Photos, but you aren't getting them still.
Just a brief post. Finally managed to go for a ride today. Reb and I headed out for an easy 20. I've been off so long, I wasn't willing to do a long one. Let me say it sucked. We headed out and it was colder than I thought. I felt like crap. Even in Reb's draft, it sucked. My lungs were cold, legs were still and I guess there was a head wind. Ugh. Twenty wouldn't be done fast enough.
The bike, tho, felt good.
At one point I glanced back looking for traffic and AAAAAHHHHAAAAAA. There was someone right on my wheel. Note to self: announce yourself when you approach someone. Scared the crap outta me. Didn't help they were in black so it looked odd at first glance. Really shocked me.
I led the way back. I kept a decent pace, though I haven't looked to see what it was. The ride back was way better. I'm not sure what made the difference. Wind? Finally warmed up? I don't know, but thankfully it was better. The end started to suck when we got back to where we were more out in the open, but it wasn't as bad.
Verdict on the bike is that the fitting was great. The whole thing felt way better. Now if my body would just feel the same....
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
She's Goooooooooooone........again
So, I decided to heck with it. I called back and said, "uh, tune up?" They said they missed it, so I've taken it back. I was going to do it myself, but I just don't have the time and I feel like someone who knows what they're doing should go through it this first time.
Getting back adjusted to work has been a bear. Resuming normal life after being away is tough. I'll give a brief recap of the trip later. Heck, I haven't looked at the pictures yet.
Getting back adjusted to work has been a bear. Resuming normal life after being away is tough. I'll give a brief recap of the trip later. Heck, I haven't looked at the pictures yet.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
It's Gotta Be Me
Seems like I am always disappointed. Maybe my expectations are too high.
When I'm working on something, I call it the Medusa Touch. Its not that everything I touch gets 8 heads, but it does seem to turn to stone. Witness my recent wheel issues which will now find my grinding my brakes down.
This evening I went to pick up my bicycle. I really enjoyed the experience of the fitting. While the bike looks a little less sexy, I'm sure its going to be more comfortable. It is going to take a bit to get use to the higher seat.
So anyway, I get the bike and go to check out. I really don't know what its going to cost because I spent way less time than I thought. I did know what the bars cost. I was surprised with the bill. It was cheaper than I expected. I didn't get the work order, only a reciept. And, as an aside, I didn't get the old bars back.
So, I roll the bike out on the street, kind of glancing at things. Hmm. I don't think they tuned it up. That would explain the price. I got to the car and took a closer look. Nope, no adjustment. I rode it around the lot and decided to bag it and take it home.
Now I'm left with having to go over the whole bike. I guess I should have planned on it anyway. I had just hoped they would pull the cable through and check the wheels for true. Clearly not.
To be clear, the last thing I talked about when I left the bike there, after the fitting, was what I thought was wrong with the bike. I went through the various things I wanted adjusted. Hell, my saddle isn't even level.
Once again, I'm dissappointed with service. Back out will come my torque wrench and I'll sit around with bike on the stand for awhile tweaking things.
Service sucks.
When I'm working on something, I call it the Medusa Touch. Its not that everything I touch gets 8 heads, but it does seem to turn to stone. Witness my recent wheel issues which will now find my grinding my brakes down.
This evening I went to pick up my bicycle. I really enjoyed the experience of the fitting. While the bike looks a little less sexy, I'm sure its going to be more comfortable. It is going to take a bit to get use to the higher seat.
So anyway, I get the bike and go to check out. I really don't know what its going to cost because I spent way less time than I thought. I did know what the bars cost. I was surprised with the bill. It was cheaper than I expected. I didn't get the work order, only a reciept. And, as an aside, I didn't get the old bars back.
So, I roll the bike out on the street, kind of glancing at things. Hmm. I don't think they tuned it up. That would explain the price. I got to the car and took a closer look. Nope, no adjustment. I rode it around the lot and decided to bag it and take it home.
Now I'm left with having to go over the whole bike. I guess I should have planned on it anyway. I had just hoped they would pull the cable through and check the wheels for true. Clearly not.
To be clear, the last thing I talked about when I left the bike there, after the fitting, was what I thought was wrong with the bike. I went through the various things I wanted adjusted. Hell, my saddle isn't even level.
Once again, I'm dissappointed with service. Back out will come my torque wrench and I'll sit around with bike on the stand for awhile tweaking things.
Service sucks.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Its done
So, Sunday was an awful day. I'm glad its over.
After causing some problems for myself, I ended up with some horrific stomach thing last night. I have no idea what was up. I didn't sleep any, so I stayed home until lunch and went to work. The aftermath lingers, but thankfully it seems to be over.
This afternoon I went down to Carytown Bicycles for my fitting. I sure wish I could live down there. Ok, I realize I could, but I don't see it happening for various reasons. I just like it down there.
The guy was nice enough.
