Ok ... ive had the week from hell this week. My new dawes horizon has
patiently waiting for me in the garage, ready to ride.
So, today I went through last years adi specials I bought (in
anticipation of me getting riding again .... its taken me some time!)
looking for something to fit into ... I had a jacket, 2 tops and 2 pairs
of cycling shorts. None of it fits although the cycling shorts are
extremely forgiving and stretch a long way so they went on underneath a
pair of ordinary track suit bottoms ... then its tshirt and tracksuit
top as its not too warm out there.
So, gets the bike out of the garage - a fiddle with the front mudguard
as it was too close to the one side of the wheel (must have happened
when I shoe-horned it into the car to take back home from the shop) and
I gets on my way.
First sit on the saddle I get a fairly sharp pain, then again - I move
around a bit trying to find my sit bones through my flabby backside and
must have as it become far more comfortable ... the seats v narrow and
reasonably firm with a little gel give but not much - just about right I
think once I become accustomed, we'll see.
After a few hundred metres I think to myself, seats go to go up another
inch, maybe two but it wasnt causing me any grief and its initial
leisurely ride so carry on (not bothering with tools or anything as
staying close to home) - I then work out how to change gears as first
time with brakes that also change gears with a button on the side thing
that changes them back, works really well - very impressed with those.
Not only impressed with gears but how smooth it feels compared to my
previously cheap and cheerfuls. The gears change without fuss and are
quiet, none of the rattle I was accustomed to, if I change main ring up
or down you do get the odd rustle. It felt odd riding along in almost
silence.
So, off to my moms which is about a mile and a bit away and a fair bit
of the way up a slow climb which didnt turn out to be all that bad with
the gears I had went up it fairly easily. Stayed for a drink and to
catch my breath (remember, im 20+ stone and coming into this fitness
malarky from a loooong lay off) and then back home.
I took the long way home - had my first driver almost drive out in front
of me as she decided to turn right, across my path where I was on the
main road - I shouted stop just as she started to move and luckily her
window was open and she hit the brakes - I would have ended up on the
bonnet as I was going a fair rate of knots and wouldnt have slowed much
before I hit her. Then it'd be one of those smidsy moments!
I then went up a hill that I couldnt do even on granny ring as I had
started to flag a bit by then so walked the last half of it.
Anyway, my total ride was 3.5 - 4 miles approx - nothing at all really
but a major first step for me .... and on top of it all I enjoyed it,
now looking forward to next weekends ride.