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Tuesday, March 27, 2007
We had a delicious ride tonight, the kind you can only have with people you've ridden a lot with and have a genuine compatibility with. I led us out of town and over the Kirby overpass, but whne the light turned yellow, I was the one who stopped... and after that I got to be pulled and just sit back and enjoy the view. Okay, whilst pedaling my bazoongas off.
We'd cruised to teh "if we go the extra mile we're going to have to ride faster" point and went the extra mile, then turned into the 10mph wind, just enough to get me to that "ya know, even drafting, I'm not sure I can keep this up."
And ten seconds later, that sweet anticipation because I remember what happens when I think that. That's exactly the pace that I *can* keep up and it feel soooo good. Okay, every time the pace slowed down a hair I just slowed down - none of this "I'll take a turn" silliness. Hey, nobody else did, either.
We paused for a breather about 2/3 of the distance... and I started out in the lead but then this one-legged rider goes haulin' past me. Switches legs and he's still a-cruisin' :) I called out he needed to tie one hand behind his back, too, and he said "then how will I switch into a higher gear???"
Spring is here :)
Then we got back into town and I got to lead 'cause it was getting dark and my lights the brightest.
there was something about it that reminded me of realizing at Christmas, doing music, that I follow so fast people think I'm leading... and that sometimes leads to confusion. Today it was nice to ... I don't know, it was sort of a blend of following fast and leading slowly and somehow pretty much being in the right place.
Then there was the commute home and another one of those "that was boring, but probably becasue I have good ears and experience." I'm on the Trek with "just" headlight and rear christmas lights & blinkie... no spoke lights. Twice I inferred from the way cars stopped that they dind't perceive me, and I slowed accordingly, and twice they started forward, slowed a bit (when they saw me?), then went on anyway 'cause we weren't *that* close. Almost non-events... but I think this is exactly the kind of often mis-called "reflexes" that people develop driving, forget they developed, and then feel scared during that transition period on a bicycle.
We'd cruised to teh "if we go the extra mile we're going to have to ride faster" point and went the extra mile, then turned into the 10mph wind, just enough to get me to that "ya know, even drafting, I'm not sure I can keep this up."
And ten seconds later, that sweet anticipation because I remember what happens when I think that. That's exactly the pace that I *can* keep up and it feel soooo good. Okay, every time the pace slowed down a hair I just slowed down - none of this "I'll take a turn" silliness. Hey, nobody else did, either.
We paused for a breather about 2/3 of the distance... and I started out in the lead but then this one-legged rider goes haulin' past me. Switches legs and he's still a-cruisin' :) I called out he needed to tie one hand behind his back, too, and he said "then how will I switch into a higher gear???"
Spring is here :)
Then we got back into town and I got to lead 'cause it was getting dark and my lights the brightest.
there was something about it that reminded me of realizing at Christmas, doing music, that I follow so fast people think I'm leading... and that sometimes leads to confusion. Today it was nice to ... I don't know, it was sort of a blend of following fast and leading slowly and somehow pretty much being in the right place.
Then there was the commute home and another one of those "that was boring, but probably becasue I have good ears and experience." I'm on the Trek with "just" headlight and rear christmas lights & blinkie... no spoke lights. Twice I inferred from the way cars stopped that they dind't perceive me, and I slowed accordingly, and twice they started forward, slowed a bit (when they saw me?), then went on anyway 'cause we weren't *that* close. Almost non-events... but I think this is exactly the kind of often mis-called "reflexes" that people develop driving, forget they developed, and then feel scared during that transition period on a bicycle.
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You seem to get a lot of flats, which may be the result of the environment you ride in. I read a tip years ago you may know. Dusting the tubes with baby powder or some equivalent helps reduce the friction between tubes and tires. In 2700 road miles last year I had one flat from a leaking valve I knew about. Holding the valves, Presta especially, as still as possible during inflation helps prevent that too.
The helmet? in your photo doesn't look terribly aerodynamic, but it's interesting.
The helmet? in your photo doesn't look terribly aerodynamic, but it's interesting.
I don't usually get a lot of flats - but a bottle got busted out by my driveway and I think the fragments are attracted to my tires.
THe real correlation is that I don't get many flats... until my tires get old. Enough miles and they get old faster.
The helmet?
Last summer I went into the shop for something and Fritz asked if he could see my helmet. As somebody did whatever to whatever, I stepped around the corner and he was applying this pigsnout to it. Seems they'd been cleaning out the back of the warehouse and it erupted, and the consensus was that "Sue would wear it!" Now I think fond thoughts of memories of Fritz when I see it.
Whenever I have worn it for the commute - twice - drivers have climbed over curbs or swerved alarmingly. I suspect it's a little *too* weird for that. It goes to fairgrounds and parades and big group rides and has a good time.
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THe real correlation is that I don't get many flats... until my tires get old. Enough miles and they get old faster.
The helmet?
Last summer I went into the shop for something and Fritz asked if he could see my helmet. As somebody did whatever to whatever, I stepped around the corner and he was applying this pigsnout to it. Seems they'd been cleaning out the back of the warehouse and it erupted, and the consensus was that "Sue would wear it!" Now I think fond thoughts of memories of Fritz when I see it.
Whenever I have worn it for the commute - twice - drivers have climbed over curbs or swerved alarmingly. I suspect it's a little *too* weird for that. It goes to fairgrounds and parades and big group rides and has a good time.
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