Cycling Update

I’ve not done so well with the cycling, but I’ve managed to keep my weekly average between 20-30 miles (except for last week when I only did 9 miles in a single ride). This week I’ve broken the 40 mile mark mainly due to some crazy riding yesterday.

I have a new bike which is almost complete. I still have moments where I wish I’d have gone with a Jake the Snake, but I couldn’t get one locally and wanted to buy something from a local shop. I ended up with a Giant TCX frame (aluminum with a carbon fork) that is built up with Shimano 105 and Ultegra components. It’s a much nicer bike than the Jake, but it doesn’t have the coolness factor that comes with a Kona bike. My main dislike is that the Jake came with everything I wanted o n the bike — pedals, cross top levers, etc. I’ve had to wait for parts to come in on the giant. That said it’s a great bike and I really enjoy riding it.

tcxframe.jpg

Yesterday I got the clipless pedals and a pair of shoes which makes riding much easier than with the platforms. My previous bike (which Sarah is now riding) had clips and straps and I had shoes/pedals on the bike before that. I really got a chance to realize how inefficient bare platforms can be over the past few weeks. Riding with shoes and pedals is a joy, and I didn’t kill myself like I thought I might after 12 years not using them.

Now I have to learn to track stand.