I have been biking more this week. I have been learning about bike riding too. Now I have ridden before, but not much more than kids riding through the neighborhood.
Sunday I went with a friend on a bike ride. This friend has been riding bikes since he was knee high. I felt privileged to go with this person. He allowed me to set the pace and the mileage. Thanks!! I was hoping to go about 6-7 miles and we may have gone about 6. We rode at a nearby park and street bike route. The people in that part of town are used to seeing bicyclist and there are several bike lanes.
I finally had the opportunity to ride with someone who knew what they were doing and tap their expertise. I lock my elbows, so I guess that's why shoulders hurt the day after a ride. This bike is also too small for me. Even if I were to raise the seat it's still too small a frame for me. I bought this bike several years ago at the UT Bike Auction for $1.
Later that day we went shopping for bicycling shoes and new pedals. With the eventual goal still to do a triathlon one day, this is a good time for me to begin learning how to do what some call push pull. With clipless pedals you can push down on the pedal and then pull up so you are getting more forward movement. I found shoes and pedals on sale at decent prices. I decided to give the clipless pedals a try. My friend put the pedals on his bike and then put his bike on a trainer so I could get some experience putting my foot in the pedal. It takes some getting used to.
Monday I decided to venture out on my own to get some practice with the new pedals and new shoes. I had to get help taking the rusty pedals off my bike and then putting the new ones on. I went around the trailer park all geared up with my helmet, gloves and bicycling shoes. (These shoes are far from stylish!!) I did alright, until I got to the intersection and had to stop. There was nothing for me to hold on to. It was almost like a cartoon strip, a fall in slow motion and I felt like there was nothing I could do to break the fall. I got a nice piece of road rash on the knee and a colorful imprint of a pedal on my leg. I took this virgin voyage around the trailer park knowing that if I fell someone would see me and call 911.
Thursday I met another friend at a local park and we went for a bike ride. It's been about 3 years since I've been to this park. I remembered it being a paved path. Once we got there it all came back to me. I think this park is around the Onion Creek. The trail took us over the creek river bed, down the creek bed and back up the creek bed and over tree roots. I felt the sense of adventure. Ahh the fresh air. The feeling of the air in your face and the success of riding over the tree roots. I also caught myself thinking, "You are going to lose some skin Today!!" AHHHHH!! I felt like screaming. Both like a little kid doing something new and fun and OMG I'm so scared!! This trail was more of a challenge than I was up for on the new pedals. I found myself stopping in the middle of a hill and having trouble starting again. I kept telling the friend I was with that I felt like a "girly girl". I'm not often that "girly girl" but I sure tapped that spirit during this ride. I am glad we did it. It's a park that's gotten popular since I was last there. I did fall once, going up the river bed. I tried to come up off the saddle and fell. Since the bike is too small for me I don't have as much control when I do that. Some how I didn't lose any skin.
After I returned home I had a friend help me take the pedals off. (Because I store my bike outside I will be taking the pedals off after every ride.) As I was stepping off his porch I fell and bit the dust. That's when I lost the skin. A big chunk from the tip of my big toe and the other knee. The toe has been the hardest piece to loose. I ran in a local race on Saturday and that part of the foot hits the shoe with every step. I wore a callus cushion around the chunk of missing skin to cushion the wound.
About a year ago I met a runner who said, "I'm a road runner, not a trail runner." I've taken that and morphed it to, "I'm a road rider, not a trail rider." Maybe someday I'll venture out on the rough trails again, but not any time soon.
Right now I cannot afford a new bike. I've been talking to Dad about taking a bike he might have stored among his piles. The way he describes it, the bike is too tall. I'll see Dad next week and we'll see if he has a bike that's a good fit for me, or even a better fit. If not there are other options.
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