A great ride

"Doug" wrote ...

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Just over a year ago I took up riding to better my health.
This year I

plan

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to do longer rides as the season progresses. Today I took
part in the 2004 tour de cure to support the American
Diabetes Association. I rode the 62.5 mile course. While
this isn't my first time participating in a large ride
like, it is my first time in a group ride. I have read
about drafting,

today

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was my first experiance on the rode with it! What a
cool effect.

It took my about 3.5 hours to complete. not sure if thats
fast or slow... Some that passed me made me feel like I
was standing still!

62.5 miles /3.5 hrs = 17.8 mph. Sounds respectable to me.
The folks that made you feel like you were standing still
probably took up cycling a lot more than a year ago.

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Anyway - after about 30 miles I began to experiance a
burning sensation in my left foot. I'd guess it has
something to do with the cleat placement. I've put the
cleat as far forward as it will go, but it still doesn't
seem right. could it be that it's too far back? would a
different in-sole help?

There are insoles that do a better job of supporting your
foot than the typical bicycle shoe insole. Bike shops, and
stores that sell running and hiking shoes sell these.

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Another thing that I found was that two spokes loosed
themselves to the point where the wheel was rubbing. Would
improper spoke tension cause

this?

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Improper/uneven spoke tension will allow the spokes to get
looser and looser, causing the wheel to go out of true. A
good bike shop can fix this, or you can buy a spoke wrench
and play with it yourself. If you really get interested in
truing or building your own wheels, "The Bicycle Wheel" by
Jobst Brandt is an excellent reference. Some of the regulars
on rec.bicycles.tech are also an excellent source of
information.
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mark