New Bike
Well, nobody will be able to accuse me of having everything done in plenty of time, and not going down to the wire on important decisions. A few people will be telling me I'm nuts, on the other hand. I'd been waffling about whether I needed a new bike for this trip, and each time I would convince myself that the bike I have is fine; it's comfortable, it's strong enough for extra loads, I'm used to it etc. etc.
However, I was getting frustrated by riding with people with better, faster bikes who "kicked my butt" without seeming to have to expend any more energy. Of course, riding while I had a cold didn't help, but I was tired of puffing to keep up. Soooo, my husband and I travelled to Guelph on the evening of May 31st, to Winterborne Bicycles where I had gone to take a bicycle repair course, and I got measured up for a custom built bicycle. Jay Filer will be working long hours to get the bike built on time; I'll be lucky if I even see it before the day we leave for the west coast, which we expect will be June 14th. With a totally different configuration, I'm taking a chance that I'll find it comfortable over a long day; I'm used to sitting upright because of a back problem. The new bike has drop bars, and I'll be stretched out somewhat, but Jay assures me that I'm ready for the upgrade. My spin classes all winter should have brought me to a level of fitness where my abs and arms can take some strain off my back. Sure hope he's right! I guess I'll be going on practice rides every day en route, perhaps before breakfast.
At this point, I'm thinking I will likely take along my old bike as well as the new one, in case I don't adapt as quickly as I'd like. I guess that's an advantage of having my own vehicle along as back up. It will be a bit of a nuisance when we want to get into the back of the van, so we'll have to weigh the pros and cons. Maybe if the new bike arrives soon enough, I'll be able to test it a few times before we leave, and make the final decision then.
Now, all I have to do is decide on colour, and tire size...
However, I was getting frustrated by riding with people with better, faster bikes who "kicked my butt" without seeming to have to expend any more energy. Of course, riding while I had a cold didn't help, but I was tired of puffing to keep up. Soooo, my husband and I travelled to Guelph on the evening of May 31st, to Winterborne Bicycles where I had gone to take a bicycle repair course, and I got measured up for a custom built bicycle. Jay Filer will be working long hours to get the bike built on time; I'll be lucky if I even see it before the day we leave for the west coast, which we expect will be June 14th. With a totally different configuration, I'm taking a chance that I'll find it comfortable over a long day; I'm used to sitting upright because of a back problem. The new bike has drop bars, and I'll be stretched out somewhat, but Jay assures me that I'm ready for the upgrade. My spin classes all winter should have brought me to a level of fitness where my abs and arms can take some strain off my back. Sure hope he's right! I guess I'll be going on practice rides every day en route, perhaps before breakfast.
At this point, I'm thinking I will likely take along my old bike as well as the new one, in case I don't adapt as quickly as I'd like. I guess that's an advantage of having my own vehicle along as back up. It will be a bit of a nuisance when we want to get into the back of the van, so we'll have to weigh the pros and cons. Maybe if the new bike arrives soon enough, I'll be able to test it a few times before we leave, and make the final decision then.
Now, all I have to do is decide on colour, and tire size...
posted by BikingBabe at 2:28 AM
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