My CL Score

[murielalex]

I didn't want to start a new thread with my news, so decided here was as good a place as any.

I'm getting my cast off on Friday! I haven't been on a bike since I injured myself November 8th, and although I don't know when I can start riding again, I've already scheduled a fitting for the Calfee next Wed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can make it work. That would be a great Christmas present!

On another good, but not as fun front, while laid up, my denial re my ankle injury and what I need to do became pretty evident. I've already a permanent handicap plate on my car due to the original injury (shattered in car wreck in '82), but the MRI from this injury confirmed that I have no cartilage at all left, a collection of bone spurs sprouting, and the joint is basically not a happy one. I've been happily lugging around an extra 30-50 pounds, depending what folks might consider overweight, but other than wishing I could have some mild body image issues to inspire me to shed some poundage, I rather liked the way I look, and have done nothing about it, and all the cycling and weight training I was doing didn't change a thing with my menopausal metabolism and my love of big food getting in the way. I always joked with my friends that I was the fittest fat person I know. Anyway, I'm in Go Mode with health plans. I've already lost 15 pounds and haven't cheated once on my diet plan, even through the holiday parties and office goodies everywhere. I got a new cast (purple to replace pink) about two weeks ago, and doc gave permission to start up working out, and am back with my trainer now three days a week. I'm nervous I won't be able to put the weight on my ankle once the cast if off, but if I can fit cycling shoes on, I'll start on slow on my trainer and take it from there. New bike, new year, new skinny me. Might have to start trying out hills to ride

[zoom-zoom]

*whistles* SO nice!!!

[murielalex]

So, it's been a few weeks, but I'm finally out of my cast, and got the bike fitted, and it's fine. As I suspected, it is a tad too big, so had to lower the seat slightly more than I would have liked, and had to go with an 80 stem, but it fits perfectly. I switched out the wheels from my other bike, and it rides uber smooth. I'm recovering slowly from my ankle injury, and have only gotten in a few slow miles in the easiest gear possible, but now I have real motivation. I'm seriously in love with this bike. Now, to just drop those extra 20 pounds this pic reminds me I need to lose

[emily_in_nc]

Awesome! The bike is beautiful, and so are you! Good luck with your fitness goals, and be very proud of what you have already accomplished!

[murielalex]

Just had my maiden voyage on my new baby. Fit appears to be perfect. I'm still recovering from my injury, so only did 23 very slow miles, and it was raining the whole way, but I can already tell, I'm going to love this bike. It's such a different feel from my Gunnar, which I also love. I sorta feel I have my workhorse and my thoroughbred.

The best decision I made was to go from 40 to 38 handlebars. My whole upper body just relaxed, whereas before, I was always pulling my hands back toward me on the bars to get a slightly narrower, comfy position or turning my wrists in, which was causing pressure on my ulnar nerve, and getting some numbness. I've had three fitters wanting to shorten my stem on my Gunnar (was shortened once), saying it was my reach, but it took me 2,000 miles of riding to figure out it had nothing to do with reach. I switched the bars on my Gunnar as well, put back my original, longer stem, and took it for a short spin as well. Same results. My hands/arms just land where they are supposed to, for lack of a better way of phrasing it. I'm really happy.

I'm also liking the shifters and hoods of this older Dura Ace 9-sp. They fit my smaller hands so much better, though the Ultegra doesn't really pose problems.

Anyway, I can't wait to get out again tomorrow. Hope the weather is a bit nicer.