It’s been a while since I’ve ridden my road bike, so I got it out both yesterday and today to see if I remembered how it worked. Both trips were successful, but I learned that my body is not used to that bike or that kind of riding.
Right out of the gate, I remembered how I used to always wear padded biking shorts on this saddle, and decided to revive the practice. On this bike, I tend to ride faster and pedal harder, but on day one I found that I went too fast and too far, and each time I stopped I found myself a little dizzy. Could also be because of my lack of riding in the past couple of years or my general lack of fitness, but I’m going to blame the bike.
My everyday bike is a 1997 Trek 820 mountain bike – no shocks. I’ve replaced the knobby tires with a street model that has a little traction for cornering and a low friction bead in the center. I pump them up pretty tight and they provide a fast, smooth trip. The saddle has a little bit of padding (Nashbar bargin) and a slot in the middle to protect the tender bits. Top it off with padded grip shifters, and I’ve got a pretty good ride. It even handles frieght with a strong cargo rack in the back and my wide array of panniers and bungees.
My road machine is also a Trek, but this one a mid-2000s Pilot 1.0. Except for the slightly upright postion, it is all road bike. I used it on my now famous 2 1/2 daysof RAGBRAI in 2007, and it served me well (except for the saddle sores). However, I need to get used to the seat and position, and maybe adjust for my slightly heavier physique.
Anyway, enough about me, the scenery along the Wabash River was lovely as always. Plenty of birds singing and flying about, and not many motorized vehicles to spoil the tranquility. Here are some pics:
Wabash River on a Cloudy Day
Lonley Bike on Granville Bridge
Future Totem Pole? (I hope so)
Bike Lane Needs a Little Trim
Mud Slide into the Wabash
Wrong Way, Feldman!
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