The questions started
So, why are you here? Uh, cause I think my fit could be improved.
Any complaints then? Uh, no. Toes numb, fingers numb, but no real pain.
How much do you ride? Couple hours a week.
It was at this point I realized I was out of my element.
After I complained about toes, he took a look at my shoes. Said my cleats were too far forward, and I went through the story of how I could never clip in. He ended up telling me he loved these pedals, but agreed they took awhile to get use to clipping in.
On to the bike I went. First thing he did was raise the seat. Once I was on the bike and could see the mirror, I thought I was too low. He used a protractor to get my height right.
Then he pulled out the plumb bob to set my seat fore/aft. While all this was good, I can't say I noticed a ton of difference. May notice less fatigue on a ride tho.
Next we moved to the riding position, based on the handlebars. We got into the discussion of front end geometry. He explained I was really leaning too far forward and my arms were stiff. This would also account some for my hand getting numb as I couldn't hold my body in that position without my arms. And while the drops were usable, it was a real stretch.
So, while we can't change the head tube angle, you get to the stem. Problem is, my stem was as short as he likes to use, anything shorter makes the bike darty. So, out came compact handlebars. I can't quite explain the difference, but its quite dramatic. I guess the drop doesn't go as far forward before it comes down. Let me tell you, this made a huge difference. It was so much more comfortable. He also changed the angle on my stem.
So yeah, I bought the bars, but they weren't bad.
It only took about 30 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. They'll be installing the bars and doing a tune up on the bike. I think think the drive train is fine, it just needs adjusting.
I have no idea how much I'm in for, aside from the bars. But, I use my bike a fair amount so its worth it. Besides, I need to keep up with TG40.
They are very nice at the shop. They have a good manner and customer service. I didn't feel like an idiot. They don't have a ton of accessories, but it is probably a good move since you can order that stuff so cheap on the web.
Can't really make the call until a ride, but I think this is worthwhile. If you bought your bike from a shop with not so much service, this is worth considering.
After causing some problems for myself, I ended up with some horrific stomach thing last night. I have no idea what was up. I didn't sleep any, so I stayed home until lunch and went to work. The aftermath lingers, but thankfully it seems to be over.
This afternoon I went down to Carytown Bicycles for my fitting. I sure wish I could live down there. Ok, I realize I could, but I don't see it happening for various reasons. I just like it down there.
The guy was nice enough.
The questions started
So, why are you here? Uh, cause I think my fit could be improved.
Any complaints then? Uh, no. Toes numb, fingers numb, but no real pain.
How much do you ride? Couple hours a week.
It was at this point I realized I was out of my element.
After I complained about toes, he took a look at my shoes. Said my cleats were too far forward, and I went through the story of how I could never clip in. He ended up telling me he loved these pedals, but agreed they took awhile to get use to clipping in.
On to the bike I went. First thing he did was raise the seat. Once I was on the bike and could see the mirror, I thought I was too low. He used a protractor to get my height right.
Then he pulled out the plumb bob to set my seat fore/aft. While all this was good, I can't say I noticed a ton of difference. May notice less fatigue on a ride tho.
Next we moved to the riding position, based on the handlebars. We got into the discussion of front end geometry. He explained I was really leaning too far forward and my arms were stiff. This would also account some for my hand getting numb as I couldn't hold my body in that position without my arms. And while the drops were usable, it was a real stretch.
So, while we can't change the head tube angle, you get to the stem. Problem is, my stem was as short as he likes to use, anything shorter makes the bike darty. So, out came compact handlebars. I can't quite explain the difference, but its quite dramatic. I guess the drop doesn't go as far forward before it comes down. Let me tell you, this made a huge difference. It was so much more comfortable. He also changed the angle on my stem.
So yeah, I bought the bars, but they weren't bad.
It only took about 30 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. They'll be installing the bars and doing a tune up on the bike. I think think the drive train is fine, it just needs adjusting.
I have no idea how much I'm in for, aside from the bars. But, I use my bike a fair amount so its worth it. Besides, I need to keep up with TG40.
They are very nice at the shop. They have a good manner and customer service. I didn't feel like an idiot. They don't have a ton of accessories, but it is probably a good move since you can order that stuff so cheap on the web.
Can't really make the call until a ride, but I think this is worthwhile. If you bought your bike from a shop with not so much service, this is worth considering.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
She's Goooooooooooone
And I'm not talking about "chubrub".
Windy, rainy morning. No riding. Errands. Laundry.
Load the bike.
Lunch.
Get in the car and drive. Still much wind to fight, but the trip was pretty short.
Arrive.
It was kind of dark and a little scary. Quiet. Wheeled the bike towards the back of the store.
A heavily tattoo'd woman asked if she could help. I said yes. Please take my bike from me. I will be back Monday for a fitting.
And I left.
I didn't look back.
I didn't even cheat and look at other bikes on the way out.
