srsly

to recap my cycling career: i started with a SS conversion almost two years ago. few months on that and i bought a fix which i’ve been riding to and from work since. only reason i mention it is to establish that i’m comfortable on a bike and i think i’ve ridden enough to have a good feel for things, and i’m not in the worst shape ever. also, when i start something i usually invest quite a bit right from the get go, i’m a buy it once kinda guy. my thinking is if i hate it, i got good gear so i can sell it and make most of my money back, or if i like it, i’m well equipped already. and when i like something i’m all in. i get obsessive, and i’m really liking cycling a lot more now.

i’d hung up the fix for the winter since i really like that bike and i didn’t want to ride steel in the rain and ruin it (yes i treated it but that didn’t make me feel better). spring broke early and my cousin had been telling me i should get a road bike for quite a while. i decided it was time for gears and it’s been a little over a month since i got my first real road bike, 2006 Felt F65, and i’ve been riding the hell out of it all month. the first week i rode it every day as hard as i could until i just couldn’t ride anymore. i gave it a rest for a day or two then got back on and felt a lot better. it’s hard to quantify what “better” means so i’ll leave it there for now. i ride it to and from work 3-4 times a week, 20mi round trip and 20-ish mile rec rides on weekends with the girlfriend. after doing this for three weeks i’ve noticed a few things.

1. first and foremost, water bottles are awesome. i’d been doing my commute for two weeks without a bottle since it would have had to go in the backpack and that’s just inconvenient.

2. i can hold a higher pace a lot longer and with less effort. being out of shape from winter it was kind of a struggle to hold 15mph over the 10 miles. now i’m holding about 17mph on flats and rollers (more on hills in a minute) without getting winded too bad.

3. i am not a climber, not at all, not yet anyway. here’s the big hill i have to deal with every day.

http://www.toporoute.com/cgi-bin/getSavedRoute.cgi?routeKey=KUJLYVHQGLYKUMM

(hit the elevation button. i tried to get the elevation image but it was giving me something else)
i know this may not be a big deal to some cyclists but really, i’m not a climber. when i first started my commute this hill kicked my ass. i’d be huffin in my granny gear thinking i could walk up it faster. now i’m able to get up it fairly quickly and i’m not completely beat at the top. and man is it fun to go down either way my top down the long side (southbound) is only 31, i just can’t pedal any harder. it’s fun to keep up with cars.

4. fit is everything. right from the shop, eyeball adjustments, this thing feels good. after a few weeks with little adjustments here and there it’s feeling a lot better. this morning made a slight adjustment in the tilt of my bars and i was a heck of a lot more comfortable. it’s not perfect but we’re getting there. it’s really convincing me that i need to go get it fitted sooner rather than later (no the purchase didn’t come with a fit )

5. i’m starting to feel circles. after reading a bunch of threads on bikeforums about pedal technique i’ve been trying to do a few of the exercises on my way to work and i think they’re starting to take hold. i don’t know if this will make sense to anyone else but i really felt it in my quads, knees, and ankles. these three parts seemed to be all aligned right or something, but my pedal stroke was feeling a lot smoother and less hammery/jerky.

my only complaint so far seems to be my saddle. it’s not horrible but i don’t have that “i hardly notice” it feeling. after a fit and a better ventilated helmet that’s my next purchase. all of this is coming together for a very good cycling experience for me. i didn’t get into it for racing, though i may try that one of these days. there’s just something about cycling that clicks with me. my girlfriend got into it because of me and now it’s something we do together, which is awesome. seattle is a great town to do this in as well. in and around the city there are tons of places you can go, as well as places you can drive to that aren’t terribly far away. it’s just nice to have a hobby that has great tangible benefits. ok i’m done rambling now, just thought i’d share .