Finally, the day I've been waiting for. It's been over a month since I got my road bike. I've been training for 6 months now. Today is the day. I'm going to take my bike out on the road for the first time. I've been riding it stationery on a trainer since I got it so today is the first day I get to actually RIDE it. Coach says we're supposed to bet in 100-200 base miles before the riding season starts in 2 weeks so I'm starting today.
My plan is to practice in the parking lot behind the strip mall close to my house. There is a bike shop in the mall and the guys there are really helpful so I should be close to assistance if I need it. I'll drive to the parking lot from my house because I've never had to mount the bike, dismount, start, stop or use the brakes.
So, I drive to the parking lot and walk around to the back of the van to get the bike out ....... and hit myself in the head with the back hatch. Ow! I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I already had my helmet on. Good thing because it protected my head. Bad thing because I'm pretty sure I hit my head because I misjudged the distance because I had the helmet on. I mostly just shoved my glasses into my face, so my nose is a little tender now, but no permanent damage.
Ok, ok. Now I have to get on the bike. I lay it over like the coach showed me and swing my leg over. Hurray! It worked. Uh,oh. I just remembered that coach said you should check the pressure in the tires at least once a week. I swing my let back the other way and get off the bike. Open the back hatch back up, carefully keeping my face out of the way. I get the tire pump out and look at the valve stem on the tire. Hmmm, there's a funny little thingy on the end of the stem. I turn it to open the stem. Put the hose from the pump on the stem and psssssst, all the air comes out of the tire. Now I have a flat tire ..... and the funny little thingy broke off in the tire pump hose. Now I have to visit the bike shop for help. They helpfully sell me a new inner tube and show me how to change a tire and air it up. No, I still haven't actually done it myself. While I'm there, I also buy a new stem bag for the front of my bike to carry my nutritious snacks in for when I actually ride for more than an hour.
Now I'm ready again. My checklist - helmet, yup, sunglasses, yup, water, yup, tire pressure, yup, sunscreen, yup, snack, no.. but I don't intend to ride very long today. Again, I do the little trick where I lay the bike over and swing my leg over it and get on again. Whew! It worked again. I spend the next 45 minutes riding back and forth in the mostly empty, back parking lot. Practicing turns (you do not turn the front wheel, you lean), practicing stop and starts, practicing using the gears and brakes. I've forgotten about my shaky start. I'm a serious bicyclist now. I'm good. I can ride. I just can't get off the bike.
When it's time to leave, I carefully stop the bike and lay it over to get off. Stopping was okay, standing on one leg, laying the bike to one side to bring the other leg over. Uh-oh, my balance went out the window and I lose it (need to do more core work). I start to tip and I'm unable to catch myself. Heroically trying not to fall on the bike, I fall over it and land on my backside in the parking lot. I'm sure the roofers on the duplexes behind the strip mall are trying hard not to laugh. It was not graceful or pretty. I humbly got up, put the bike in the van and drove home. I have a tender nose, sore wrist and knee, and a couple of bruises on my leg; but I'm going back out tomorrow. I only did 6 miles in the parking lot, I need more base miles.
My plan is to practice in the parking lot behind the strip mall close to my house. There is a bike shop in the mall and the guys there are really helpful so I should be close to assistance if I need it. I'll drive to the parking lot from my house because I've never had to mount the bike, dismount, start, stop or use the brakes.
So, I drive to the parking lot and walk around to the back of the van to get the bike out ....... and hit myself in the head with the back hatch. Ow! I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I already had my helmet on. Good thing because it protected my head. Bad thing because I'm pretty sure I hit my head because I misjudged the distance because I had the helmet on. I mostly just shoved my glasses into my face, so my nose is a little tender now, but no permanent damage.
Ok, ok. Now I have to get on the bike. I lay it over like the coach showed me and swing my leg over. Hurray! It worked. Uh,oh. I just remembered that coach said you should check the pressure in the tires at least once a week. I swing my let back the other way and get off the bike. Open the back hatch back up, carefully keeping my face out of the way. I get the tire pump out and look at the valve stem on the tire. Hmmm, there's a funny little thingy on the end of the stem. I turn it to open the stem. Put the hose from the pump on the stem and psssssst, all the air comes out of the tire. Now I have a flat tire ..... and the funny little thingy broke off in the tire pump hose. Now I have to visit the bike shop for help. They helpfully sell me a new inner tube and show me how to change a tire and air it up. No, I still haven't actually done it myself. While I'm there, I also buy a new stem bag for the front of my bike to carry my nutritious snacks in for when I actually ride for more than an hour.
Now I'm ready again. My checklist - helmet, yup, sunglasses, yup, water, yup, tire pressure, yup, sunscreen, yup, snack, no.. but I don't intend to ride very long today. Again, I do the little trick where I lay the bike over and swing my leg over it and get on again. Whew! It worked again. I spend the next 45 minutes riding back and forth in the mostly empty, back parking lot. Practicing turns (you do not turn the front wheel, you lean), practicing stop and starts, practicing using the gears and brakes. I've forgotten about my shaky start. I'm a serious bicyclist now. I'm good. I can ride. I just can't get off the bike.
When it's time to leave, I carefully stop the bike and lay it over to get off. Stopping was okay, standing on one leg, laying the bike to one side to bring the other leg over. Uh-oh, my balance went out the window and I lose it (need to do more core work). I start to tip and I'm unable to catch myself. Heroically trying not to fall on the bike, I fall over it and land on my backside in the parking lot. I'm sure the roofers on the duplexes behind the strip mall are trying hard not to laugh. It was not graceful or pretty. I humbly got up, put the bike in the van and drove home. I have a tender nose, sore wrist and knee, and a couple of bruises on my leg; but I'm going back out tomorrow. I only did 6 miles in the parking lot, I need more base miles.
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