come along on her Minnesota to Nebraska trip and I can just veer over towards Arkansas at the appropriate time...

Sure, come along! You'll probably get drafted to help move my daughter's Stuff, but if you think of it as cross-training, you'll work twice as hard. Then we can ride.

And I just might get "lost" and wind up in Arkansas. I don't always have the best of control over where my bikes take me. (I swear, it's the bikes, I'm not that irresponsible.)