It's the first of May (NSFW for language), my eighth wedding anniversary, and the start of National Bike Month. Whoo hoo! I've signed up for the WABA-sponsored Bike to Work Day -- yay, free food and swag en route to work -- and am anxiously awaiting to see what activities the fitness center at work will provide on May 18.
In other news, I -- well, the staff at my LBS -- have made some upgrades to Circe and Lily. Circe got a new stem Friday afternoon and that change has made my road bike so much easier to ride. My hands usually went numb a few miles into a ride; on Saturday, I completed a thirty-two mile ride with no numbness or discomfort. I even felt comfortable enough to ride in the drops a few times and I didn't feel like I would take a header over the handlebar. The new stem has me riding in a slightly higher position which is a lot more comfortable on my overdeveloped ab and my back. As my core strength improves, I'll probably go back to the shorter stem.
Lily got a thorough bath on Sunday. And I do mean thorough. It was a two and a half hour ordeal, but I got every bit of road grime off the frame and out of the cogs and sprockets. Her rims, cassette, chain wheel, and chain practically sparkle. She's not showroom clean, but she's the cleanest I've seen her since taking possession. Unfortunately, when I put her in the two highest/hardest gears, there was some grinding in the chain wheel. I could have monkeyed with the front derailleur, but I let the professionals handle that and I had the mechanic change out the spiky pedals for the combo platform/spds I purchased a few weeks ago. It's going to take a little getting used to riding with pedals that aren't grippy, but I'm happy to have the option of riding clipless while commuting.
I am excited for bike to work day as well. This will be my first time participating. I don't live close to my work, so I never thought about biking, but I recently got a folding bike that's easy to keep in my car. So I can drive to where the bike path picks up, which is a reasonable riding distance too, and then start my bike commute. I'm hoping it works out, since I don't really like driving into the city anyway.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you've found a way to cycle to work! I hope it goes well for you. :)
DeleteThis will be my first year participating in Bike to Work Day. I wound up telecommuting last year. Heh.
Isn't it amazing what seemingly small changes do to a bike? Raising the stem has been a godsend for me, and although I start out with hand problems, being too leaned over just creates even more problems. I'm glad that you were able to find a way to make it work better for you.
ReplyDeleteHappy May Day!
It really is, and thank goodness for that! I'm happy to hear that you found similar relief with a tweak to your ride.
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