Ever Notice How One New Bike Item Leads To Another

I got back on the bike after three weeks of swimming and vacationing with the boys. Like I had mentioned at the beginning of the year getting back into the swing of things can be scary. Also I treated myself to a new pair of shoes, after 18 years on the old ones, who knew that grown feet changed so much.

Was going with the tall son as he shopped for a new pair of shoes and figured hey, I deserve a new pair of shoes too. The good thing my size was in stock. Our friends at Bike Source fitted tall son perfectly, with growing room, and then had him order a half size bigger. They have watched him grow the last couple of years. Anyway I picked up a pretty spiffy pair of Specialized Body Geometry shoes in white, I like a little flash. It is amazing the technology that has occurred over the last 18 years in bike shoes. The new ones are like slippers that seem to self cool as you ride, amazing, simply amazing. After the down time and armed, or should say footed, with my new shoes I took off on my first ride. My time came up, my cadence came up and I did not hurt. No pain in the ankle, knee or hip joints could this be from shoes? I waited a day took another, same outcome, the next day a 30 miler and wow. Till I attempted to move the cleats from a neutral position on the shoe no pain. The last 12.5 of that 30, after my SWAG adjustment, my ankles, knees and hips burned. So much for SWAG. The cleats went back to neutral. The tall kid’s shoes came in; I set his cleats very neutral, with a plum line and a ruler neutral. He took a ride and we slightly dialed the feel in till he could not feel any discomfort and we were good. Good enough to jump into a 55 mile ride with a couple of friends, fast friends. We were a group of 5 and though I have stayed away from group riding just because of my slowness. It didn’t make much of a difference, we all rode with each other at one time or another, I pushed a little harder, and we all had some really good conversation, good laughs and an excellent ride. I really need to reevaluate the whole group ride thing, especially if it is a small group. If you have been worried about your abilities take that step and give it a try, you may have the same happy surprise. Even the female in the group made me feel good by riding with me about 14 miles even though she was, tall son fast, and showed it down the stretch. The new shoes, never thought about them or my joints the whole ride. Bottom line if your going to bike, fit is everything.

Speaking of those shoes, what’s a new shoe without putting feet with new socks into them? Throw in thoughts of having new shoes and getting accustom to getting in and out of the pedals, tall son gets me thinking, this would be the time to switch to a larger platform carbon fiber pedal. This gets me thinking more, not a good thing in my case. Tall son has a new high end Giro helmet, mine is a good 10 years old, not acceptable for safety. New shoes, new socks, possibly new pedals and skid lid, hey my bib shorts are looking a little saggy. So the question here is; bicycling a money pit or the more you bicycle things just wear vs. ever notice how one new part leads to another. Oh by the way I just received a new Performance Cycle’s warehouse clearance catalogue and it looks like I might be able to save a little over $200 on my recent thoughts. Timing is everything.



As for the actual riding in August, 151,8 miles in 5 rides, I deserve some new gear.



Till Next Time

Ride Fast, Ride Safe, But Ride

“G”