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Old May 29th 04, 05:47 PM
S o r n i
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Default A not so great biking day.....(kinda long)

Roger Zoul wrote: {it /is/ kinda long but very entertaining...for us!}

Well, Thursday I had cleats put in my shoes and I switched over to
clipless pedals.

I spent an hour or more on the trainer at the LBS getting used to
locking in/out. The hot lady who works there adjusted the tension so
that they were pretty easy to lock in/out -- which seemd to be what I
needed at the time. I got home, moved the bike out of the garage,
locked in the left foot, then nearly fell to my left. I managed to
catch myself. I got on the bike and rode around my small subdivision
a bit while practicing locking in / locking out.. No real problems
until once I got to a stop while a car was going by...I felt
unsure....

So yesterday I did about 6 miles around my neighborhood, hitting a
few hard hills. Practiced locking in / locking out while riding --
over and over. Didn't really stop, though. No problems. I found
that working the cleats in / out of the pedals on a real bike ride is
much easier than doing so on a trainer. I felt good about it...

That brings the story to today, my first real day of bicycling shame,
I might add. I was planning to do 45 to 50 miles, depending on how I
felt. So, I left out at first light, got through the first red light
fine -- had to stop...locked out right foot...no problems...Got to
the place where I meet my riding buddy about 4 miles from my house --
he's there ready and waiting....so I lock out my right foot...sort
coast up to him to chat a bit. Get my right foot to the ground.
Bamn! Fell to the left (while talking to him) while left foot is
locked in (Pat suggested I lock out both feet but I forgot)...there
was a slight incline near the road edge so that my right side was
lower then my left...on the fall I twisted the saddle, and knocked
off some of the seat material -- I guess a new saddle is in my
distant future. Messed up the rear brakes enough that the rear tire
didn't roll freely. Fixed all of that...

Everything was great for the next 16 miles or so, in fact, it seemed
like my speed was up, though I was pushing it a bit since I had
birthday cake last night and wanted to burn it off....at mile 20...I
was coming to a stop to meet my riding buddy, who got there ahead of
me (he weighs 60 lbs less than I do)...so this time I lock out both
feet as I only had maybe 30 yards to go to stop....Bamn! Fell to the
right. Turns out, my right foot had locked back in and I didn't even
know it! That was really embarrassing as I was talking to him and we
both knew the moment I was going down. It all happens in slow motion
it seems, even though once you start to go you can't do much about
it. Glad I had my helmet on as my head hit the pavement. Talk about
the inverted pendulum problem.

Anywho...at about 25 miles out along the route, I hear this
noise....had popped a spoke on the rear wheel. Dang -- I just had
popped a spoke on tuesday on that same wheel and had to have it
trued. Well, there I was with the wheel out of true again. I could
do nothing to get the spoke back in. Some out-of-town cyclist came by
to offer a hand...he was training for an Ironman event in Florida
(we're in SC)...there was nothing he could do so he wished my a good
walk home...I was looking at about 11 miles....not too bad but at 3
mph with a bike I was not looking forward to it. My buddy was
nowhere to be seen although he was to wait for me at a certain point
on the route since he didn't know where we were going today beyond
that point...so I released the rear brake and tried to ride with the
wheel out of true...it all seemed to be working, so I made a U-turn
in the middle of the road to head for the meet point. But, alas, the
rear wheel hung and --- what do you know --- bamn! I was on the
friggin pavement again! This time I felt a bit defeated. So I just
started hoofing it home. Luckily, after about 4 miles a kindly old
fellow and his wife stopped to ask how far of I walk I had...I told
them 9 miles...I did the math wrong..it was only about 7 miles...but
anyway, the fellow was cyclist...81 years old...had a bike rack on
his other car....so he went home and came back, hitched up my bike,
and drove me home....finally (after calling my riding buddies to see
if he made it back), I hurried to the LBS where the hot lady (who
sold me my bike) managed to rush my bike back so I can get it back by
3pm (hopefully, that was nice of her to try, huh?). I discovered that
my left palm is all swollen, too. Must be from one of those
falls....

Comments on how to avoid any more spills and what to do with a popped
spoke and an untrued wheel on a ride would be much appreciated.
Somehow, I feel a bit unsure if myself now....damn!


Some day you'll look back on this and laugh. {Pause for cursing to
commence.}

Sorry you had such a rough time of it out there; at least no serious injury
or bike damage.

Sounds like you'll get the hang of the clipless thing pretty soon (pain is a
great motivator in that regard). As for the wheel, it's possible you
damaged the spoke in the falls and close calls, but you may want to consider
having it rebuilt anyway since you'd broken a different spoke quite
recently. Ask the LBS?

Some people carry those kevlar (?) emergency spokes, but I would have done
what you did (open brakes and try to ride -- maybe even remove them if
necessary -- possibly trying to true the wheel, too, although I'd be afraid
that I'd screw up the spoke tension too much).

One last thought about the pedals/cleats: check your shoes to make sure no
rubber sole material is interfering with engagement (and more imp.
DISengagement!); and tighten the screws to ensure no cleat movement (sure
death!).

Bill "was planning a ride but maybe yoga safer?!?" S.


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