Thursday, February 16, 2006

2/15/2006 Bicycling: Adjustments & Issues

Once I get all of the little kinks and issues worked out on this new bike it will be a fantastic ride. I have moments of pure bliss hammering down on that bike, but right now I've been plagued by small problems that has kept me from getting a completely enjoyable ride. I caught a break in the weather yesterday, well more than a break. It was a beautiful 55 degrees and sunny out. It was the kind of day that I'm usually begging for, by mid-February.

I was planning a nice long ride to Milford and then on to the bike path for a while. It has been a long time since I've been on the bike path and I was really looking forward to it. The ride overall was mostly flat with some rolling hills. It is a great ride to get comfortable on the aerobars and just roll. Unfortunately in my haste to get out the door and on the road I did not thoroughly check my tire pressure. I was so caught up in other issues with the derailleur and rear brakes that I skipped one of the most important steps in getting ready to ride. I will not be making that mistake again.

The derailleur and brake issues continue and now compounded by a flat tire. A flat tire that I got 13 miles into the ride. 13 miles from the house. It was a flat tire that I caused as well. I get to the bike path and see another guy getting ready to ride, so I asked if he had a bike pump I could borrow. He was nice enough to do so, so I started pumping. I didn't overinflate, but for some reason I blew out the valve and the tire went flat immediately. That was it, end of the ride.

I ended up walking back about 2 1/2 miles while I waited for my wife to come get me. So it wasn't exactly an excellent riding day. On the other hand it was a beautiful sunny day and I was outside. All things considered, still a great day.

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