I got on my new-to-me beautiful bicycle yesterday for my first pedaling foray into the outside. Awesome! Now, I had bought this bike (a really nice Litespeed w/ Dura-Ace (did I spell that right?) components) late in the season last year, and bought it for a SONG. I had ridden it maybe once or twice, but was under the weather or ill or tired or something, and never did have the opportunity to really ride the thing. I also had it up on the trainer a time or two this winter, but that doesn't really give a great indication of what the bike is like. Anyhow, yesterday Tom and I went out for (my) inaugural ride and WOW! do I love this bike or what?!? Perfect size, light as a feather, smooth smooth smooth in steering, shifting and everything else. This was not any kind of power ride, but more of a 17 mile ride around town, exploring bike paths and other unknown roads, just to get my feet wet. I am so impressed by this bike, and feel really lucky to have it. Last year I replaced the crank set because the thing was just geared way too high for me, and this new one seems much better (though I know I will long for yet another 5 or 6 granny gears once I start hitting some of the mountain roads around here -- I'll get over it, though). Plus, I road the whole ride with nary a touch of back pain, which is stellar so early in the season. In the past I have had to take it very slow indeed the first 3-4 times out, or I'd be all gimped up with the back. This year, this bike? Nada!
The new Sidi shoes fit very well and I'm very pleased with those, too. I hooked up Gary to the bike, along with the cadence sensor and handlebar mount, and that worked very well. I think the cadence sensor will help me A LOT with many of my biking problems. Tom, who knows these things, is always telling me that I am in too hard of a gear, and should shift up and have a higher cadence. I never really knew what to make of this or how to apply it to my riding style, but the sensor puts it into black and white and takes the wondering right out of it. So we'll see what kind of change this will have. I've got to figure out if there's a way to set the Garmin to recognize cadence zones, the way it does for heart rate zones. I'm sure the thing would be beeping *all the time*, but it would certainly send the message!
I've named the bike The Snake, 'cause it's just so smooooth, and kinda slithery, in a good way.
1 comment:
Woo hoo for the new bike!!! So glad you like it so much. It is amazing how great a good bike feels.
I didn't have a cadence sensor on my bike until I started riding indoors. I was definitely pushing big gears at a low cadence on my first few rides outside this year, just like I did at the end of last year. Yesterday I focused on being in a gear that I could maintain 90 rpm on (but still push a bit) and it is amazing the difference it made.
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