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I was cycling a bit last summer. 15 miles round trip to campus two or three times a week. I decided to try a triathlon sprint which required a non-recumbent, so I bought myself a nice lightweight carbon fiber bike. Revolution Bike and Bean put me in the right bike, a Specialized model. It climbs well, accelerates nicely, and has very smooth shifting. Riding this jetster seemed to fire my imagination about longer distances and more interesting rides. Between Labor Day when I got the bike and the end of the year I had hit the 500 mile mark.
I didn’t translate that enthusiasm to stationary bike work over the winter but even in January if there was a day in the 50’s I was out there. In the Spring, Cheryl Woodhouse-Keese, a climate rider from the previous year, gave a public talk about the ride and made it sound like a lot of fun. When I saw the custom Sycamore Landtrust jersey I was hooked.
I’ve ridden over 1,000 miles so far this year and I’ve climbed almost 50,000 feet. A typical ride these days is 24-30 miles and about 1,000-1,800 ft of climbing. I do that about 4 times a week. Today Team Sycamore did 28.
I’ve learned a few things, like managing pressure on the wrists by changing positions frequently, and better anticipating shifting. I’ve learned to stand up out of the saddle on the steepest hills, and how to downshift smoothly while doing so. I’m just getting into the distances where I have to worry about appropriate fuel and blood sugar levels.
Next up – push that “normal” ride out to 35 miles and once a week do something longer. Starting tomorrow morning.
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