I hope they take good care of her.
Windy, rainy morning. No riding. Errands. Laundry.
Load the bike.
Lunch.
Get in the car and drive. Still much wind to fight, but the trip was pretty short.
Arrive.
It was kind of dark and a little scary. Quiet. Wheeled the bike towards the back of the store.
A heavily tattoo'd woman asked if she could help. I said yes. Please take my bike from me. I will be back Monday for a fitting.
And I left.
I didn't look back.
I didn't even cheat and look at other bikes on the way out.
I hope they take good care of her.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Week From Hell
There seem to be too many of those these days. I will choose to ignore the mundane crappiness of my work life here.
Friday night brought family +1 and a visit to Comedy Sports. My kid loves it. Her friend liked it, but she just isn't as outgoing as mine. It was ok. Comedy shows aren't really my thing, and obviously these folks aren't top talent. That said, it was fun enough.
Saturday was to be a bike ride. The winds were at least 90 miles an hour with gusts to 200. Or something close. We ended up bailing. I think it was a good choice. The rest of the day was spent running errands. Grocery shopping, shoe shopping, pet supply shopping. Mega excitement. Oh yeah, and then there was the motorcycle.
I went to put my new brake lines on...only to discover I had a wrong bolt. They packaged the wrong one. Well, turns out that Suzuki uses all these different thread pitches in the same system. For whatever reason, I got two of the same bolt. So, I've had to order one, and it seems they are in short supply. Apparently one will be on its way, but it'll be a bit. Sigh..
Sunday brought "the ride". We had the posse minus one. That one seems to think that furthering her career is a better use of her time than riding with us. PPPPPTTTHHHH. :-) I wish Tri-Di well.
So somehow I don't recall drafting TriGirl40 very much like I said I would. I'm too nice. And to break a trend, I actually lead for a bit. Usually I draft REB60. I did decent with holding a constant pace this week. I haven't gone back and looked at my stats yet. It was a good ride, even if I had to pee the whole damn time. I briefly considered, well, you know, but thought better of it and figured a cramp was more socially acceptable. Not sure when I'm going to get to ride again. The weekend is looking iffy for me.
And, I made the appointment. I can't remember taking my bike in for service, and frankly this may be the only time I do. I'm good enough with the bike that it really isn't needed. But, this bike is only a year and a half old. The cables have stretched, but I've adjusted the barrel adjusters. I don't like to pull the stretched cable through, plus I'd like someone to make sure the derailler is lined up properly. I threw the chain off the chainring a couple of times on Sunday, so I think this should be done. Also, I signed up for a fitting. Its going to cost more than I thought, but I want to see how it goes. Probably another thing I'll never do again, but it will be interesting.
Today, the week from hell started again, so I shall focus my attention on the weekend.
Friday night brought family +1 and a visit to Comedy Sports. My kid loves it. Her friend liked it, but she just isn't as outgoing as mine. It was ok. Comedy shows aren't really my thing, and obviously these folks aren't top talent. That said, it was fun enough.
Saturday was to be a bike ride. The winds were at least 90 miles an hour with gusts to 200. Or something close. We ended up bailing. I think it was a good choice. The rest of the day was spent running errands. Grocery shopping, shoe shopping, pet supply shopping. Mega excitement. Oh yeah, and then there was the motorcycle.
I went to put my new brake lines on...only to discover I had a wrong bolt. They packaged the wrong one. Well, turns out that Suzuki uses all these different thread pitches in the same system. For whatever reason, I got two of the same bolt. So, I've had to order one, and it seems they are in short supply. Apparently one will be on its way, but it'll be a bit. Sigh..
Sunday brought "the ride". We had the posse minus one. That one seems to think that furthering her career is a better use of her time than riding with us. PPPPPTTTHHHH. :-) I wish Tri-Di well.
So somehow I don't recall drafting TriGirl40 very much like I said I would. I'm too nice. And to break a trend, I actually lead for a bit. Usually I draft REB60. I did decent with holding a constant pace this week. I haven't gone back and looked at my stats yet. It was a good ride, even if I had to pee the whole damn time. I briefly considered, well, you know, but thought better of it and figured a cramp was more socially acceptable. Not sure when I'm going to get to ride again. The weekend is looking iffy for me.
And, I made the appointment. I can't remember taking my bike in for service, and frankly this may be the only time I do. I'm good enough with the bike that it really isn't needed. But, this bike is only a year and a half old. The cables have stretched, but I've adjusted the barrel adjusters. I don't like to pull the stretched cable through, plus I'd like someone to make sure the derailler is lined up properly. I threw the chain off the chainring a couple of times on Sunday, so I think this should be done. Also, I signed up for a fitting. Its going to cost more than I thought, but I want to see how it goes. Probably another thing I'll never do again, but it will be interesting.
Today, the week from hell started again, so I shall focus my attention on the weekend.
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