Well, here it is.......
We got me a road bike. Figured it was about time. All my big talk about the Tour de France and I don't even ride. Can you say, "Wannabe"? Plus, why let Huzbend have all the fun?
I was sooooo nervous when I test rode it outside of the store. This is not your average bike. Nothin' at all like a mountain bike, and nothin' like your everday average 10 speed.
This things got ballz. You can feel it. She's just waiting for you to take off at light speed. This bike was built to go FAST.
It's been a long time since I rode a bike. I had a bike accident back in high school that scarred me for life. I was riding my bike around the neighborhood when me and a friend spotted a marsh fire in the distance. We decided to check it out. I began to pedal very fast while standing up and the chain came off my bike. My feet slipped off the pedals and I implanted myself on the bar. It hurt. A LOT. I had to go to the hospital because I was bleeding and passed out. Since that day, I have NEVER trusted a bike again. I am always wary that the chain will come off at the wrong moment.
So, understandably, I was a bit wobbly when I got on it the first time. I actually had to get a rolling start by pushing off the curb. What a loser I am. I was scared. Of a bike. It was awkward and I kept saying to myself, "I'm never gonna ride this thing. Why am I doing this?" I felt like such a chicken shit.
It's a good thing Huzbend convinced me to give it a second chance. I felt much more comfortable. I was changing gears and getting up to speed. I was sold. We bought the bike. Ka-ching! We bought me some biking shorts. Ka-ching! We bought me some cycling gloves. Ka-ching! We bought me some cycling click-in pedals w/ shoes. Dammmmmnnnn. This stuff adds up.
So, Bella, as I like to call her, is set up in our gym on Huzbend's indoor trainer. I've been doing these DVD workouts called "Spinervals" with a dude named Coach Troy. Man, he kicks my ass EVERY time. The cool thing with the click-in pedals/shoes are that you can push down AND pull up on every spin. Makes for twice the workout that way. My legs are screaming when I'm done.
Another super-awesome thing is, with the click-in shoes, my feet will NEVER slip off the pedals. They are stuck there, no matter what.
Okay. That said, here is the downside to the click-in shoes. You gotta be able to click out when you want to. This takes a lot of practice. While this does not pose a problem indoors on a trainer where I can take my time pulling out of them, it's a whole different story on the road. It's almost guaranteed there are going to be many, and I mean MANY, times when I can't get my feet out and fall over sideways. How embarrassing. Everyone will know for sure that I am the ultimate cycling noob.
The plan is to take Katie for rides next spring. Huzbend will pull her along in a baby carrier and I can follow on my bike. We can do family picnics and stuff. There are a lot of bike trails around here. I'm excited about that.
After that, I will compete in and win the 2007 Tour de France.
But seriously, folks, the ultimate goal for me is to just get out on the road and ride. That, in itself, will be an accomplishment.
